Consumer Protection

  • January 31, 2025

    Judge Blocks Symetra Life Policyholders' $32.5M Deal

    A Washington federal court rejected a $32.5 million settlement bid brought by a proposed class of Symetra life insurance policyholders who accused the life insurer of using undisclosed nonmortality factors to overcharge monthly rates, noting the proposed settlement notice leaves information on the class counsel's cost reimbursement blank.

  • January 31, 2025

    Owners Appeal Docs Order In Yale's $435M Hospital Sale Fight

    Three companies that own property occupied by bankrupt Prospect Medical Holdings Inc. hospitals in Connecticut have appealed a state trial court judge's order to provide documents to Yale New Haven Health in a fight over a $435 million purchase agreement.

  • January 31, 2025

    Court Won't Block Tempur Sealy's $4B Mattress Firm Deal

    A Texas federal court on Friday denied the Federal Trade Commission's bid to put a hold on Tempur Sealy International Inc.'s planned $4 billion purchase of Mattress Firm Group Inc. over concerns about rival mattress suppliers' access to the retail chain.

  • January 31, 2025

    Apple Wants Google Search Case Paused For Appeal

    Apple filed an emergency motion asking a Washington, D.C., federal court to pause the landmark monopolization case targeting Google's search dominance while it appeals a decision refusing to allow the company to participate in the upcoming remedies trial.

  • January 31, 2025

    FCC Urged To Restrict Call Blocking Based On Content

    A marketing group has asked the Federal Communications Commission to adjust its safe harbor rules for junk call and text blocking to ensure that businesses can try to contact consumers without being stymied based on the content of their messages.

  • January 31, 2025

    Investors Say Walgreens Misled Over Prescription Misuse

    A putative class of Walgreens shareholders has sued the retail giant in Illinois federal court, claiming it made false statements about its regulatory compliance and that stock prices fell in the wake of the federal government's allegations that Walgreens knowingly filled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances.

  • January 31, 2025

    Stores Urge Neb. Senate Against Hemp Cannabinoid Ban

    Store owners have told the Nebraska Senate Judiciary Committee a proposed bill that would ban the sale of any hemp-derived cannabinoids containing more than .3% of any kind of THC would have devastating economic consequences on their businesses.

  • February 14, 2025

    Law360 Seeks Members For Its 2025 Editorial Boards

    Law360 is looking for avid readers of our publications to serve as members of our 2025 editorial advisory boards.

  • January 31, 2025

    Cannabis Test Lab Says Competitors Fudging Results

    A Massachusetts cannabis testing lab accused eight of its competitors of intentionally inflating results for potency and concealing findings of contamination in order to lure away customers, according to a lawsuit filed in state court.

  • January 31, 2025

    Despite Fewer Biden Antitrust Probes, Abandonments Rose

    Despite a historically low number of significant merger investigations under Joe Biden's administration, abandoned transactions far outpaced those seen in Donald Trump's first term or Barack Obama's second, according to a new Dechert LLP report.

  • January 30, 2025

    Big Ass Fans Agrees To Fine Over COVID-19 Filtering Claims

    Fan maker Big Ass Fans has agreed to pay nearly half a million dollars in penalties and restitution to resolve false advertising claims related to ceiling fan attachments it marketed during the COVID-19 pandemic as being able to kill over 99% of pathogens within an hour.

  • January 30, 2025

    Amazon 'Siphoned' App Users' Location Data, Suit Claims

    Amazon is secretly collecting "incredibly sensitive" information about millions of consumers' precise location and movements through software-building tools embedded on third-party mobile apps, according to a proposed class action filed in California federal court Wednesday. 

  • January 30, 2025

    Wise Reaches $2.5M CFPB Deal Over Disclosure, Fee Issues

    In its first new enforcement action since President Donald Trump's return to office, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Thursday ordered Wise, a global money transfer fintech, to pay nearly $2.5 million on allegations it committed misleading fee marketing and disclosure-related violations.

  • January 30, 2025

    AA Jet And Army Helicopter Crash: What We Know So Far

    The midair collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army helicopter over the Potomac River will spark multiple inquiries and regulatory actions on air traffic control procedures and flight paths that may raise sticky questions about the scope of the federal government's liability in future litigation, experts say.

  • January 30, 2025

    Ex-FCC Member Wants Stiffer Penalties For Broadband Sabotage

    There's a broadband equipment vandalism problem that no one is doing much about, a Republican former Federal Communications Commission member said in a new opinion piece, arguing that "certain criminal elements" view the theft as a path to "fast cash."

  • January 30, 2025

    Calif. AG Asks 9th Circ. To Block Meta's MDL Discovery Win

    The California attorney general urged the Ninth Circuit on Wednesday to block orders requiring third-party state agencies to respond to Meta Platforms' discovery demands in multidistrict litigation over social media's alleged harms, arguing in a mandamus petition the "clearly erroneous" ruling "runs roughshod" over the state's constitutional divisions of power.

  • January 30, 2025

    PNC Units Face Investor Suit Over 'Cash Sweep' Program

    PNC Financial and its investment unit are the latest to face a proposed class action alleging their cash sweep program funneled customer funds into low interest-bearing accounts, hurting investors who should have seen their money earn a reasonable market interest rate.

  • January 30, 2025

    Hotel Guests Get Backing For Algorithmic Pricing Suit

    Hotel guests accusing a group of Atlantic City properties of using shared software to fix room rates are getting a helping hand in their Third Circuit fight to revive their suit from antimonopoly interest groups, who filed in separate amicus briefs in support of their effort this week.

  • January 30, 2025

    Plaintiffs, Pfizer Spar Over Where To Join Depo-Provera Suits

    Consumers who claim Pfizer Inc. failed to adequately warn patients and doctors about the risk of brain tumors associated with the hormonal contraceptive drug Depo-Provera urged the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation on Thursday to consolidate their cases but sparred over whether to move them to California or New York.

  • January 30, 2025

    Sheriffs Raise Concern About New FCC Prison Phone Caps

    A sheriffs' group brought concerns to the Federal Communications Commission about recently adopted caps on prison phone rates, saying the exclusion of certain cost categories would lead to less access to services for the incarcerated.

  • January 30, 2025

    Card Co. Netspend Inks $1.1M NY AG Deal Over Fees, Freezes

    The New York Attorney General's Office said Thursday that Netspend, a fintech debit and prepaid card provider, will pay nearly $1.1 million to settle claims that it charged New Yorkers illegal fees and allowed debt collectors to seize protected funds.

  • January 30, 2025

    Erewhon, Mother's Market Sued Under Prop 65 For Lead In Chips

    Erewhon and Mother's Market & Kitchen sold kale chips with cadmium and lead, which could cause cancer and reproductive harm, a consumer protection group said Wednesday in a complaint in California state court that seeks to hold them liable for violations of Proposition 65.

  • January 30, 2025

    Google Judge Leery Of Administration Of $90M Antitrust Deal

    A California federal judge overseeing Google's $90 million antitrust deal with Play Store developers expressed "doubt" Thursday about the decision of counsel representing smaller developer plaintiffs to stay with an administration company handling the settlement distribution, two months after criticizing the administrator's work as "the worst performance I've seen."

  • January 30, 2025

    Circle K Gas Franchise Hit With Data Breach Class Action

    Gas and convenience store chain Circle K was hit with a proposed class action in Georgia federal court over allegations that it failed to adequately safeguard the sensitive personal information of its employees during a May 2024 data breach.

  • January 30, 2025

    Consumers Want L'Oréal Acne Products Suits In Hawaii

    Plaintiffs suing L'Oréal for selling acne products that could break down into the carcinogen benzene took a second stab at consolidating their lawsuits, asking the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation on Thursday to join the suits in Hawaii.

Expert Analysis

  • Video Privacy Law Claims After 2nd Circ. NBA Ruling

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    The Second Circuit's recent ruling in Salazar v. National Basketball Association expanded the definition of what constitutes a consumer under the Video Privacy Protection Act, breathing new life into the law by making any newsletter subscriber to a platform that hosts video content a potential plaintiff, say attorneys at Clark Hill.

  • Next Steps In The $2.8B Blue Cross Payout To Providers

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    Healthcare providers deciding whether to participate in Blue Cross Blue Shield network's recent $2.8 billion antitrust class action settlement must weigh key recovery factors, including provider type and litigation cost, say attorneys at Hall Render.

  • OCC Recovery Guidance Can Help Banks Bounce Back Better

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    The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's recently finalized recovery guidelines add to the constellation of exercises that larger banks must undertake, while also aiding information-gathering and preparedness efforts that can help prevent — or better manage — bank failures, say attorneys at Davis Wright.

  • EPA's New Lead Pipe Rule Leaves Key Questions Unanswered

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    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recently released update to its Lead and Copper Rule is a major step forward in the elimination of lead from drinking water systems, but it lacks meaningful guidance on alternative materials, jurisdictional concerns, cost allocation and other topics, say attorneys at Foley Hoag.

  • What To Expect From State AGs As Federal Control Changes

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    Under the next Trump administration, Democratic attorneys general are poised to strengthen enforcement in certain areas as Republican attorneys general continue their efforts with stronger federal support — resulting in a confusing patchwork of policies that create unintended liabilities for businesses operating in multiple jurisdictions, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • So You Want To Move Your Law Practice To Canada, Eh?

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    Google searches for how to move to Canada have surged in the wake of the U.S. presidential election, and if you’re an attorney considering a move to the Great White North, you’ll need to understand how the practice of law differs across the border, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.

  • 3 Policyholder Lessons From NY Bad Faith Ruling

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    A New York appellate court's recent decision finding that Rockefeller University alleged viable bad faith claims against its insurers reinforces the principle that insurers may not elevate their own economic interests over those of their insureds, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: November Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses six federal court decisions that touch on Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and when individual inquiries are needed to prove economic loss.

  • Trump's 2nd Term May Be A Boost To Banking Industry

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    President-elect Donald Trump's personnel appointments could be instrumental in reshaping the financial regulatory landscape during his second administration, likely allowing for greater merger activity and halting or undoing some of the Biden administration's more restrictive financial services policies, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Notable Q3 Updates In Insurance Class Actions

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    Total loss valuation cases and labor depreciation cases dominated the past quarter of insurance class actions, with courts continuing to reject challenges to condition adjustments in the former, and a pro-insured trend persisting in the latter, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • Unpacking CFPB's Unwieldy Buy Now, Pay Later Guidance

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    Both the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recent interpretive rule regarding buy now, pay later transactions, and its FAQ guidance, place providers in murky waters with the unenviable position of attempting to place a square, closed-end product in a round, regulatory framework meant for open-end products, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Legislation Most Likely To Pass In Lame Duck Session

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    As Congress begins its five-week post-election lame duck session, attorneys at Greenberg Traurig break down the legislative priorities and which proposals can be expected to pass.

  • Justices Must Weigh Reach Of Civil RICO In Cannabis Case

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    Oral arguments in Medical Marijuana Inc. v. Horn suggest that a majority of the U.S. Supreme Court may agree that a truck driver's losing his job after unknowingly ingesting THC and failing a drug test does not merit a racketeering claim — but the court may not buy the other side's theory of the case either, say attorneys at Lewis Baach.

  • What Trump's 2nd Presidency Could Mean For Crypto Sector

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    Trump's second term will bring a fundamental shift from the Biden administration's approach to crypto-asset regulation and banking supervision, with the most significant changes likely taking effect in the first two quarters of 2025 and broader policy shifts emerging over the next year, say attorneys at Cahill.

  • Putting NYDFS AI Cybersecurity Guidance Into Practice

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    New guidance from the New York Department of Financial Services explains how financial institutions should assess and mitigate cybersecurity risks associated with artificial intelligence, focusing on four main threats and highlighting how varying environments require specific mitigation measures, say attorneys at Saul Ewing.

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