Retail & E-Commerce

  • November 22, 2024

    Del Monte's 'Fruit Naturals' Label Not Deceptive, 9th Circ. Says

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday refused to revive a California woman's proposed class action accusing Del Monte Foods of falsely advertising fruit cups as being "natural" despite containing synthetic preservatives, saying a reasonable consumer would know to read the products' back label to confirm the ingredients.

  • November 22, 2024

    Sirius XM Cancellation Policies Flout Federal Law, Judge Says

    A New York state judge held that Sirius XM Radio Inc.'s account cancellation policies, while not fraudulent, violate federal law by forcing consumers to call customer service and listen to drawn-out discount pitches before they're able to unsubscribe.

  • November 22, 2024

    Target Can't Shake Shoppers' Biometric Privacy Suit

    An Illinois federal judge has refused to toss a putative class action accusing Target Corp. of deploying surveillance systems that unlawfully gathered shoppers' biometric data, finding that news reports and other sources cited by the plaintiffs were enough to create a "plausible inference" that the retailer engaged in the alleged conduct. 

  • November 22, 2024

    Europe's Antitrust Enforcer Puts Apple E-Book Probe To Bed

    The European Union's antitrust enforcer is dropping its probe into whether Apple's requirement that e-books and audiobooks be bought through in-app purchases in its App Store broke the bloc's competition rules.

  • November 22, 2024

    Delta-8 Product Actually Illicit Delta-9, Class Action Claims

    The manufacturer of Cake Brand vapes has been hit with a proposed class action accusing it of "masquerading" its products as "lawful delta-8" when in reality they contain delta-9, a derivative marijuana which remains a Schedule I drug, according to the suit filed in California federal court.

  • November 22, 2024

    UK Enforcers Concerned Over Apple Mobile Browser Policies

    British competition enforcers said Friday that Apple's policies are holding back innovation in the mobile browser space and called for an investigation of the roles played by Apple and Google in the mobile ecosystem under new rules coming into force next year.

  • November 22, 2024

    New Congress Could Undo Rules On Drinking Water, Methane

    A consumer advocacy group is warning that Republicans may target a slew of recent and pending regulatory actions when they take control in Washington next year, saying they could make use of the Congressional Review Act to unwind new rules on competition, lead in drinking water, data protection and more.

  • November 22, 2024

    FTC Can't Block Amazon's Misconduct Defense In Prime Suit

    The Federal Trade Commission can't bar some of Amazon's defenses in an enforcement suit alleging consumers were duped into signing up for Prime delivery service, a Washington federal judge has ruled, allowing the e-commerce giant to argue the regulatory agency engaged in misconduct related to the litigation.

  • November 22, 2024

    GeigTech Gets $2.67M In Window Shade Patent Retrial

    A federal jury in New York has found in a retrial that lighting fixture company Lutron Electronics should have to pony up $2.67 million for infringing a company's window shade patent.

  • November 22, 2024

    Hemp Cos. Owner Seeks Toss Of Cousin's TM Dispute

    A Miami-based delta-8 THC products manufacturer is looking to toss an infringement lawsuit filed by a former business partner, telling a Florida federal judge that the suit appears to be a patent fight and therefore belongs in trademark court.

  • November 22, 2024

    1st Circ. Affirms Volvo Win In Dealers' Maintenance Pay Suit

    The First Circuit affirmed a pretrial win granted to Volvo in a suit brought by two dealerships claiming the carmaker was underpaying them for maintenance they perform under prepaid service plans.

  • November 22, 2024

    Walmart Class Attys In $123M Opioid Deal Seek $24.6M Fee

    Three plaintiffs firms known for shareholder litigation are seeking $25 million in fees for their work on a $123 million settlement with Walmart in Delaware's Chancery Court, ending a suit that claimed oversight failures at the retail giant led to reckless opioid prescriptions and massive liabilities.

  • November 22, 2024

    Judge 'Concerned' With 'Lack Of Progress' In Walmart OT Suit

    A Georgia federal judge warned that he was "concerned by the lack of progress on the limited discovery" he reopened last month at the request of a Walmart warehouse manager suing the company for unpaid overtime hours.

  • November 21, 2024

    Messi Drink's Look A 'Blatant' Copy, Logan Paul's Co. Says

    Social media influencer Logan Paul's sports beverage company Prime Hydration has struck back at the maker of White Claw over its new beverage collaboration with soccer legend Lionel Messi, saying in a New York federal court filing that the "blatant copying" of their Prime product's trade dress has already created consumer confusion.

  • November 21, 2024

    Children's Place Investor Drops Suit After Counsel Rule Qualm

    A New Jersey federal judge agreed Thursday to let an investor who protested conditions the court placed on his pick for lead counsel to voluntarily toss his proposed class action against clothing retailer The Children's Place Inc.

  • November 21, 2024

    Franchise Group Lenders Want End To Debtor's Ch. 11 Rights

    Lenders of bankrupt retail-focused holding company Franchise Group Inc., including Pacific Investment Management Co. and private equity firm Irradiant Partners, have urged a Delaware bankruptcy judge to end holdco debtor Chapter 11 exclusivity restrictions, arguing that the move offers the best escape from a near-inescapable "Gordian knot" entangling all their claims.

  • November 21, 2024

    FCC To Hit Video Doorbell Maker For Skirting Security Rules

    The Federal Communications Commission wants to slap Chinese smart home device maker Eken with a more than $700,000 fine for breaking agency rules that require foreign companies to have an agent located in the U.S.

  • November 21, 2024

    Walmart Hit With $34.7M Verdict For Defaming Truck Driver

    A California jury has awarded $34.7 million to a former Walmart truck driver, finding that the retailer defamed him when it falsely accused him of fraud and fired him after he was injured on the job and filed a worker's compensation claim.

  • November 21, 2024

    AutoZone, Ex-Manager Agree To Park Sex Bias Suit

    A subsidiary of car parts retailer AutoZone Inc. struck a deal to end a sex, gender and age bias suit from a former district manager who said the company fired her and replaced her with a younger worker, according to a filing in California federal court.

  • November 21, 2024

    Tempur Gave UK Co. 'Total Autonomy' Post-Merger, CEO Says

    The CEO of a United Kingdom-based mattress company acquired by Tempur Sealy in 2021 told a Houston federal judge Thursday that his new parent company has provided him "total autonomy" since the acquisition.

  • November 21, 2024

    Big Lots Seeks To Include Claims Against Execs In Asset Sale

    Discount retailer Big Lots on Thursday asked a Delaware bankruptcy judge to approve a $760 million asset sale to a private equity group and override creditor objections to the inclusion of potential litigation claims against company insiders in the package.

  • November 21, 2024

    Glassmakers Seek Duty Probe On Overseas Competitors

    A group of U.S. glassmakers asked the U.S. Department of Commerce on Thursday to look into float glass imports from China and Malaysia, saying subsidies in those countries have allowed the imports to be sold at artificially low prices.

  • November 21, 2024

    EPA Announces National Strategy To Tackle Plastic Pollution

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday unveiled its national strategy outlining how government agencies, businesses, nonprofits and communities can prevent plastic pollution. 

  • November 21, 2024

    Sherwin-Williams Wants Pause In NJ Pollution Suit

    Sherwin-Williams asked a New Jersey state court to pause a suit from Garden State regulators over the contamination at one of its former plants, arguing an expert for the state has claimed the cleanup required under a consent decree failed to accurately assess the scope of contamination and that a massive new soil excavation is required.

  • November 21, 2024

    Louisiana Defends New Hemp Law From Industry Challenge

    A Cannabis industry-led lawsuit seeking to block Louisiana from imposing new restrictions on consumables infused with hemp-derived THC should be squashed, the state told a federal judge, saying the legal theories the suit presents "have been tried and failed elsewhere."

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    Industry Self-Regulation Will Shine Post-Chevron

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's Loper decision will shape the contours of industry self-regulation in the years to come, providing opportunities for this often-misunderstood practice, says Eric Reicin at BBB National Programs.

  • 3 Ways Agencies Will Keep Making Law After Chevron

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    The U.S. Supreme Court clearly thinks it has done something big in overturning the Chevron precedent that had given deference to agencies' statutory interpretations, but regulated parties have to consider how agencies retain significant power to shape the law and its meaning, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • After Chevron

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    Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Chevron deference standard in June, this Expert Analysis series has featured attorneys discussing the potential impact across 37 different rulemaking and litigation areas.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Expect Few Changes In ITC Rulemaking

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's opinion overruling the Chevron doctrine will have less impact on the U.S. International Trade Commission than other agencies administering trade statutes, given that the commission exercises its congressionally granted authority in a manner that allows for consistent decision making at both agency and judicial levels, say attorneys at Polsinelli.

  • Opinion

    Atty Well-Being Efforts Ignore Root Causes Of The Problem

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    The legal industry is engaged in a critical conversation about lawyers' mental health, but current attorney well-being programs primarily focus on helping lawyers cope with the stress of excessive workloads, instead of examining whether this work culture is even fundamentally compatible with lawyer well-being, says Jonathan Baum at Avenir Guild.

  • Antitrust In Retail: The Meaning Of 'Accessible Luxury'

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    In order for the Federal Trade Commission to block a deal that would put six "accessible luxury" brands, including Coach and Michael Kors, under one roof, the agency will need to prove that this category is distinct from the true luxury or mass-market categories, says David Kully at Holland & Knight.

  • Series

    Skiing And Surfing Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I’ve learned while riding waves in the ocean and slopes in the mountains have translated to my legal career — developing strong mentor relationships, remaining calm in difficult situations, and being prepared and able to move to a backup plan when needed, says Brian Claassen at Knobbe Martens.

  • Unpacking The Circuit Split Over A Federal Atty Fee Rule

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    Federal circuit courts that have addressed Rule 41(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are split as to whether attorney fees are included as part of the costs of a previously dismissed action, so practitioners aiming to recover or avoid fees should tailor arguments to the appropriate court, says Joseph Myles and Lionel Lavenue at Finnegan.

  • In Biz Account Breaches, Look Beyond The Payment Platform

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    A business's legal path to recovering funds after bad actors access a payment platform account and engage in unauthorized transactions can lead into murky legal territory where liability is unclear, and pursuing the payment platform itself will be an uphill, if not insurmountable, struggle, say Edward Marshall and Morgan Harrison at Arnall Golden.

  • A Look At Calif. Contract Considerations In Fiji Water Ruling

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    A California appellate court's recent decision in Carolina Beverage v. Fiji Water, that a party may not seek contractual recovery on the basis of constructive termination, offers a look at contract construction and other considerations on negotiating distribution agreements, says Michael Laszlo at Clark Hill.

  • Making Plans For BNPL Consumer Protection Compliance

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    With an interpretive rule from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau set to require buy-now, pay-later providers to implement credit card-like consumer safeguards by the end of July, loan providers must solidify their federally compliant customer dispute resolution and disclosure procedures before the newly emboldened bureau's deadline, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • After A Brief Hiccup, The 'Rocket Docket' Soars Back To No. 1

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    The Eastern District of Virginia’s precipitous 2022 fall from its storied rocket docket status appears to have been a temporary aberration, as recent statistics reveal that the court is once again back on top as the fastest federal civil trial court in the nation, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

  • Tailoring Compliance Before AI Walks The Runway

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    Fashion industry players that adopt artificial intelligence to propel their businesses forward should consider ways to minimize its perceived downsides, including potential job displacements and algorithmic biases that may harm diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, say Jeffrey Greene and Ivory Djahouri at Foley & Lardner.

  • Recruitment Trends In Emerging Law Firm Frontiers

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    BigLaw firms are facing local recruitment challenges as they increasingly establish offices in cities outside of the major legal hubs, requiring them to weigh various strategies for attracting talent that present different risks and benefits, says Tom Hanlon at Buchanan Law.

  • How Uyghur Forced Labor Law Affects Importing Companies

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    Amid a growing focus on forced labor in supply chains and a likely increase in enforcement under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, companies may face costly import delays unless they develop and implement compliance best practices, say Thad McBride and Lauren Gammer at Bass Berry.

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