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Consumer Protection

  • June 17, 2025

    Senate Passes Stablecoin Legislation With Bipartisan Support

    The Senate's proposal to regulate stablecoins passed the chamber on Tuesday with support from both parties, sending it on to the House where lawmakers are still working on their own proposal.

  • June 17, 2025

    La. Law Will Make Tesla Sales Less Onerous, Justices Told

    Louisiana regulators are hoping the U.S. Supreme Court will hold off on considering their request to take up a Tesla-brought case targeting the state's ban on direct sales by automakers, saying a new law is about to change things and the justices should wait until it takes effect.

  • June 17, 2025

    Crypto Co. Says Meme-Coin Creating Atty Can't Rep Theft Suit

    Cryptocurrency wallet provider Phantom Technologies has asked a New York federal judge to disqualify an attorney from representing a group of plaintiffs, including himself, in a suit he filed over the alleged theft of half-a-million dollars worth of a meme coin he created in honor of his pet dachshund.

  • June 17, 2025

    Utah Man Can't Escape SEC's Microcap Stock Scheme Suit

    A Utah bookkeeper can't escape U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission allegations he served as a middleman in a penny stock pump-and-dump scheme because the SEC's complaint appropriately details its assertion that he was, at least, reckless, in connection with the matter, a federal judge has determined.

  • June 17, 2025

    Ex-Low Power TV Owner Hit With $188K In Fines

    A Federal Communications Commission administrative law judge has slapped the former licensee of Hispanic Christian Community Network with $188,000 in fines, finding the man paid "utterly no attention ... to statutory and regulatory responsibilities."

  • June 17, 2025

    FTC Clarifies Auto Dealers' Duties Under Data Security Rule

    The Federal Trade Commission has issued guidance to assist automobile dealers in complying with the agency's financial data security rule, stressing that their obligations to safeguard customers' nonpublic information doesn't end when their business relationship terminates. 

  • June 17, 2025

    Ex-Yankee Makes Final Pitch To Jury In Moldy Mansion Suit

    A retired New York Yankees third baseman incurred hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs after he rented a Connecticut mansion that turned out to have a mold problem, and his landlord should pay up after failing to act quickly, his attorney told a federal jury in Hartford on Tuesday.

  • June 17, 2025

    5th Circ. Finds $37M For PPE Delivery Problems Went Too Far

    The Fifth Circuit on Monday kept partially intact a $37 million award the Federal Trade Commission secured against a drop-shipping company, but found part of the award went too far because it fully refunded customers for COVID-19 protective gear that was delivered late.

  • June 17, 2025

    Nissan Asks Justices To Void Certified Sunroof Defect Classes

    Nissan North America Inc. has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to unravel certified classes of drivers alleging the automaker sold vehicles with defective panoramic sunroofs, saying the Ninth Circuit endorsed a "grossly unfair" standard that allows uninjured plaintiffs to level inflated class claims against corporate defendants.

  • June 17, 2025

    Nixon Peabody Taps Fintech-Focused Attys From K&L Gates

    Two longtime K&L Gates LLP fintech and financial services partners have joined Nixon Peabody LLP in the firm's complex disputes practice.

  • June 17, 2025

    Tesla Knocks Insurance Deception Claim From Ill. Defect Fight

    A Tesla driver pursuing unfair practice claims over an alleged "phantom braking" defect in the Model 3 has still not sufficiently alleged the electric-car maker knowingly misrepresented its insurance pricing practices, an Illinois federal judge said Tuesday, holding the driver to an omission-based claim she previously allowed to proceed.

  • June 17, 2025

    Energy Co. Says Lease Differences Undermine Class Cert. Bid

    A proposed class of XTO Energy Inc. lease holders have claimed they were uniformly overcharged for gathering and processing gas from their properties, but experts for the energy company testified Tuesday that their leases were too different to be certified as a class, and there was no better bargain available for the services.

  • June 17, 2025

    FCC Says Tribe's New Radio Station Reach Can Fall Short

    The Northern Arapaho Tribe of Wyoming will be getting a new radio station after the FCC granted the tribe a waiver that will let it bypass a requirement that it cover 50% of the reservation, which is bigger than Delaware and Rhode Island put together.

  • June 17, 2025

    ÃÛÌÒÊÓÆµ's Vought Seeks To Limit Use Of Civil Penalty Fund

    Consumer Financial Protection Bureau acting Director Russell Vought is proposing to restrict the agency's ability to tap its civil penalty fund for consumer education and financial literacy initiatives as part of a trio of draft regulatory changes posted online Tuesday.

  • June 17, 2025

    Amazon Sold Bike That Paralyzed Man, Suit Claims

    A man who became paralyzed from the waist down after the foldable electric bicycle he was using collapsed is suing the manufacturer and Amazon.com Inc., claiming both companies were negligent in making and selling the bike, according to a lawsuit filed in California state court.

  • June 17, 2025

    Senate Confirms Trump's FCC Nominee, Giving GOP Majority

    The U.S. Senate confirmed Olivia Trusty to the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday, providing Republicans a 2-1 majority on the telecom regulatory body five months after President Donald Trump named her for the seat.

  • June 17, 2025

    Hemp Interests Urge Court To Halt Md. Licensing Policy

    A group of Maryland hemp interests is urging a federal court to halt enforcement of a state policy which would require retailers to obtain recreational cannabis licenses to buy and sell hemp products, which they say is impossible to do.

  • June 17, 2025

    Ohio High Court Allows Challenge To Duke Gas Rate Increase

    Ohio's utility consumer advocate filed a timely appeal to challenge a regulator's approval of a Duke Energy Ohio Inc. rate increase for natural gas customers, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled Tuesday, denying Duke's bid to have the case dismissed.

  • June 17, 2025

    Sunglass Suit Tossed After 11th Circ. Nixes $40M Deal

    A Florida federal judge on Tuesday threw out a proposed class action alleging Costa Del Mar Inc. misled buyers about its sunglasses' lifetime warranty, saying the court doesn't have subject matter jurisdiction over the claims.

  • June 17, 2025

    Democrats Probe Palantir About IRS Taxpayer Database

    Ten Democratic lawmakers demanded information Tuesday from the head of Palantir Technologies Inc. about media reports that the software company is working with the IRS to create a searchable database containing sensitive taxpayer information — claims the company denied almost immediately.

  • June 17, 2025

    Drivers Can't Get Class Cert. For Undervaluation Claims

    A Massachusetts state court justice on Tuesday declined to certify a class of drivers who say they were underpaid for the value of their "totaled" vehicles, saying the case against The Commerce Insurance Co. requires individualized inquiry.

  • June 17, 2025

    Packaging Co. Ex-Worker's Genetic Privacy Suit Dropped

    A former employee claiming a food packaging company unlawfully asked her and other prospective workers about their family medical history have agreed to drop a lawsuit alleging her ex-employer violated Illinois' privacy law, according to a joint filing in Illinois federal court.

  • June 17, 2025

    Four More Women Appeal NIL Deal Over Title IX Objections

    Four additional former and current women college athletes, including one of the most decorated lacrosse players of all time, have filed notice of their intent to appeal the NCAA's $2.78 billion name, image and likeness compensation settlement to the Ninth Circuit, objecting to the deal's disproportionately low allocation of money to women.

  • June 17, 2025

    Senate Bill Could Hike Taxes On Litigation Funding Profits

    Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, released the committee's budget reconciliation proposal Monday evening, which includes proposed reforms to third-party litigation funding.

  • June 17, 2025

    Firms Fight To Rep End Users In PVC Pipe Antitrust Row

    Several law firms are duking it out for a lead counsel appointment representing a new class of end-user plaintiffs in consolidated litigation accusing PVC pipe companies of using a commodity pricing service to exchange information and illegally fix prices, with Pearson Warshaw LLP, Kirby McInerney LLP, Fegan Scott LLC and Levin Sedran & Berman LLP making bids.

Expert Analysis

  • How Attorneys Can Become Change Agents For Racial Equity

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    As the administration targets diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and law firms consider pulling back from their programs, lawyers who care about racial equity and justice can employ four strategies to create microspaces of justice, which can then be parlayed into drivers of transformational change, says Susan Sturm at Columbia Law School.

  • Digital Equity Act Grant Terminations Raise Key Legal Issues

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    The Trump administration's move to cancel grant programs created under the Digital Equity Act yields key legal and policy questions facing the executive branch, Congress and the courts, including how the administration plans to implement the cancellation of the Digital Equity Act's appropriations in the first place, say attorneys at Akin.

  • GAO Report Reveals How Banks And Regulators Are Using AI

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    A U.S. Government Accountability Office report published last month makes clear that while both federal regulators and regulated entities like banks and credit unions are employing artificial intelligence to improve efficiency, they're maintaining some skepticism, say attorneys at Orrick.

  • Robinson-Patman Enforcement May Fizzle Out After PepsiCo

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    After securing an early Robinson-Patman Act victory against the largest wine and spirits distributor in the U.S., the Federal Trade commission's voluntary dismissal of its own enforcement action against PepsiCo throws into doubt the future of the federal statute that prohibits price discrimination and other anticompetitive practices, say attorneys at V&E.

  • Series

    Running Marathons Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    After almost five years of running marathons, I’ve learned that both the race itself and the training process sharpen skills that directly translate to the practice of law, including discipline, dedication, endurance, problem-solving and mental toughness, says Lauren Meadows at Swift Currie.

  • 3 Takeaways From Recent Cyberattacks On Healthcare Cos.

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    For the healthcare industry, the upward trend in styles of cyberattacks, costs, and entities targeted highlights the critical importance of proactive planning to help withstand the operational, legal and reputational turmoil that can follow a data breach, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Tips To Avoid Consumer Tracking Tech Class Actions

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    Recent class actions alleging Trade Desk illegally tracked millions of consumers through its advertising platform highlight growing data privacy compliance concerns over digital tracking practices, but there are disclosure best practices businesses can take to reduce litigation risk, says David Wheeler at Neal Gerber.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Supporting A Trial Team

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    While students often practice as lead trial attorneys in law school, such an opportunity likely won’t arise until a few years into practice, so junior associates should focus on honing skills that are essential to supporting a trial team, including organization, adaptability and humility, says Lucy Zelina at Tucker Ellis.

  • Opinion

    Address Nationwide Injunction Issues With Random Venues

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    Many of the qualms about individual district court judges' authority to issue nationwide injunctions could be solved with a simple legislative solution: handling multiple complaints about the same agency action filed in different district courts by assigning a venue via random selection, says Harvey Reiter at Stinson.

  • ÃÛÌÒÊÓÆµ Industry Impact Uncertain Amid Priority Shift, Staff Cuts

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    A recent enforcement memo outlines how the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's regulatory agenda diverges from that of the previous administration, but, given the bureau's planned reduction in force, it is uncertain whether the agency will be able to enforce these new priorities, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Lessons From FTC Action On Dark Patterns In User Interfaces

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent complaint against Uber for its billing and cancellation practices comes amid other actions addressing consumer confusion and deception, so it is paramount to deploy tools that assess customers' cognitive states of mind to separate lawful marketing from misconduct, says Ceren Canal Aruoba at Berkeley Research Group.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From US Attorney To BigLaw

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    When I transitioned to private practice after government service — most recently as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia — I learned there are more similarities between the two jobs than many realize, with both disciplines requiring resourcefulness, zealous advocacy and foresight, says Zach Terwilliger at V&E.

  • 11th Circ. Ruling Warns Parties To Follow Arbitral Rules

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    The Eleventh Circuit's recent decision in Merritt Island Woodwerx v. Space Coast is important for companies utilizing arbitration clauses because it clearly demonstrates the court's intent to hold noncompliant parties responsible in federal court — regardless of subsequent efforts to cure, says Ed Mullins at Reed Smith.

  • How The DOJ Is Redesigning Its Approach To Digital Assets

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    Two key digital asset enforcement policy pronouncements narrow the Justice Department's focus on threats like fraud, terrorism, trafficking and sanctions evasion and dial back so-called regulation by prosecution, but institutions prioritizing compliance must remember that the underlying statutory framework hasn't changed, say attorneys at Blank Rome.

  • 2nd Circ. Limits VPPA Liability, But Caveats Remain

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    The Second Circuit's narrowed scope of the Video Privacy Protection Act in Solomon v. Flipps Media, in which the court adopted the ordinary person standard, will help shield businesses from VPPA liability, but the decision hardly provides a free pass to streamers and digital media companies utilizing website pixels, say attorneys at Frankfurt Kurnit.

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