Consumer Protection

  • January 29, 2025

    CFPB Cheers On State Bids To Restrict Medical Debt Reporting

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has signaled support for bills that lawmakers in Massachusetts and several other states are considering to restrict medical debt reporting, efforts that could build on the agency's own new medical debt rule.  

  • January 29, 2025

    9th Circ. Halts Calif. Social Media Addiction Law For Appeal

    The Ninth Circuit stayed a slew of California limitations on social media platforms aimed at curbing addiction among young people, temporarily siding with a tech industry lobbying group arguing that the state law runs afoul of First Amendment speech protections.

  • January 29, 2025

    Shopper Says Costco Adds Hidden Fees To Online Deliveries

    Costco is the target of a proposed consumer class action alleging the membership retailer is reneging on promises to waive online delivery fees by adding hidden charges that make products bought through the company's e-commerce site more expensive than the same products sold in stores.

  • January 29, 2025

    RFK Jr. Disputes Anti-Vax Label In HHS Confirmation Hearing

    Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attempted Wednesday morning to convince Republican and Democratic lawmakers that he is not anti-vaccine, despite many of his past comments to the contrary, as he hopes to convince them to confirm his appointment as head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

  • January 28, 2025

    Trump Tells Federal Workers They're Welcome To Resign

    The Trump administration on Tuesday emailed about 2 million federal employees offering them the option to resign but continue to be paid to the end of September, in an effort to implement a campaign promise to drastically cut the federal workforce and only keep employees who are "loyal" and "trustworthy."

  • January 28, 2025

    Sen. Warren Has 'Serious Concern' Over Lutnick's Tether Ties

    Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D.-Mass., has asked U.S. Secretary of Commerce nominee Howard Lutnick to provide more information on his involvement with the crypto firm Tether Ltd. Inc., saying his firm Cantor Fitgerald's stake in the success of a token allegedly favored by "outlaws" is cause for concern.

  • January 28, 2025

    Trade Groups Dial Up Push For Congress To Pass Privacy Law

    A broad coalition of business trade groups on Tuesday called on the newly installed Congress to enact a national data privacy framework that would preempt state laws, arguing that the move was necessary to promote competition and boost consumer confidence in the current age of rapid technological innovation.

  • January 28, 2025

    CFPB, Bank Orgs Rebuff Intervention Bid In Data Rule Fight

    In a moment of agreement, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and a group of banking trade groups pushed back on Tuesday against a bid to intervene by two advocacy groups in a suit over the CFPB's small business lending data rule. 

  • January 28, 2025

    Norfolk Southern Cuts $22M Derailment Deal With Ohio Village

    Norfolk Southern Corp. has reached a $22 million settlement with East Palestine, Ohio, to resolve claims over the 2023 train derailment and chemical spill near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, according to a joint statement published on the village's website Monday.

  • January 28, 2025

    Boeing Supplier Seeks $583K Fees In Texas Biz Records Suit

    A Boeing supplier, Spirit AeroSystems Inc., has asked a federal judge to approve over $583,000 in legal fees after it won a bid to shut down attempts by Texas state officials to examine its business records.

  • January 28, 2025

    9th Circ. Backs Class Attys' $8M In Fees In Joint Juice Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Tuesday upheld an $8 million fee award to plaintiffs who prevailed in a false advertising suit against food company Premier Nutrition Corp. over its Joint Juice supplement, finding the lower court didn't abuse its discretion in awarding fees for work plaintiffs' attorneys performed while a related case was pending.

  • January 28, 2025

    4th Circ. Raises Questions Over Health Data Access Order

    A Fourth Circuit panel focused Tuesday on whether an exception to federal law barring electronic health record companies from blocking the exchange of patient data applies to a request from Real Time Medical Systems to access nursing home data from PointClickCare.

  • January 28, 2025

    Black Homebuyers Seek OK For Predatory Lending Settlement

    A proposed class of Black homebuyers has asked a Michigan federal judge to approve their $750,000 settlement with real estate companies and their investors who allegedly bought up run-down Detroit properties to sell to Black buyers with abusive lending terms.

  • January 28, 2025

    'Pencils Down' For Meta, Netflix Antitrust Case In Ill.

    Meta Platforms Inc., Netflix and a proposed class of consumers claiming the companies cut an illegal deal ceding the video streaming market to Netflix can wait to continue litigating their case until a California federal judge mulls summary judgment over similar claims out west, an Illinois federal judge said Tuesday.

  • January 28, 2025

    Minn. AG Settles Novo Nordisk Insulin Claims With Price Cap

    Minnesota's attorney general has reached a settlement resolving a long-running lawsuit accusing Novo Nordisk of inflating insulin prices, with the company agreeing to a $35 per month cap on out-of-pocket costs for state residents.

  • January 28, 2025

    Gunmaker Must Face AIG Units' Breach Counterclaims

    Firearms-maker Colt's Manufacturing Co. LLC can not dodge claims that it breached a contract by failing to pay the first $250,000 in annual legal expenses it incurred while defending against litigation brought by the city of Gary, Indiana, a Connecticut federal court ruled.

  • January 28, 2025

    Texas Judge OKs $40M Settlement In Six Flags Expansion Suit

    A Texas federal judge indicated Tuesday that he would approve a $40 million class settlement between Six Flags Entertainment Corp. and investors accusing the amusement park operator of bungling expansion plans in China — after having previously dismissed the case twice.

  • January 28, 2025

    Wells Fargo Exits 2022 Order But Isn't Out Of CFPB Woods Yet

    Wells Fargo announced Tuesday that it has wrapped up a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau consent order issued two years ago over its handling of auto loans, mortgages and deposit accounts, though the agency is cautioning that "serious issues" remain at the bank.

  • January 28, 2025

    Allegheny Health Network Hit With Data Breach Claims

    A Pittsburgh-based healthcare system failed in its responsibility to keep its patients' private health information secure from cybercriminals who breached databases maintained by an information technology contractor, a Pennsylvania woman claimed in a proposed class action.

  • January 28, 2025

    Stakeholders Worry Funding Freeze Will Hinder Connectivity

    Advocates for increased broadband access in schools and libraries are sounding the alarm about the Office of Management and Budget memorandum calling on agencies to pause grant and loan disbursements, with broadband access advocates warning that the move would stop all Universal Service reimbursements and threaten coverage for rural and underserved areas.

  • January 28, 2025

    Dolce & Gabbana Wants 'Worthless' NFT Outfit Suit Tossed

    The U.S. division of Italian luxury fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana has urged a New York federal judge to toss a proposed investor class action accusing it of abandoning a nonfungible tokens project while retaining the more than $25 million that was used to fund it, arguing that the U.S. arm of the company was not at all involved in the project.

  • January 28, 2025

    FCC Scraps Reg Plan For Cell Tower Enviro Reviews

    The Federal Communications Commission's new Republican chief said Tuesday the agency was dropping a plan launched during the Biden administration to more rigorously vet cell tower building projects for environmental impacts.

  • January 28, 2025

    'Extraordinary' $630M CDK Deal Wraps Auto Dealer Data MDL

    A certified class of car dealership app makers is seeking preliminary approval for the final settlement in the years-old web of cases accusing CDK Global of monopolizing auto dealership management software, with a $630 million Wisconsin federal court deal that puts a $140 million premium on estimated damages.

  • January 28, 2025

    SoCal Edison Faces More Suits Over Eaton Blaze

    At least two more lawsuits were filed in California state court against Southern California Edison, alleging the investor-owned public utility is responsible for sparking the devastating Eaton Fire that began Jan. 7 and destroyed most of Altadena, California, killing at least 17 people.

  • January 28, 2025

    Silk Road Pardon Sparks Hope For More Crypto Clemency

    President Donald Trump's decision to free the convicted Silk Road operator Ross Ulbricht brought praise from crypto advocates and spurred some to seek the ear of the new administration in hopes that the president will pardon other alleged crypto criminals, too.

Expert Analysis

  • SEC Custody Rule Creates Crypto Compliance Conundrum

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    While the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's application of the custody rule may be a good faith attempt to enhance consumer protections for client assets, it doesn't appreciate the unique characteristics of crypto-assets, forcing advisers to choose between pursuing their clients' objectives and complying with the rule, say attorneys at Willkie.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Note 3 Simple Types Of Legal Complexity

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    Cases can appear complex for several reasons — due to the number of issues, the volume of factual and evidentiary sources, and the sophistication of those sources — but the same basic technique can help lawyers tame their arguments into a simple and persuasive message, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Tracking The Uncertainty Of The FTC's Negative Option Rule

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    The fate of the Federal Trade Commission's final rule requiring businesses that utilize negative options to provide consumers with a simple cancellation method remains in limbo as it faces multiple legal challenges and the threat of possible congressional action looms, say attorneys at Manatt.

  • Antitrust in Retail: Handbag Ruling Won't Go Out Of Fashion

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    Although a New York federal court’s recent decision to enjoin a proposed $8.5 billion merger between the owners of Michael Kors and Coach applied noncontroversial antitrust interpretations, several notable aspects of the opinion stand out as likely candidates for further discussion in future merger litigation, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Series

    Gardening Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Beyond its practical and therapeutic benefits, gardening has bolstered important attributes that also apply to my litigation practice, including persistence, patience, grit and authenticity, says Christopher Viceconte at Gibbons.

  • SEC Prioritized Enforcement Sweeps As Cases Slowed In '24

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    Following three consecutive years of increasing activity, fiscal year 2024 marked the lowest number of cases the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has brought since Gary Gensler assumed office in April 2021, buttressed by some familiar enforcement sweeps, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Litigation Inspiration: Reframing Document Review

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    For attorneys — new ones especially — there is much fulfillment to find in document review by reflecting on how important, interesting and pleasant it can be, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • Key Takeaways From FDA's Latest Social Media Warnings

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    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's latest untitled letter concerning a drug company's social media promotion provides lessons for how companies should navigate risk presentation, FDA labeling requirements and superiority claims, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • 2 Cases Show DAOs May Face Increasing Legal Scrutiny

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    Two ongoing cases that recently survived motions to dismiss in California federal courts concerning Compound DAO and Lido DAO threaten to expand the potential liability for activity attributed to decentralized autonomous organizations — and to indirectly create liability for their participants, say attorneys at Cahill Gordon.

  • Expect More State Scrutiny Of PE In Healthcare M&A

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    While a California bill that called for increased antitrust scrutiny of many healthcare private equity transactions was recently vetoed by the governor, state legislatures are likely to continue introducing similar laws, particularly if the Trump administration eases federal enforcement, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • How CFIUS' Updated Framework Affects Global Investors

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    The recent change to the monitoring and enforcement regulations governing the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States will broaden administrative practices around nonnotified transaction investigations, increase the scope of information demands from the committee and accelerate its ability to impose mitigation on parties, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Service Providers Must Mitigate 'Secondary Target' Risks

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    A lawsuit recently filed in an Illinois federal court against marketing agency Publicis over its work for opioid manufacturers highlights an uptick in litigation against professional service providers hired by clients that engaged in alleged misconduct — so potential targets of such suits should be sure to conduct proper risk analysis and mitigation, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • 5 Ways SEC's Crypto Approach Could Change Under Trump

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    Given the Trump campaign's procrypto stance, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission could take a number of different approaches to crypto policy in the next administration, including pausing registration-only enforcement actions and proposing tailored rules that take into account the differences between crypto-assets and traditional securities, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Opinion

    FTC Actions In Oil Cases Go Against Its Own Rulemaking

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    Two recent Federal Trade Commission actions concerning the oil and gas industry appear to defy its own merger guidelines, with allegations that fall far short of the commission's own standard — raising serious questions about the agency's current approach, say attorneys at Clifford Chance.

  • Series

    Flying Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Achieving my childhood dream of flying airplanes made me a better lawyer — and a better person — because it taught me I can conquer difficult goals when I leave my comfort zone, focus on the demands of the moment and commit to honing my skills, says Ivy Cadle at Baker Donelson.

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