Retail & E-Commerce

  • August 05, 2026

    US Looking Into Aluminum, Tissue For Possible Duty Evasion

    The U.S. Department of Commerce opened a pair of investigations Wednesday into aluminum packaging products from Indonesia and Malaysia and tissue paper imports from Vietnam to determine whether the goods are circumventing duties placed on the products imported from China.

  • August 04, 2026

    Alibaba Investor Says E-Com Giant Hid China Military, AI Risks

    Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba was hit Tuesday with a suit accusing it of misleading shareholders about both its status as a Chinese military company in the eyes of the U.S. government and about its allegedly ongoing illicit activity tied to accessing third-party artificial intelligence models.

  • August 04, 2026

    State Privacy Enforcer Consortium Adds Vermont To Ranks

    Vermont's attorney general has become the 12th member of a bipartisan collective of U.S. regulators launched last year to collaborate on implementing and enforcing their states' data privacy regimes, the group announced Tuesday. 

  • August 04, 2026

    AGs Can't Yet Get Discovery Into Live Nation's DOJ Deal

    A New York federal judge on Tuesday rejected a request by some state attorneys general for discovery into the Justice Department's antitrust settlement reached midtrial with Live Nation, ruling that the scope of the request is "unclear" but the AGs can try again with "narrow and targeted requests."

  • August 04, 2026

    US Beekeepers Say USDA Mislabels 'Organic' Foreign Honey

    Federal regulations wrongly allow foreign honey producers to describe their products as "organic" while at the same time barring large-scale production of organic honey domestically, a group of commercial beekeepers claimed Monday in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

  • August 04, 2026

    Google Accused Of Antitrust Behavior In Ad Tech Practices

    A rival technology company has accused Google of violating antitrust law by restricting competition in digital advertising markets.

  • August 04, 2026

    11th Circ. Backs $12M Battery IP Award, But Drops Damages

    The Eleventh Circuit on Tuesday affirmed a Florida federal jury's conclusion that a battery charger company infringed a competitor's trademarks with Amazon advertisements and other communications and upheld a $12.1 million disgorgement order — although it ordered a new trial on a separate $1.3 million damages award.

  • August 04, 2026

    Kirkland, Jones Day Guide P&G's $3.8B Buy Of Thorne

    Procter & Gamble is acquiring supplements company Thorne from L Catterton for $3.8 billion in cash, with Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Jones Day serving as legal advisers in the transaction, the companies announced Tuesday.

  • August 04, 2026

    Search Rival, Advocates Back DOJ Against Google In DC Circ.

    Academics, policy experts, advocacy groups and several rivals lent their voices Tuesday to the U.S. Department of Justice's defense of its monopolization win over Google, while urging the D.C. Circuit to strengthen the "relatively modest remedies" they say leave Google able to dominate both search and artificial intelligence.

  • August 04, 2026

    Ace Hardware Seeks To Escape Price-Fixing Suit

    Ace Hardware urged an Illinois federal court to toss a proposed class action accusing the retail cooperative of helping its member stores conspire to fix prices, saying the case attacks services the stores need to compete against Home Depot and others.

  • August 04, 2026

    Colo. Judge Stays Carvana Manager's Safety Concerns Suit

    A Colorado federal judge agreed to stay a former Carvana manager's lawsuit against the automobile dealer that claimed the company fired him for reporting violations of motor vehicle safety regulations and raising safety concerns.

  • August 04, 2026

    Texas Hemp Suit Says Federal Law Preempts State Policy

    A trio of hemp interests have brought a new federal lawsuit against Texas officials challenging the constitutionality of new state-led restrictions redesignating intoxicating hemp products as Schedule I substances.

  • August 04, 2026

    Campbell's And Staffing Co. Hit With Unpaid OT Suit

    The Campbell's Co. and the staffing firm CorTech LLC violated federal and state wage laws by requiring hourly contingent workers to work nights and weekends without overtime pay, a proposed class and collective action filed in New Jersey federal court claims.

  • August 04, 2026

    9th Circ. Vacates Amazon's Block On Perplexity AI Bot

    The Ninth Circuit on Tuesday vacated a lower court's preliminary injunction preventing Perplexity's artificial intelligence tool from purchasing items for users on Amazon's platform, saying the online retailer is unlikely to prevail on its claim that the AI tool "accessed" its servers in violation of computer hacking laws.

  • August 04, 2026

    Digital Marketing Co. Ibotta Beats Shareholder's IPO Action

    Digital consumer discount company Ibotta Inc. has escaped a proposed shareholder class action accusing it of misleading investors in the lead-up to the company's 2024 initial public offering, with a Colorado federal court ruling the allegations do not connect the defendants to intentions to defraud.

  • August 04, 2026

    Judge Undoes Default Order Against Hemp Co. In CBD Oil Suit

    A federal judge set aside a default order against a Washington cannabis grower that failed to timely answer counterclaims in a dispute over a multimillion-dollar hemp biomass purchase agreement, finding the company's late filing was due to attorney and staff error rather than willful misconduct.

  • August 04, 2026

    35 AGs Urge Congress Not To Delay Hemp Ban Rollout

    A bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general is urging Congress not to approve language in a pending continuing resolution that would delay the implementation of a ban on virtually all intoxicating hemp products for one month.

  • August 04, 2026

    9th Circ. Tosses Jack Daniel's Win In 'Bad Spaniels' Fight

    The Ninth Circuit on Tuesday overturned the permanent injunction Jack Daniel's secured against VIP Products in their decade-long trademark fight, ruling in a precedential opinion that the whiskey maker failed to prove the poop-themed "Bad Spaniels" dog toy was likely to tarnish its famous marks.

  • August 04, 2026

    Mexico, Japan Eye Trade Cooperation On Energy, AI

    Mexico and Japan are looking to heighten their coordination on trade matters in fields including energy and technology, the two governments said after a meeting of officials.

  • August 04, 2026

    Amazon Delivery System Suppresses Wages, NJ AG Says

    New Jersey's attorney general hit Amazon with a federal antitrust suit Tuesday, alleging the company engineered its Delivery Service Partner program to create a "captive seller," then used its dominance to impose substandard pay, harsh working conditions and anti‑union tactics on thousands of last‑mile delivery drivers across the state.

  • August 03, 2026

    9th Circ. Revives Claims Over FDA, USDA 'FODMAP' Labeling

    The Ninth Circuit on Monday partially revived a lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture over federal regulations restricting food companies from labeling products with information about difficult-to-digest sugars known as "FODMAPs."

  • August 03, 2026

    PetMeds Beats Pixel Tracking Privacy Suit Over Standing Flaw

    A Florida federal judge has tossed a proposed class action accusing online pet pharmacy PetMed Express Inc. of deploying tracking tools that illegally transmitted website visitors' data to third parties, finding that class discovery had revealed the plaintiffs lack standing to support their remaining federal and state wiretap claims. 

  • August 03, 2026

    Five Below Investors Win Class Cert. In Growth Potential Suit

    A Pennsylvania federal judge on Monday certified an investor class action alleging Five Below and its executives overstated the company's growth prospects and its ability to curb inventory loss, finding the defendants did not rebut the presumption of reliance on the alleged misrepresentations.

  • August 03, 2026

    Albertsons Says Wash. Slow To Warn Of Bad Drug Prescribers

    Washington regulators didn't notify pharmacies or patients about doctors' potentially improper opioid prescribing until months after receiving complaints, Albertsons' counsel told a Seattle judge Monday, as the bench trial over Washington's claims the pharmacy chain helped fuel the state's overdose crisis entered its fourth week.

  • August 03, 2026

    Pokémon Sued Over Director's Alleged Secret Bathroom Cams

    A Pokémon employee has launched a proposed class action against the trading card giant in Washington state court, claiming a former engineering director installed secret cameras in bathrooms of its Evergreen State corporate office to surveil women and children as they undressed.

Expert Analysis

  • Assessing Compliance Risks Around TrumpRx Participation

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    As there are novel compliance obligations and potential political opposition related to the new TrumpRx online drug platform, companies intending to participate on the site should consider the pressure points that are likely to draw enforcement scrutiny, say attorneys at Sheppard.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: February Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses four recent rulings from November and December, and identifies practice tips from cases involving the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act and Missouri unjust enrichment claims, the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, the Class Action Fairness Act, and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

  • Series

    Trail Running Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Navigating the muddy, root-filled path of trail marathons and ultramarathons provides fertile training ground for my high-stakes fractional general counsel work, teaching me to slow down my mind when the terrain shifts, sharpen my focus and trust my training, says Eric Proos at Next Era Legal.

  • Courts Are Reanchoring Antitrust Enforcement In Evidence

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    Recent U.S. antitrust disputes, including with Meta and HPE-Juniper, illustrate how judicial scrutiny combined with internal institutional checks is pushing enforcement toward an evidence-based footing and refinements, says Thomas Stratmann at George Mason University.

  • Takeaways From 8th Circ. Ruling On Worker's 'BLM' Display

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    The Eighth Circuit's recent decision in Home Depot v. National Labor Relations Board, finding that Home Depot legally prohibited an employee from displaying Black Lives Matter messaging on his uniform, reaffirms employers' right to restrict politically sensitive material, but should not be read as a blank check, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • Malpractice Claim Assignability Continues To Divide Courts

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    Recent decisions from courts across the country demonstrate how different jurisdictions balance competing policy interests in determining whether legal malpractice claims can be assigned, providing a framework to identify when and how to challenge any attempted assignment, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin & Lodgen.

  • Texas AG Wields Consumer Protection Law Against Tech Cos.

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    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has targeted technology companies using the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, a broadly worded statute that gives the attorney general wide latitude to pursue claims beyond traditional consumer protection, creating unique litigation risks, say attorneys at Yetter Coleman.

  • When Bankruptcy Collides With Product Recalls

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    The recent bankruptcy filing by Rad Power Bikes on the heels of a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warning about dangerously defective batteries sold by the company highlights how CPSC enforcement clashes with bankruptcy protections, leaving both regulators and consumer litigants with limited options, says Michael Avanesian at Avian Law Group.

  • Utilizing The ITC To Combat 'Gray Market' IP Infringement

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    As technological developments intensify trademark owners' need to respond swiftly to "gray market" sales of international goods imported into the U.S. without the trademark owner's consent, litigating at the U.S. International Trade Commission offers an underutilized enforcement option, say attorneys at MoFo.

  • Bipartisan Enforcement Is Rising In Consumer Finance

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    Activity over the past year suggests a bipartisan state enforcement wave is rippling across the consumer finance industry, which follows a blueprint set out by former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra, who notably now leads a Democratic Attorneys General Association working group, say attorneys at Hudson Cook.

  • Series

    Teaching Logic Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Teaching middle and high school students the skills to untangle complicated arguments and identify faulty reasoning has made me reacquaint myself with the defined structure of thought, reminding me why logic should remain foundational in the practice of law, says Tom Barrow at Woods Rogers.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practicing Resilience

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    Resilience is a skill acquired through daily practices that focus on learning from missteps, recovering quickly without internalizing defeat and moving forward with intention, says Nicholas Meza at Quarles & Brady.

  • New State Regs On PFAS In Products Complicate Compliance

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    The new year brought new bans and reporting requirements for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in half a dozen states — in many cases, targeting specific consumer product categories — so manufacturers, distributors and retailers must not only monitor their own supply chains, but also coordinate to ensure compliance, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Opinion

    Congress Should Lead On AI Policy, Not The States

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    There needs to be some limits on how far federal agencies go in regulating artificial intelligence systems, but Congress must not abdicate its responsibility and cede control over this interstate market to state and local officials, say Kevin Frazier at the University of Texas School of Law and Adam Thierer at the R Street Institute.

  • How 2 Tech Statutes Are Being Applied To Agentic AI

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    The application of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and the California Invasion of Privacy Act to agentic artificial intelligence is still developing, but recent case law, like Amazon's lawsuit against Perplexity in California federal court, provides some initial guidance for companies developing or deploying these technologies, say attorneys at Weil.

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