Consumer Protection

  • February 12, 2025

    Wells Fargo Cheated Seminole Trust Out Of $800M, Jury Hears

    Wells Fargo and its predecessor Wachovia cheated minors of the Seminole Tribe of Florida out of $818 million by secretly hiking fees and mismanaging investments in a multibillion-dollar gambling trust, a Florida jury heard Wednesday in opening statements for a multiweek trial in litigation involving more than 2,000 minors.

  • February 12, 2025

    EthereumMax Buyers Seek Cert. In Celeb Crypto Promos Suit

    A group of investors in crypto product EthereumMax have asked a federal judge in California to certify a class action accusing Floyd Mayweather Jr., Kim Kardashian and other celebrities of promoting the token, which allegedly was used in a pump-and-dump scheme.

  • February 12, 2025

    DOJ Removes For-Cause Protection For FTC, Other Agencies

    The U.S. Department of Justice has determined that for-cause removals for members of the Federal Trade Commission, National Labor Relations Board and Consumer Product Safety Commission are unconstitutional, acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris informed Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., ranking Democrat of the Senate Judiciary Committee, in a letter Wednesday.

  • February 12, 2025

    Sea Salt Co. Sued Over Lead And Arsenic Levels

    A salt company was hit with a proposed class action Tuesday in California federal court over allegations that its salt contains arsenic and lead, asserting that there is no safe level of lead.

  • February 12, 2025

    Crypto Operator Seeks No Prison Time For $1M Fraud Plea

    The founder of a cryptocurrency project who copped to wire fraud after gambling with over $1 million from investors wants to avoid a custodial sentence, though prosecutors have asked to see him serve just over two years.

  • February 12, 2025

    Avangrid Unit's Counterclaim Cut From Plant Cleanup Fight

    The United Illuminating Co. cannot assert a counterclaim against the commissioner of Connecticut's energy regulator as they battle over the cleanup of the defunct and polluted English Station power plant in New Haven because the utility has not overcome the state's sovereign immunity, a state court has ruled.

  • February 12, 2025

    Sig Sauer's Bid To Toss $2.3M Ga. Jury Verdict Misfires

    A Georgia federal judge has declined to toss a $2.35 million verdict against Sig Sauer over charges that a defect in its popular P320 pistol caused a man to accidentally shoot himself, saying she was "unmoved" by the gunmaker's arguments that it deserves a new trial.

  • February 12, 2025

    Paraquat Plaintiffs Urge 7th Circ. To Revive MDL Suits

    Four plaintiffs who were set for bellwether trials in multidistrict litigation targeting the herbicide paraquat argued Wednesday that the Seventh Circuit should unwind their summary judgment losses because the district court's ruling was based on "core misunderstandings" about their expert's evidentiary requirements.

  • February 12, 2025

    RealPage Wants DC Sanctioned For Tactics In Antitrust Suit

    RealPage is moving for sanctions against the District of Columbia and its attorneys at Cohen Milstein in the city's rental housing price-fixing suit, accusing the district of failing to back up a major claim in its 2023 complaint and changing the allegation only when threatened with a Rule 11 motion.

  • February 12, 2025

    Colo. Judge Tosses Online Fax Co.'s Junk Ad Suit

    A Colorado federal judge dismissed an online fax service provider's Telephone Consumer Protection Act suit alleging a group of companies overwhelmed its system with "junk" faxes, finding in a Wednesday order that the law's prohibition specifically applies to a "machine" that receives and prints faxes.

  • February 12, 2025

    4th Circ. Keeps Class Cert. Nixed In Coupon Service Case

    Class certification remains off the table in a lawsuit accusing Inmar Inc. of fixing shipping prices for coupon processing services, after a Fourth Circuit panel sided Wednesday with district court findings that none of the three proffered ways to identify a class of manufacturer plaintiffs holds up.

  • February 12, 2025

    Ga. Judge Trims Untimely Paragard IUD Claims From MDL

    The Georgia federal judge overseeing the sprawling multidistrict litigation over alleged defects in Paragard intrauterine devices agreed Tuesday to dismiss as untimely dozens of claims against Teva Pharmaceutical and Cooper Cos. from patients in eight states.

  • February 12, 2025

    Boston's Opioid Damages Claims Tossed As Too Late

    Boston waited too long to sue a group of drug benefits intermediaries over their alleged roles in the opioid crisis, a Massachusetts federal judge said in dismissing the city's complaint Tuesday.

  • February 12, 2025

    Gore-Tex Maker Accused Of Greenwashing Waterproof Fabric

    W.L. Gore & Associates has been slapped with a proposed class action in Washington federal court accusing it of embarking on a "greenwashing" campaign by touting its Gore-Tex waterproof fabric as being environmentally sound, while concealing from customers it uses forever chemicals in manufacturing the material.

  • February 12, 2025

    Fintech Group Wants To Defend CFPB's Open Banking Rule

    Fintech industry group the Financial Technology Association on Wednesday filed to defend the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's open banking rule in an ongoing challenge from the banking industry since the agency's own defense of the rule is uncertain in the wake of Trump administration shake-ups.

  • February 12, 2025

    House Antitrust Chair Wants To Override Merger Overhaul

    The head of the House antitrust subcommittee, Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wisc., introduced a bill Tuesday that would unwind the newly in-effect overhaul to merger filing requirements that practitioners say will significantly increase upfront burdens but that the Federal Trade Commission's Republican leadership has argued will lower costs.

  • February 12, 2025

    Allstate Hit With Another Class Action Over Data Collection

    Allstate has been hit with another proposed class action in Illinois federal court accusing the auto insurer of illegally obtaining the personal driving data of millions of policyholders via software embedded in third-party apps and using that data for the insurer's own underwriting purposes.

  • February 12, 2025

    Google Must Face Wiretapping Suit Over AI-Powered Assistant

    A California federal judge has refused to toss a proposed class action accusing Google of using a "human-like" customer-service product powered by artificial intelligence to illegally eavesdrop on users' calls with Hulu, Verizon and others, finding the consumers adequately allege Google is a third party that can benefit from the data.

  • February 12, 2025

    Conn. Opposes Bankrupt Prospect Medical's 'Plunder'

    Prospect Medical Holdings Inc. must be held accountable for harm that the hospital operator caused in Connecticut, but first, its three facilities in the state need to quickly transition to new ownership, the offices of the attorney general and the governor told a Dallas bankruptcy judge.

  • February 12, 2025

    House GOP Eyes Medicaid Cuts, Work Requirements

    House Republicans set their sights on potential cuts and changes to Medicaid on Wednesday, arguing Congress and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency should target improper payments, institute work requirements and repeal a Biden-era rule that made enrolling in the federal healthcare program easier. 

  • February 12, 2025

    Meta User Antitrust Suit Gets Nov. 17 Trial Date

    A California federal judge has set a Nov. 17 trial date for accusations that Meta monopolized the social media advertising market weeks after he declined to certify a class of Facebook users that would have numbered in the millions.

  • February 12, 2025

    Sidley Litigator Tapped For Treasury GC Post

    President Donald Trump has nominated Sidley Austin LLP regulatory litigation and white collar partner Brian P. Morrissey to become the U.S. Department of the Treasury's top lawyer, which would mark a return to the department where he was previously the number two lawyer.

  • February 12, 2025

    Trump's Picks For CFPB, OCC Chiefs Hailed By Industry

    President Donald Trump has tapped Jonathan McKernan, formerly of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau full time, part of a slate of top financial regulatory nominees that has many in industry breathing a sigh of relief.  

  • February 11, 2025

    Trump Tells Agencies To Plan 'Large-Scale' Cuts With Musk

    President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday that directs agencies to prepare for "large-scale" cuts to the federal workforce and gives Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency the authority to approve the future hiring of career officials.

  • February 11, 2025

    Wash. Health Privacy Law Debuts In Amazon Tracking Suit

    A Washington resident has launched the first claims under the state's groundbreaking health privacy law, as part of a proposed class action accusing Amazon of unlawfully harvesting location data from tens of millions of mobile phone users through third-party apps that are running the company's software development kit. 

Expert Analysis

  • Drug Pricing Policy Trends To Expect In 2025 And Beyond

    Author Photo

    Though 2025 may bring more of the same in the realm of drug pricing policy, business as usual entails a sustained, high level of legal and policy developments across at least six major areas, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • The Tides Are Changing For Fair Access Banking Laws

    Author Photo

    The landscape of fair access banking laws, which seek to prevent banks from denying services based on individuals' ideological beliefs, has shifted in the last few years, but a new presidential administration provides renewed momentum for advancing such legislation against the backdrop of state efforts, say attorneys at Latham.

  • Imagine The Possibilities Of Openly Autistic Lawyering

    Author Photo

    Andi Mazingo at Lumen Law, who was diagnosed with autism about midway through her career, discusses how the legal profession can create inclusive workplaces that empower openly autistic lawyers and enhance innovation, and how neurodivergent attorneys can navigate the challenges and opportunities that come with disclosing one’s diagnosis.

  • Opinion

    How Congress Can Stem Consumer Finance Law Uncertainty

    Author Photo

    In the face of rising uncertainty about consumer finance laws that are based largely on fluctuating administrative rules, Congress should cement certain existing laws into statute and clarify federal agencies' delegations of authority, say attorneys at Bradley Arant.

  • Why Trump's FTC May Not U-Turn On Robinson-Patman

    Author Photo

    The Federal Trade Commission's recent revival of Robinson-Patman Act enforcement may well be here to stay under the Trump administration — albeit with some important caveats for businesses caught in the government's crosshairs, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • Opinion

    Courts Should Nix Conferencing Rule In 1 Discovery Scenario

    Author Photo

    Parties are generally required to meet and confer to resolve a discovery dispute before bringing a related motion, but courts should dispense with this conferencing requirement when a party fails to specify a time by which it will complete its production, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law.

  • 4 Keys To Litigating In An Active Regulatory Environment

    Author Photo

    For companies facing litigation influenced by government regulatory action — a recent trend that a politically charged atmosphere will exacerbate — there are a few principles that can help to align litigation strategy with broader public positioning in the regulatory and oversight context, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Series

    Documentary Filmmaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Becoming a documentary filmmaker has allowed me to merge my legal expertise with my passion for storytelling, and has helped me to hone negotiation, critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are important to both endeavors, says Robert Darwell at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Litigation Funding Disclosure Debate: Strategy Considerations

    Author Photo

    In the ongoing debate over whether courts should require disclosure of litigation funding, funders and plaintiffs tend to argue against such mandates, but voluntarily disclosing limited details about a funding arrangement can actually confer certain benefits to plaintiffs in some scenarios, say Andrew Stulce and Marc Cavan at Longford Capital.

  • A Look At Shifting Legal Landscape For Data Brokers

    Author Photo

    An increasingly complex legal landscape at both the federal and state levels has expanded the types of businesses classified as data brokers, so consumer-facing businesses should consider their designations under these new regulations and any consequences for compliance and business operations, say attorneys at Morrison Foerster.

  • Understanding Risks Of Celebrities 'Hawking' Crypto Tokens

    Author Photo

    Prominent social media personality Haliey Welch was recently sued over the promotion and sale of the Hawk Tuah cryptocurrency memecoin, underscoring the importance of public figures conducting due diligence to verify they aren't endorsing a token that is in fact a security, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • State AG Enforcement Is Poised For Another Pivot In 2025

    Author Photo

    Backed by a Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, the Trump administration intends to make substantial policy changes, and attorneys general of both parties around the country are preparing their response playbooks, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • The Implications Of E-Cigarette Cos. Taking Suits To 5th Circ.

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in U.S. Food and Drug Administration v. R.J. Reynolds over the definition of an "adversely affected" person under the Tobacco Control Act, and the justices' ruling will have important and potentially wide-ranging implications for forum shopping claims, says Trillium Chang at Zuckerman Spaeder.

  • Del. Dispatch: Lessons From Failed Albertsons-Kroger Merger

    Author Photo

    The allegations in Albertsons' lawsuit against Kroger following the grocery stores' blocked merger demonstrate how a target company can best ensure that a buyer timely and effectively complies with its obligations to pursue the necessary regulatory approvals for a deal, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • Series

    Adventure Photography Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Photographing nature everywhere from Siberia to Cuba and Iceland to Rwanda provides me with a constant reminder to refresh, refocus and rethink the legal issues that my clients face, says Richard Birmingham at Davis Wright.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Consumer Protection archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!