Consumer Protection

Expert Analysis

• What We Heard At The FTC Hearings: Day 1

  

  Last week, the Federal Trade Commission began a series of public hearings on competition and consumer protection issues. Attorneys with Perkins Coie LLP offer some key takeaways from the three panel discussions.

• Calif.'s New Rules For Lawyers Move Closer To ABA Model

  

  The first comprehensive overhaul of California's Rules of Professional Conduct in nearly 30 years becomes operational on Nov. 1. Some of the new rules mirror the model language used by the American Bar Association, but many continue to reflect California’s unique approach to certain ethical questions, says Mark Loeterman of Signature Resolution LLC.

• Know The Limits To Atty Public Statements During A Trial

  

  The balancing act between protecting attorneys’ speech rights and ensuring unbiased adjudications was highlighted recently in two cases — when Michael Cohen applied for a restraining order against Stephanie Clifford's attorney, and when Johnson & Johnson questioned whether a Missouri talc verdict was tainted by public statements from the plaintiffs' counsel, says Matthew Giardina of Manning Gross & Massenburg LLP.

• NY Revives Fair Lending Risks For Indirect Auto Lenders

  

  The recent rollback of Obama-era fair lending enforcement does not mean that the risks have disappeared. New York guidance issued last month for indirect auto lenders shows that states are stepping up to fill in where the Trump administration has backed off, says Melanie Brody of Mayer Brown LLP.

• Hurricane Florence: How State Laws Protect Service Members

  

  As the southeastern United States braces for Hurricane Florence, the governors of several states have authorized National Guard response efforts. Creditors can do their part by being aware of the laws protecting military service members, say attorneys with Buckley Sandler LLP.

• Opinion

  FTC's Public Hearings Will Be Valuable

  

  On Thursday, the Federal Trade Commission began a series of hearings on competition and consumer protection in the 21st century. These events are an important first step in guiding enforcement priorities, says David Balto, a former policy director of the FTC Bureau of Competition.

• In Calif., Questions Remain On Law Firm Conflict Waivers

  

  In Sheppard Mullin v. J-M Manufacturing Co., the California Supreme Court ruled last month that a law firm's failure to disclose a known conflict with another current client did not categorically disentitle the firm from recovering fees. But the court didn’t provide hoped-for guidance on how to write an enforceable advance conflict waiver, says Richard Rosensweig of Goulston & Storrs PC.

• Q&A

  A Chat With Faegre Client Development Chief Melanie Green

  

  In this monthly series, Amanda Brady of Major Lindsey & Africa interviews management from top law firms about the increasingly competitive business environment. Here we feature Melanie Green, chief client development officer at Faegre Baker Daniels LLP.

• LED Bulb Case Shines Light On FTC Enforcement

  

  Last month, the Federal Trade Commission announced it would be mailing almost half a million checks to consumers who previously purchased Lights of America LED lightbulbs. This enforcement action holds key lessons for companies and their counsel involved in formulating advertising claims, particularly technical claims about performance, says Terri Seligman of Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz PC.

• 2 Courts Accept Contract Terms That Limit TCPA Exposure

  

  No other appellate court has followed the Second Circuit's Telephone Consumer Protection Act decision in Reyes. However, two district courts within the Eleventh Circuit recently did — holding that consent to be contacted cannot be unilaterally revoked where such consent was obtained in a bargained-for contract, say attorneys with Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP.