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Consumer Protection
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December 03, 2024
AmEx Loses Arbitration Bid Due To 'Ironic' Unpaid $17M Bill
A Rhode Island federal judge on Monday rejected sending a proposed antitrust class action over American Express Co.'s swipe-fee rules back to arbitration after the company refused to pay arbitration fees totaling $17 million, observing that AmEx's actions created its own "ironic dilemma: a credit card company not paying its bills."
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December 03, 2024
Mattel's 'Wicked' Doll Boxes Linked To Porn Site, Mom Says
Mattel was hit with a proposed class action Tuesday in California federal court by a mother who alleged she bought the toy giant's line of "Wicked" dolls based on the film for her young daughter, only to find out afterward the packaging featured a hyperlink leading to a pornographic website.
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December 03, 2024
Microsoft Asks FTC Watchdog To Look Into Leaked Probe
A Microsoft deputy general counsel on Tuesday asked the Federal Trade Commission's inspector general to look into whether commission management improperly told a news outlet that the FTC had opened a broad antitrust investigation of the tech giant.
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December 03, 2024
Google Wants Ad Tech Claims In Texas Heard By Judge, Not Jury
Google is pushing to have the Texas-led antitrust case targeting its digital ad technology tried to a judge instead of a jury, saying state enforcers are not entitled to have a jury decide whether the company violated the law or what penalties should be imposed if it did.
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December 03, 2024
Gov't Floats Sharing Plan For Lower 37 GHz Airwaves
The Biden administration announced Tuesday that it was recommending shared use of the lower 37 gigahertz spectrum band among government and private-sector users.
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December 03, 2024
Data Caps Harm Consumers, Rural Electric Co-Ops Tell FCC
As the Federal Communications Commission considers the impact of data caps some broadband providers impose on internet service plans, rural electric cooperatives have told the commission that caps are bad for consumers and that their own business model for broadband does not involve such usage limits.
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December 03, 2024
Former FirstEnergy CEO Rips SEC's 'Belated' Suit Against Him
Former FirstEnergy Corp. chief executive officer Charles Jones slammed the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's enforcement action against him over his alleged part in the company's widely publicized bribery scandal relating to its nuclear program, calling the suit "belated" and arguing the agency failed to back up its claims.
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December 03, 2024
Fla.'s 'Mother Teresa' Gets 20 Years For Ponzi Scheme
A Florida federal judge on Tuesday accused the U.S. attorney's office of "abdicating its responsibility" by agreeing to a maximum of 20 years in prison for Johanna Garcia, the former MJ Capital CEO known as "Mother Teresa" who pled guilty to running a $190 million Ponzi scheme.
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December 03, 2024
Judge Trims Fraud Claims From Mead Johnson Formula Suit
An Illinois federal judge on Monday partially granted a bid by Mead Johnson to toss a class action alleging at least seven types of infant formula it sold contained undisclosed heavy metals, throwing out some warranty and fraud claims and claims related to products the lead plaintiff didn't purchase, but allowing the rest of the complaint to move forward.
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December 03, 2024
Timeshare Co. Argues Jury Never Should've Seen Fraud Suit
A company selling timeshares in Atlantic City, New Jersey, told a state appeals court Tuesday that a consumer fraud suit never should have reached a jury, arguing that an evidence rule bars the claims.
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December 03, 2024
Ill. Panel Relieves Liberty Mutual Units Of BIPA Coverage
An Illinois state appeals court held that two Liberty Mutual units didn't owe coverage to a policyholder for an underlying class action alleging violations of the state's Biometric Information Privacy Act, reversing a lower court's decision surrounding the interpretation of a recording and distribution exclusion.
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December 03, 2024
Tech Giants Seek Firm's Communications With Elusive Client
Apple and Amazon want Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP to turn over texts and emails with a client who disappeared from a putative class action against the tech giants, to determine whether the plaintiff consented to the case continuing in his absence.
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December 03, 2024
Celsius Founder Cops To Fraud That Sunk $25B Crypto Lender
Celsius Network founder Alex Mashinsky told a Manhattan federal judge Tuesday that he lied when he told the public that the fallen $25 billion crypto lender's tokens were a safe investment, pleading guilty to fraud charges ahead of a January criminal trial.
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December 03, 2024
Data Brokers Get OK For Appeal Of NJ Privacy Law
A federal judge signed off Monday on data brokers' request to be allowed to appeal his ruling that New Jersey's judicial privacy and security measure known as Daniel's Law is constitutional.
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December 03, 2024
FCC Aims To Protect Weather Sensors With 24 GHz Rules
The Federal Communications Commission has passed new rules for radiofrequency emissions limits in the 24 gigahertz spectrum band to align with an international ruling from 2019 aimed at protecting vulnerable meteorological sensors that are assigned to a nearby band of frequencies.
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December 03, 2024
Trump Pledges To Block $14.9B US Steel-Nippon Deal
President-elect Donald Trump has reiterated his opposition to the proposed $14.9 billion acquisition of Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, pledging on Truth Social to block the deal and virtually extinguishing any remaining glimmers of hope that it can get done.
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December 03, 2024
CFPB Pitches Plan For Tighter Regulation Of Data Brokers
In a late push before the Biden administration's end, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau moved Tuesday to clamp down on the so-called data broker industry with a new draft rule that pivots off existing credit reporting protections for consumers.
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December 02, 2024
Google Can't Yet Appeal Ruling Preserving Kids Tracking Suit
A California federal judge on Monday declined to let Google immediately appeal his earlier ruling leaving intact allegations the search giant surreptitiously tracks children's web activity, finding Google hasn't shown that the issues underlying that ruling warrant an appeal at this stage in the litigation.
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December 02, 2024
Trial Begins In Trader Joe's Vendor's Fight With Poultry Supplier
Employees of a poultry producer cracked vulgar jokes about the quality of the meat while packaging raw chicken tainted with bone fragments, a Washington-state grocery store vendor told a federal jury on Monday, blaming the meatpacker for the demise of the Chili Lime Chicken Burgers previously made exclusively for Trader Joe's.
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December 02, 2024
Judge Isn't Seeing 'Good Faith' Compliance In Probiotic Feud
A Maryland federal judge said Monday that a drug company is, yet again, failing to make "good faith substantial compliance" with the terms of an injunction that followed a $15 million jury verdict in a dispute over a proprietary probiotic formula.
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December 02, 2024
Monsanto PCB Jury Is Told Cancer Link Isn't Solid
A longtime Monsanto PCB expert told a Washington state court jury Monday that there is no solid evidence that the once-ubiquitous chemicals cause cancer in humans, saying "a cancer death here, a cancer death there" isn't conclusive.
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December 02, 2024
Metropolitan Commercial Bank Aided Voyager Fraud, Suit Says
Voyager Digital's former bank, Metropolitan Commercial Bank, has been hit with a 53-count complaint in New York federal court alleging it was complicit in bad behavior by the now-defunct crypto lender and should be on the hook for repaying platform users.
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December 02, 2024
SEC Crypto Cases To Face Review Under Trump
President-elect Donald Trump's promises of a friendlier approach to the digital asset industry means a review is coming for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's controversial crypto suits, but experts agreed that this doesn't mean enforcement actions in the space will grind to a halt.
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December 02, 2024
Newsom Wants $25M For Expected Legal Fights With Trump
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday that he wants up to $25 million for litigation and legal fights he foresees with the administration of President-elect Donald Trump, kicking off the first day of a special session the state Legislature held at the governor's request after Trump's win.
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December 02, 2024
Bipartisan Bill Calls For AI Studies From Financial Regulators
Leaders of the U.S. House Financial Services Committee want to codify their commitment to regulating and cultivating the use of artificial intelligence in the financial services industry with legislation introduced Monday that directs financial and housing regulators to produce reports on the use of AI in their respective sectors.
Expert Analysis
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Call For Input Shows How Banks, Fintechs Can Address Risks
A recent request for information by federal banking regulators suggests that watchdogs are zeroing in on the bank-fintech partnerships they have long perceived as risky to consumers, but analyzing the publication can help companies anticipate regulators’ chief concerns and take steps to avoid becoming enforcement targets, say attorneys at K&L Gates.
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Curious Case Of FTC's Amicus Brief In Teva Fed. Circ. Appeal
Attorneys at BCLP explore the Federal Trade Commission's backing of Amneal's Orange Book-delisting efforts on Teva ahead of a key Federal Circuit hearing in a case between the two pharmaceutical companies, and wonder if the FTC amicus brief indicates a future trend, especially in the next administration.
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E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Metadata
Several recent rulings reflect the competing considerations that arise when parties dispute the form of production for electronically stored information, underscoring that counsel must carefully consider how to produce and request reasonably usable data, say attorneys at Sidley.
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How New OCC Priorities Will Affect Bank Compliance
With the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency recently releasing a new bank supervision plan for fiscal year 2025, all banks, not only those primarily supervised by the OCC, should consider how compliance with its guidelines creates opportunities and challenges, says Andrew Karp at Cadwalader.
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Comparing Antitrust Outlooks Amid Google Remedy Review
As the U.S. Justice Department mulls potential structural remedies after winning its recent case against Google, increased global scrutiny of Big Tech leaves ex post and ex ante antitrust approaches ripe for evaluation, say Nishant Chadha at the Indian School of Business and Manisha Goel at Pomona College.
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Website Accessibility Ruling Leaves Circuit Split Unresolved
A New York federal court's recent decision in Mejia v. High Brew Coffee, holding that stand-alone websites are not "public accommodations" subject to the Americans with Disabilities Act, further complicates a long-running circuit split on this question — even as courts are burdened with thousands of similar lawsuits, say attorneys at Mandelbaum Barrett.
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What FTC's 'Bitcoin ATM' Report Tells Us About Crypto Scams
The Federal Trade Commission's recent insights into bitcoin ATM scams highlight the technical evolution of fraudsters, the application of old scams to new technology, and the persistent financial impact on victims, say attorneys at DLA Piper.
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A Look At Grewal's Record-Breaking Legacy After SEC Exit
Gurbir Grewal resigned as director of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Enforcement last month after more than three years on the job, leaving behind a legacy marked by record numbers of penalties and enforcement actions, as well as mixed results in aggressive lawsuits against major crypto players, say attorneys at Debevoise.
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Striking A Balance Between AI Use And Attorney Well-Being
As the legal industry increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence tools to boost efficiency, leaders must note the hidden costs of increased productivity, and work to protect attorneys’ well-being while unlocking AI’s full potential, says Ed Sohn at Factor.
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Empathy In Mediation Offers A Soft Landing For Disputes
Experiencing a crash-landing on a recent flight underscored to me how much difference empathy makes in times of crisis or stress, including during mediation, says Eydith Kaufman at Alternative Resolution Centers.
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A Look At The Increased Scrutiny Of Cash Sweep Programs
Financial industry regulators have increasingly probed the adequacy of so-called cash sweep disclosures and policies, underscoring the heightened risk faced by investment advisers and broker-dealers, as well as the importance of adequately disclosing material conflicts of interest, say attorneys at Dechert.
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Series
Being An Artist Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My work as an artist has highlighted how using creativity and precision together — qualities that are equally essential in both art and law — not only improves outcomes, but also leads to more innovative and thoughtful work, says Sarah La Pearl at Segal McCambridge.
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Election Outcome Could Reshape Financial Industry
The policies of the next presidential administration and Congress will shape the landscape of financial services in the U.S. — including banking, mortgage, investment and credit services — for years to come, affecting Wall Street investors and aspiring homeowners alike, say Alexander Hecht and Frank Guinta at Mintz.
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Consider The Impact Of Election Stress On Potential Jurors
For at least the next few months, potential jurors may be working through anger and distrust stemming from the presidential election, and trial attorneys will need to assess whether those jurors are able to leave their political concerns at the door, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.
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How Judiciary Can Minimize AI Risks In Secondary Sources
Because courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence and other safeguards do not address the risk of hallucinations in secondary source materials, the judiciary should consider enlisting legal publishers and database hosts to protect against AI-generated inaccuracies, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.