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Consumer Protection
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July 23, 2024
FTC Attys On Kroger Case Get Extensions After IT Outage
The administrative law judge overseeing the Federal Trade Commission's in-house challenge to Kroger and Albertsons' $25 billion merger has given the agency and the grocery behemoths two extra days on a couple of filing deadlines after the FTC said the worldwide Microsoft outage left several counsel laptops unusable.
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July 23, 2024
EPA Tells 5th Circ. Louisiana Can't Stall Chemical Regulation
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says the Fifth Circuit cannot decide whether a Louisiana regulator can give a neoprene maker an extra two years to comply with a federal chemical rule because the issue is already before the D.C. Circuit.
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July 23, 2024
Yamaha Sinks Defective WaveRunner Watercraft Suit
An Illinois federal judge on Tuesday threw out a proposed class action alleging Yamaha Motor Corp. USA sold WaveRunner-brand personal watercraft with defective fuel gauges and trip computers, saying the complaint fails to properly allege a breach of warranty or fraud.
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July 23, 2024
Optum Can Arbitrate Calif. Healthcare Provider's Antitrust Suit
A California federal judge Tuesday ordered certain Emanate Health entities who signed hospital services and physician agreements with Optum to arbitrate their antitrust suit accusing it of monopolizing a primary care physician market, finding the agreements encompass rules that say issues of arbitrability will be referred to an arbitrator.
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July 23, 2024
CFPB Sued Over Its Probe Of Lease-To-Own Fintech Co.
Lease-to-own fintech company Acima has accused the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau of trying to overextend its authority with an unconstitutional investigation into the company's transactions that fall outside the bureau's purview.
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July 23, 2024
House Panel Weighs New Rail Safety Regs After East Palestine
The fiery Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, last year has created new urgency for strengthening federal standards for tank car designs, rail safety technology, track inspection protocols and classifying hazardous materials-carrying trains, industry experts told a House subcommittee Tuesday.
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July 23, 2024
Indonesian National Admits To $23M Ponzi Scheme
An Indonesian national pled guilty in New York federal court on Tuesday to conspiring to defraud a group of investors out of $23 million through a Ponzi scheme, ultimately spending the money on luxury goods and real estate.
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July 23, 2024
Fiat Chrysler Escapes Damages, But Defect Finding Stands
Fiat Chrysler doesn't owe anything to consumers who sued it over allegedly faulty automatic head restraints in its vehicles, a Florida federal judge ruled, affirming a Fort Lauderdale jury's determination, but he declined to give the automaker a total win because it did violate the state's unfair trade law.
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July 23, 2024
General Mills Settles 2012 Suit Over 'All Natural' Kix Cereal
Consumers have reached a settlement with General Mills Inc. to resolve a 2012 suit alleging it lied about Kix cereal being "all natural" even though it contains bioengineered ingredients, according to a New Jersey federal court order.
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July 23, 2024
Funds Say Boeing Can't Ditch 737 Max Securities Suit
Pension funds leading a proposed securities fraud suit against Boeing have fired back at the airline manufacturer's attempt to dismiss allegations that it misled investors about the safety of its 737 Max jets, saying the suit sufficiently showcases how missteps by Boeing's top brass diminished shareholder value.
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July 23, 2024
Biz Groups Form Lobby Effort To Fight FCC Bulk Billing Rules
Bulk billing agreements are often a boon for people living in apartment buildings and condos, according to a new coalition made up of multifamily housing organizations and a cable trade group, which was formed to push the Federal Communications Commission to reconsider banning such arrangements.
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July 23, 2024
Capital One Card Holders Sue To Block Discover Merger
Capital One credit card holders launched a proposed class action seeking to block the company's $35 billion purchase of Discover Monday, claiming the acquisition will drive down competition and further consolidate the already-concentrated credit card market.
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July 23, 2024
Senate Dems Roll Out Bill To Codify Chevron Deference
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., led a group of Democratic senators Tuesday in introducing a bill to codify the now-defunct doctrine of Chevron deference after it was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court last month.
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July 23, 2024
Philly Judge Won't Block FTC Noncompete Ban
A Pennsylvania federal judge refused Tuesday to temporarily block the Federal Trade Commission's impending ban on employment noncompete agreements, a victory for commission authority that could be short-lived as the agency awaits a final decision from a Texas federal judge who's already indicated an inclination to stop the regulation.
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July 23, 2024
GM Says $100M Fee Request In Engine Defect Suit Is Too Much
General Motors LLC is urging a California federal court not to grant more than $100 million in fees and $1 million in costs to counsel for a class of car buyers who won a $100 million trial in 2022, saying many of the fees and costs can't be recovered under the law.
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July 23, 2024
FCC Urged To Protect Public Safety In 5.9 GHz Band
A public interest group urged the Federal Communications Commission to keep public safety as the top priority for licensees of the 5.9 gigahertz airwaves as the FCC considers rules to allow advanced car connectivity uses in the band.
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July 23, 2024
Music Fest 'A Mere Shadow' Of Promised Event, Fans Say
Rock music fans who were geared up for the three-day Capulet Fest in Connecticut suffered emotional distress when the outdoor event was suddenly shortened and moved to an indoor venue more than 50 miles away, according to proposed class claims by ticket holders.
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July 23, 2024
Wyoming Hemp Regulations Not Preempted By 2018 Farm Bill
A Wyoming federal judge won't block enforcement of a newly enacted law regulating hemp-derived intoxicating products, saying the 2018 Farm Bill that legalized hemp products doesn't preempt the regulation.
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July 23, 2024
Chemours Loses 3rd Circ. Fight Over EPA Water Advisories
In a precedential ruling Tuesday, the Third Circuit shot down Chemours Co.'s challenge to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's health advisories over chemicals in drinking water, finding that the advisories couldn't be reviewed by a court.
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July 23, 2024
Clinic Gets NC Biz Court's Final OK For Hacking Suit Deal
A North Carolina Business Court judge granted final approval to a class action settlement between a physician-owned orthopedic practice and the current and former patients who took it to court over a data breach that exposed their private information, including their medical records.
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July 23, 2024
Chase, McKinsey Get FTC Inquiry Over 'Surveillance Pricing'
The Federal Trade Commission has issued orders to eight companies — including Mastercard, Chase, Accenture and McKinsey & Co. — seeking more information about the potential impact their practices of "surveillance pricing" products and services have on privacy, competition and consumer protection, the FTC said Tuesday.
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July 22, 2024
GSK Inks $4.5M Deal Resolving 'Non-Drowsy' Robitussin Suit
GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to pay $4.5 million as well as remove the "non-drowsy" label from its Robitussin cough medicine to put to rest allegations it mislabeled the medicine, which consumers claim does cause drowsiness, according to a motion filed Monday in New York federal court.
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July 22, 2024
Conn. PFAS Judge Needs More Info Before Deciding Toss Bid
A water utility and a proposed class of water customers agreed to submit additional briefs to a Connecticut state court judge tasked with determining whether those who claim to have experienced "subclinical cellular changes" after drinking water that allegedly contains "forever chemicals" have alleged an injury sufficient for judicial review.
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July 22, 2024
Verizon's TracFone Hit With $16M FCC Data Breach Penalty
Verizon's prepaid service subsidiary TracFone Wireless has agreed to shell out a $16 million civil penalty to resolve Federal Communications Commission probes into whether it failed to protect customer information during three data breaches, the agency announced Monday.
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July 22, 2024
Actor, Promoter Cop To Forcount Crypto Ponzi Scheme
An actor who purported to be the CEO of Forcount Trader Systems Inc. and another promoter of the fake cryptocurrency outfit on Monday both admitted to defrauding investors out of millions of dollars through a Ponzi-esque pyramid scheme.
Expert Analysis
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Series
Playing Chess Makes Me A Better Lawyer
There are many ways that chess skills translate directly into lawyer skills, but for me, the bigger career lessons go beyond the direct parallels — playing chess has shown me the value of seeing gradual improvement in and focusing deep concentration on a nonwork endeavor, says attorney Steven Fink.
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Key FCC Enforcement Issues In AT&T Location Data Appeal
AT&T’s decision to challenge a $57 million fine from the Federal Communications Commission for its alleged treatment of customer location information highlights interesting and fundamental issues about the constitutionality of FCC enforcement, say Patrick O’Donnell and Jason Neal at HWG.
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Litigation Inspiration: Attys Can Be Heroic Like Olympians
Although litigation won’t earn anyone an Olympic medal in Paris this summer, it can be worthy of the same lasting honor if attorneys exercise focused restraint — seeking both their clients’ interests and those of the court — instead of merely pursuing every advantage short of sanctionable conduct, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
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What To Know As CFPB Late Fee Rule Hangs In Limbo
Though the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's final credit card late fee rule faces an uncertain future due to litigation involving injunctions, emergency petitions and now a venue dispute, card issuers must understand how to navigate the interim period and what to do if the rule takes effect, say attorneys at Steptoe.
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A Deep Dive Into The Evolving World Of ESG Ratings
Attorneys at Mintz discuss the salience of environmental, social and governance ratings in corporate circles in recent years, and consider certain methodologies underlying their calculation for professionals, as well as issues concerning the ESG ratings and products themselves.
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What TikTok's Race Against The Clock Teaches Chinese Firms
The Biden administration's recent divestiture deadline on TikTok parent ByteDance provides useful information for other China-based companies looking to do business in the U.S., including the need to keep products for each market separate and implement firewalls at the design stage, says Richard Lomuscio at Stinson.
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Updated Federal Rules Can Improve Product Liability MDLs
The recent amendment of a federal evidence rule regarding expert testimony and the proposal of a civil rule on managing early discovery in multidistrict legislation hold great promise for promoting the uniform and efficient processes that high-stakes product liability cases particularly need, say Alan Klein and William Heaston at Duane Morris.
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Lean Into The 'Great Restoration' To Retain Legal Talent
As the “great resignation,” in which employees voluntarily left their jobs in droves, has largely dissipated, legal employers should now work toward the idea of a “great restoration,” adopting strategies to effectively hire, onboard and retain top legal talent, says Molly McGrath at Hiring & Empowering Solutions.
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Unlocking Blockchain Opportunities Amid Legal Uncertainty
Dozens of laws and legal precedents will come into the fore as Web3, metaverse and non-fungible tokens gain momentum, so organizations need to design their programs with a broader view of potential exposures — and opportunities, say Teresa Goody Guillén and Robert Musiala at BakerHostetler and Steve McNew at FTI Consulting.
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4 Ways Businesses Can Address Threat Of Mass Arbitration
Attorneys at DLA Piper examine the rise of mass arbitration in light of JAMS' new procedures and guidelines, and provide four steps e-commerce businesses can take when revising their dispute resolution provisions to maximize the chances those revisions will be held enforceable.
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The Uncertain Scope Of The First Financial Fair Access Laws
With Florida and Tennessee soon to roll out laws banning financial institutions from making decisions based on customer traits like political affiliation, national financial services providers should consider how broadly worded “fair access” laws from these and other conservative-leaning states may place new obligations on their business operations, say attorneys at Sullivan & Cromwell.
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Live Nation May Shake It Off In A Long Game With The DOJ
Don't expect a swift resolution in the U.S. Department of Justice's case against Live Nation, but a long litigation, with the company likely to represent itself as the creator of a competitive ecosystem, and the government faced with explaining how the ticketing giant formed under its watch, say Thomas Kliebhan and Taylor Hixon at GRSM50.
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Boeing Saga Underscores Need For Ethical Corporate Culture
In the wake of recent allegations about Boeing’s safety culture, and amid the U.S. Department of Justice’s new whistleblower incentives, business leaders should reinvigorate their emphasis on compliance by making clear that long-term profitability requires ethical business practices, says Maxwell Carr-Howard at Dentons.
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Debate Over CFPB Definition Of Credit Is Just Beginning
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has recently worked to expand the meaning of credit, so anyone operating on the edges of the credit markets, or even those who assumed they were safely outside the scope of this regulatory perimeter, should pay close attention as legal challenges to broad interpretations of the definition unfold, says John Coleman at Orrick.
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Why Jurors Balk At 'I Don't Recall' — And How To Respond
Jurors often react negatively to a witness who responds “I don’t remember” because they tend to hold erroneous beliefs about the nature of human memory, but attorneys can adopt a few strategies to mitigate the impact of these biases, say Steve Wood and Ava Hernández at Courtroom Sciences.