Consumer Protection

  • January 03, 2025

    PBMs 'Wasting' Time in Opioid MDL Discovery Spat: Judge

    An Ohio federal judge overseeing multidistrict opioid litigation on Friday denied pharmacy benefit managers a stay to appeal a discovery order and said he believed the PBMs were "wasting" the court's time.

  • January 03, 2025

    Pool Co. Denied New Trial On TM Claims After Winning $16M

    A North Carolina pool parts supplier can't retry trademark infringement claims after securing a $16 million false advertising and unfair business practices judgment against a rival Chinese company accused of misleading customers, a federal judge ruled this week.

  • January 03, 2025

    Meta Wants Advertising Monopoly Suit Nixed

    Meta said that a group of advertisers accusing the company of monopolizing the social media advertising market have nothing more than its profits to point to in their damages bid, writing in a new summary judgment motion that extensive discovery has only shown how baseless the suit is.

  • January 03, 2025

    Honeygrow Accused Of Taxing Bottled Water At Pa. Location

    Philadelphia-based restaurant chain Honeygrow unjustly profited from charging 6% sales tax for bottled water at one of its locations in violation of Pennsylvania law, a new class action lawsuit filed in state court alleged.

  • January 03, 2025

    PayPal's Minority Program Biased Against Asians, Suit Says

    A lawsuit filed in New York federal court alleges that PayPal's $535 million investment program for Black- and minority-led businesses is racially biased against Asian Americans and violates federal civil rights laws. 

  • January 03, 2025

    Victims Say Crypto Isn't Money, Safeco Must Cover Hack

    A Washington couple is accusing Safeco Insurance Co. of illegally refusing coverage for $600,000 in cryptocurrency stolen by hackers, saying in a complaint removed to Seattle federal court on Thursday that the tokens should be classified as personal property, not money, which has a $250 loss limit on the pair's homeowners' policy.

  • January 03, 2025

    CPSC, Apple Reach Agreement Over AirTag Battery Warnings

    The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on Thursday said Apple AirTags imported after March 2024 didn't have federally required warnings about the harms of swallowing the tracking devices, but the company has agreed to include warnings.

  • January 03, 2025

    FCC Republicans Slam Marketplace Report As Falling Short

    Republicans who are set to take control of the Federal Communications Commission blasted an agency report on the state of the communications marketplace, saying it fails to take into account the convergence of various broadband technologies.

  • January 03, 2025

    Bank's Refund Doesn't End Proposed Class Action Over Fees

    A bank's "apparent attempt" to "pick off" a plaintiff in a proposed class action by refunding overdraft fees that are the basis for the complaint "will not be permitted," a Massachusetts judge said in denying the bank's bid to dismiss the case.

  • January 03, 2025

    Suits Allege California Law Firm Committed Debt Relief Fraud

    Two people filed lawsuits this week against a California law firm, alleging that it had promised to fix their debt problems but instead took hundreds of dollars from their bank accounts each month and did nothing to help.

  • January 03, 2025

    AIG Seeks $302K For Water Damage At NFL Player's NJ Home

    An AIG insurer said it's entitled to recover nearly $302,000 from a contractor and plumbing company for flood damage to a Philadelphia Eagles player's Garden State home, telling a New Jersey federal court that the companies improperly installed the wrong piece of hardware when renovating the property.

  • January 03, 2025

    Hemp Cos. Tell 10th Circ. New Law Is Unconstitutional

    A group of hemp companies challenging a new Wyoming law restricting their products told the Tenth Circuit on Thursday the policy is unconstitutional and their appeal is ripe despite the lower court dismissing their suit.

  • January 03, 2025

    $15M Flea Collar MDL Deal Scores Swift Approval By Ill. Judge

    An Illinois federal judge gave his final blessing on Friday to a $15 million settlement in multidistrict litigation targeting adverse side effects that Bayer and other companies behind certain flea and tick collars allegedly failed to warn about.

  • January 03, 2025

    FCC Hits Broadband Co. With $56K Fine For Default

    The Federal Communications Commission has ordered an Illinois broadband provider to shell out more than $56,000 for allegedly defaulting on obligations under a federal program to expand high-speed internet service in unserved regions.

  • January 03, 2025

    FCC Says Cash On Way Soon For 'Rip And Replace'

    The Federal Communications Commission says the additional $3.08 billion for its "rip and replace" program to get Chinese telecommunications equipment out of the nation's networks is on its way and will soon close a wide gap between what was originally allocated for the program and what telecoms say they need.

  • January 03, 2025

    Pa. Homebuyers Say Broker Misled Them On Chicken Ban

    A pair of Pennsylvania homebuyers told a state court on Jan. 2 they have buyer's remorse after being misled by broker Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services LLC about a homeowners association's ban on chickens living on their property.

  • January 03, 2025

    Texas City, Sheriff Say Retailers' Suit Should Go Up In Smoke

    The city of Allen, Texas, and the Collin County sheriff are asking a Texas federal court to throw out a suit alleging they illegally raided a smoke shop selling hemp products, arguing in separate motions that the complaint falls far short of supporting its claims.

  • January 03, 2025

    Insurers Ordered To Pay $165M For Deceptive Marketing

    Insurance companies banned from selling policies in Massachusetts due to alleged deceptive marketing practices have been ordered to pay $165 million for selling the plans anyway and using similar false advertising in their pitches to consumers, a state judge has ruled.

  • January 02, 2025

    Calif. Judge Ices Social Media Addiction Law For 30 Days

    A California federal judge Thursday blocked the state from beginning its enforcement of a new law designed to bar online platforms from using algorithms to deliver addictive feeds to children, finding there was "great value" in giving the Ninth Circuit 30 days to consider his decision to largely uphold the measure. 

  • January 02, 2025

    Ex-Bank Chair Asks 7th Circ. To Halt FDIC Enforcement Order

    An Illinois community bank's onetime chairman has asked the Seventh Circuit for an emergency stay of professional sanctions ordered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. after an in-house proceeding that he argues was unconstitutional and wrongly decided.

  • January 02, 2025

    DC Kept Disabled People In Restrictive Care Too Long: Ruling

    After 15 years of litigation, a D.C. federal judge ruled this week that the District of Columbia has been violating a federal law that prohibits the segregation of people with disabilities by refusing to remove people from Medicaid-funded nursing homes into less restrictive forms of care.

  • January 02, 2025

    NTIA Clarifies Use Of Broadband Funds For Alternative Techs

    The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has dropped more information to make the way forward clearer for states that want to use their federal broadband dollars to fund alternative means of connecting people, such as satellites.

  • January 02, 2025

    Stanley Cup Maker Sued Over Alleged Lid Hazard

    The Seattle-based maker of the trending Stanley-brand tumbler has been hit with a proposed class action in Washington federal court by a New York consumer accusing the manufacturer of failing to adequately compensate customers for a lid defect that led to the recall of 2.6 million travel mugs.

  • January 02, 2025

    DC Allowed To Resubmit AvalonBay Rent-Fixing Claims

    The District of Columbia will get another chance to tweak its claims against landlord AvalonBay Communities and see if the changes are enough to prop up allegations that it has been using the property management platform RealPage to fix the price of rentals.

  • January 02, 2025

    DOJ Joins FTC Suit Against Fintech Lender Dave

    The U.S. Department of Justice has taken the reins in the Federal Trade Commission's suit against fintech app Dave and added its CEO as a defendant, while the mobile banking platform decried the updated complaint as "a continued example of government overreach."

Expert Analysis

  • Proposed Legislation May Crack Down On Online Drug Ads

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    A bill recently proposed in Congress could serve as a sea change in how the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates drug-related speech, with significant trickle-down effects on various corners of not only the drug industry but also on consumers and providers themselves, say Dominick DiSabatino and Arushi Pandya at Sheppard Mullin.

  • How Loper Bright Is Affecting Pending FCC Litigation

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    Pending challenges against Federal Communications Commission orders at the Sixth and Eleventh Circuits following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Loper Bright highlight that counsel must be familiar with the statutes, regulations and precedent relevant to the FCC to best navigate the rapidly changing compliance landscape, say attorneys at Davis Wright.

  • A Blueprint For Structuring An Effective Plaintiff Case Story

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    The number and size of nuclear verdicts continue to rise, in part because plaintiffs attorneys have become more adept at crafting compelling trial stories — and an analysis of these success stories reveals a 10-part framework for structuring an effective case narrative, says Jonathan Ross at Decision Analysis.

  • Series

    Round-Canopy Parachuting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Similar to the practice of law, jumping from an in-flight airplane with nothing but training and a few yards of parachute silk is a demanding and stressful endeavor, and the experience has bolstered my legal practice by enhancing my focus, teamwork skills and sense of perspective, says Thomas Salerno at Stinson.

  • Dealmaker Lessons From CFIUS' New Enforcement Webpage

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    The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States’ recently launched webpage, which details the actions — and inactions — that led to enforcement activity, provides important insights for dealmakers about filing requirements, mitigation commitments and the cost of noncompliance, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • What's In Colorado's 1st-Of-Its-Kind Neural Privacy Law

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    Colorado recently became the first U.S. state to directly regulate neurotechnology with new legislation amending the Colorado Privacy Act to specifically protect biological and neural data, offering an example of how lawmakers can tackle the perceived regulation gaps in this area, say attorneys at Goodwin.

  • What To Expect From Calif. Bill Regulating PE In Healthcare

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    A California bill currently awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom's approval, intended to increase oversight over private equity and hedge fund investments in healthcare, is emblematic of recent increased scrutiny of investments in the space, and may affect transactions and operations in California in a number of ways, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Why Now Is The Time For Law Firms To Hire Lateral Partners

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    Partner and associate mobility data from the second quarter of this year suggest that there's never been a better time in recent years for law firms to hire lateral candidates, particularly experienced partners — though this necessitates an understanding of potential red flags, say Julie Henson and Greg Hamman at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.

  • Considering Possible PR Risks Of Certain Legal Tactics

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    Disney and American Airlines recently abandoned certain litigation tactics in two lawsuits after fierce public backlash, illustrating why corporate counsel should consider the reputational implications of any legal strategy and partner with their communications teams to preempt public relations concerns, says Chris Gidez at G7 Reputation Advisory.

  • What To Know About Insurance Coverage For Antitrust Risks

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    With all the regulatory activity surrounding antitrust and unfair competition claims, as highlighted by last month's D.C. federal court decision that Google is a monopolist, businesses must not only ensure compliance, but also understand their potential insurance coverage when such claims arise, says Micah Skidmore at Haynes Boone.

  • Exploring Practical Employer Alternatives To Noncompetes

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    With the Federal Trade Commission likely to appeal a federal court’s recent rejection of its noncompete ban, and more states limiting the enforceability of these agreements, employers should consider back-to-basics methods for protecting their business interests and safeguarding sensitive information, says Brendan Horgan at FordHarrison.

  • How Labeling And Testing May Help Reduce PFAS Litigation

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    As regulators take steps to reduce consumers’ exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as forever chemicals, companies can take a proactive approach to mitigating litigation risks not only by labeling their products transparently, but also by complying with testing and marketing standards, says Sarah La Pearl at Segal McCambridge.

  • It's No Longer Enough For Firms To Be Trusted Advisers

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    Amid fierce competition for business, the transactional “trusted adviser” paradigm from which most firms operate is no longer sufficient — they should instead aim to become trusted partners with their most valuable clients, says Stuart Maister at Strategic Narrative.

  • Avoid Getting Burned By Agencies' Solar Financing Spotlight

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    Recently coordinated reports and advisories from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission maximize the spotlight on the consumer solar financing market and highlight pitfalls for lenders to avoid in this burgeoning field, says Mercedes Tunstall at Cadwalader.

  • Calif. Bill, NTIA Report Illustrate Open-Model AI Safety Debate

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    The National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s balanced recommendations for preventing misuse of open artificial intelligence models, contrasted with a more aggressive California bill, demonstrate an evolving regulatory debate about balancing democratic access to this powerful new technology against potential risks to the public, say Stuart Meyer and Fredrick Tsang at Fenwick.

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