Consumer Protection

Expert Analysis

• Calculating FCA Damages From PPP Fraud May Be Tricky

  

  The Paycheck Protection Program will undoubtedly give rise to False Claims Act enforcement, but the intangible nature of some contract benefits and differences in contract valuation between the circuits raise uncertainty about damages calculations, say Ellen London at Alto Litigation and Derek Adams at Potomac Law.

• Petland Ruling Continues Scrutiny Of RICO Enterprise Claims

  

  Michael Soyfer at Quinn Emanuel discusses how the Eleventh Circuit's recent decision in Cisneros v. Petland follows the appellate court trend of limiting what qualifies as an enterprise for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act claims, despite the U.S. Supreme Court's efforts to limit constrictions on the definition.

• How A Biden Administration Would Shape IP Policy

  

  While Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's intellectual property agenda would likely strengthen patent rights and international trade secret enforcement, proposals to drastically reduce employee noncompete and no-poach agreements could weaken protections domestically, say Charles Barquist and Maren Laurence at Maschoff Brennan.

• Guest Feature

  5 Ways Firms Can Avoid Female Atty Exodus During Pandemic

  

  The pandemic's disproportionate impact on women presents law firms with a unique opportunity to devise innovative policies that will address the increasing home life demands female lawyers face and help retain them long after COVID-19 is over, say Roberta Liebenberg at Fine Kaplan and Stephanie Scharf at Scharf Banks.

• Ill. Ruling Bolsters Trend Against No-Injury Monitoring Claims

  

  The Illinois Supreme Court's recent ruling in Berry v. City of Chicago, rejecting claims for medical monitoring by plaintiffs not suffering present physical injuries, reflects a growing trend and could influence other state courts to rule similarly, say John Ewald and Matthew Bush at King & Spalding.

• How The State And Local Regulatory Landscape Is Expanding

  

  States and localities are employing creative methods to emerge as key players in regulatory enforcement traditionally dominated by the federal government, including False Claims Act investigations, unfair and deceptive acts and practices claims, and pharmaceutical sector regulation, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

• DOJ Guidance, Indictment Suggest Expanding Crypto Focus

  

  Read together, the U.S. Department of Justice's recently released cryptocurrency guidance and unsealed BitMEX indictment send a strong message that the government is expanding efforts to combat use of digital assets and blockchain technology for criminal purposes, say Benjamin Klein and Deborah Meshulam at DLA Piper.

• Opinion

  Lawyers Must Fight Voter Suppression This Election Season

  

  Lawyers should use their unique skill sets, knowledge and spheres of influence to fight burdensome ID requirements and other voter suppression tactics that may influence the 2020 elections, and to participate in potential post-election litigation, say CK Hoffler and Allyce Bailey at the National Bar Association.

• Why Online Mediation May Be Here To Stay

  

  Videoconferenced mediation offers several advantages and helps cases settle faster and more cordially, making it hard to imagine going back to logistically difficult in-person dispute resolution after COVID-19 restrictions are gone, says Sidney Kanazawa at ARC.

• Clients Have The Power To Promote Wellness At Law Firms

  

  Law firm clients can play a role in lowering mental distress in the legal profession by seeking lawyer wellness data from firms and factoring those responses into outside counsel hiring decisions, says Jonathan Prokup at Cigna.

• 9th Circ. Ruling Reinforces FTC Disgorgement Authority

  

  The Ninth Circuit's recent decision in Federal Trade Commission v. OMICS — a case involving deceptive practices allegations against an academic conference and journals company — may further embolden the commission to seek the broadest possible measure of disgorgement, even when not supported by its own evidence, says August Horvath at Foley Hoag.

• Opinion

  Appellate Courts Should Welcome Well-Crafted Amicus Briefs

  

  A Seventh Circuit judge's recent order granting leave for three organizations to file amicus curiae briefs in Prairie Rivers Network v. Dynegy Midwest Generation is a reminder that relevant, nonduplicative amicus briefs can provide courts with helpful perspective, important facts and legal arguments, says Lawrence Ebner at Capital Appellate Advocacy.

• Why ESG Considerations Matter For Energy Executives

  

  With the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, State Street Global Advisors and others recently placing more emphasis on environmental, social and governance corporate disclosures, energy companies must demonstrate a commitment to addressing climate change and social issues, while reassuring investors of continued value growth, say attorneys at Sidley.

• 4 Compliance Tips Amid Increased Ransomware Scrutiny

  

  In light of two new U.S. Treasury Department advisories signaling increased oversight of ransomware payments, victim companies and their third-party response teams considering making payments should follow certain due diligence and compliance best practices, say attorneys at Squire Patton.

• CFPB U-Turn On Mortgage Marketing May Repair Industry Ties

  

  The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau this week rescinded previous guidance that increased scrutiny on marketing services agreements in the mortgage space, representing a step toward reconciling the often tense relationship between regulators and the industry, says Nate Viebrock at Viebrock & De Nittis.