Consumer Protection

  • May 19, 2026

    Students Defend Hacking Claims Against UMich, Ex-Coach

    The students accusing the University of Michigan and a former football coach of sexual harassment and of hacking their accounts insist that the facts favor them and not the school and coach, and that their lawsuit should be allowed to continue.

  • May 19, 2026

    Sen. Warren Presses OCC On Crypto Trust Charter Approvals

    Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is demanding Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould share documents and communications related to the approval of national trust charters for cryptocurrency firms, which Warren argues are "seemingly ineligible" since the firms' business plans appear to wade into traditional banking activities.

  • May 19, 2026

    Split 8th Circ. Revives Challenge To NHTSA Brake Light View

    A split Eighth Circuit panel revived a lawsuit Monday by two Arkansas-based distributors of pulsing brake lights, ruling the companies can challenge the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's letters declaring the products illegal and laying out plans to "threaten" customers with fines.

  • May 19, 2026

    Valve's Pivot On Gamer Arbitrations Gives Wash. Judge Pause

    A Washington federal judge Tuesday appeared conflicted over Valve Corp.'s bid for a court order to block hundreds of gamers from arbitrating consumer protection claims, pressing the game developer on its evolving arbitration stance while suggesting users agreed to updated terms requiring such disputes to be resolved in court.

  • May 19, 2026

    DOJ Says Container Makers Fixed Prices During Pandemic

    Four of the world's largest shipping container manufacturers and seven of their current and former executives conspired to restrict production to drive up prices, the U.S. Department of Justice said Tuesday in criminally charging them, although most may be beyond the reach of American courts.

  • May 19, 2026

    Momcozy Hit With Class Action Over Defective Bottle Sterilizer

    Two mothers have hit baby product company Root Technology Ltd. with a proposed class action in New York federal court alleging that the Momcozy brand countertop washer for bottles is defective since the necessary high sterilization temperatures cause plastic parts to break off, creating a choking hazard for infants.

  • May 19, 2026

    Hanna Wants 3rd Circ. To Weigh Homebuyers' Antitrust Suit

    Hanna Holdings Inc. urged a Pennsylvania federal court to let the Third Circuit weigh in on the lower court's dismissal orders for a proposed antitrust class action that accuses the real estate brokerage of conspiring with other parties to artificially inflate buyer-broker commission fees.

  • May 19, 2026

    TikTok Says 'Market Exploitation' Doesn't Give NC Jurisdiction

    TikTok is pushing the North Carolina Supreme Court to throw out claims by the state's attorney general alleging it deceptively marketed its platform as safe for minors, saying the "market exploitation" theory would in effect allow any business that operates on the internet to be hauled into any state court.

  • May 19, 2026

    Costco Calls Suit Over Tariff Refunds Premature

    Costco urged an Illinois federal court to toss a putative consumer class action seeking to recoup the higher costs that shoppers paid under President Donald Trump's global tariffs, contending that the case is premature in the wake of uncertain corporate refunds. 

  • May 19, 2026

    CFTC Sues Minnesota Over Law Banning Prediction Markets

    The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission sued Minnesota on Tuesday to block a newly enacted ban on prediction markets, the sixth state the CFTC has taken to federal court to assert control over regulation of the markets.

  • May 19, 2026

    States Sue Over Student Loan Limits On Professional Degrees

    A coalition of 24 attorneys general and two governors are challenging a rule recently promulgated by the U.S. Department of Education, alleging in a complaint in Maryland federal court Tuesday that it unlawfully limits access to federal student loans for those pursuing professional degree programs.

  • May 19, 2026

    Audi Sued By Drivers Over Alleged Water Pump Defect

    Audi drivers hit the automotive giant with a proposed class action in New Jersey federal court Tuesday over what they describe as a defectively designed water pump in some vehicles that causes coolant loss and possible engine failure, which the company refuses to cover repairs by denying warranty coverage. 

  • May 19, 2026

    Chinese Testing Lab Urges FCC Caution On 'Reciprocal' Rule

    A Chinese equipment testing lab says the Federal Communications Commission needs to tread carefully in crafting new rules demanding "reciprocal" agreements to test communications gear, or risk disrupting U.S. supply chains.

  • May 19, 2026

    FTC Wants 5th Circ. To Pause Appeal In Merger Filing Case

    The Federal Trade Commission asked the Fifth Circuit to put its appeal on hold in a case challenging the agency's effort to overhaul its premerger filing requirements, to give enforcers time to consider developing a new revision.

  • May 19, 2026

    Ga. Law Expands Safeguards For Chatbot Users

    Georgia became one of the latest states this year to put up new guardrails on AI-powered chatbots, implementing stricter regulations than some of its peers while shutting the door on private litigation arising from practices that violate the new statute.

  • May 19, 2026

    NC Judge OKs DOJ, RealPage Deal In Antitrust Suit

    A North Carolina federal judge signed off on the U.S. Department of Justice's settlement with RealPage, the latest development in a suit alleging landlords coordinated to inflate rental prices via the company's algorithmic pricing software.

  • May 19, 2026

    NY Worries Verizon Service Shift Will Impact Critical Needs

    Verizon has sought the FCC's blessing to retire older voice and data transmission services in eight different states, but New York state officials want the agency to hold off, arguing the suspension would put "essential public services and critical community functions" at risk.

  • May 19, 2026

    GM Can't Take Arbitration 'Exit Ramp' In Faulty Brakes Suit

    A Pennsylvania federal judge won't let GM escape a proposed class action accusing the automaker of knowingly selling vehicles with defective brakes, finding the plaintiffs have sufficiently alleged their defect claims and cannot be pulled into arbitration.

  • May 19, 2026

    NJ Fights AvalonBay's Redo Bid In RealPage Antitrust Suit

    New Jersey is fighting multifamily landlord AvalonBay Communities Inc.'s attempt to escape the state's consumer fraud claim in its rent price-fixing suit against property management software company RealPage Inc. and multiple landlords.

  • May 19, 2026

    Cooley Adds Privacy Duo From Perkins Coie In DC, Denver

    Cooley LLP announced on Tuesday that it has welcomed two attorneys to its cyber, data and privacy practice from Perkins Coie LLP, one of whom had cochaired that firm's privacy and security practice.

  • May 19, 2026

    Rocket Mortgage Defends Exit In Homebuyer Antitrust Case

    Rocket Mortgage's parent company is arguing in Michigan federal court that a proposed class failed to show direct injury from an alleged scheme by the company to funnel homebuyers to brokers promoting costlier Rocket-affiliated mortgage services, in a brief supporting its bid to escape the case.

  • May 18, 2026

    Fla. Agency Owed No Legal Duty In Fraud Probes, Court Says

    A Florida federal court rejected a roofer's claims that the state's Department of Financial Services caused him to be charged three times with insurance fraud, ruling the agency's job at large is to investigate alleged criminal misconduct.

  • May 18, 2026

    DeMayo Says Marketers Owe Coverage In Camp Lejeune Suit

    A North Carolina plaintiffs firm facing a proposed class action over unwanted robocalls related to Camp Lejeune water contamination litigation is now suing its marketing company, telling a Charlotte federal court the company should cover any potential damages and legal fees.

  • May 18, 2026

    Calif. Kicks Off Rulemaking For Social Media Addiction Law

    California Attorney General Rob Bonta is seeking public comment on a new set of proposed regulations for complying with the age determination and parental consent aspects of a looming law that restricts social media platforms from using algorithms to deliver addictive feeds to children.

  • May 18, 2026

    Texas AG Joins DOJ In Investigating Beef Antitrust Claims

    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched his own investigation into potential anticompetitive conduct among the country's meatpackers, a probe that will take place alongside the U.S. Department of Justice's ongoing investigation into the same allegations.

Expert Analysis

  • Recent Benchmarking Suits Highlight DOJ Enforcement Risks

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's recent settlements with RealPage and Agri Stats inform the level of antitrust risk surrounding the use of benchmarking services and suggest an aggressive enforcement approach, particularly with respect to granular data and nonprice data reporting, say attorneys at Axinn.

  • Becoming The Biz-Savvy GC That Portfolio Companies Need

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    Candidates for general counsel roles at private equity-backed portfolio companies should prioritize proving their sector-specific experience, commercial judgment and ease with uncertainty — and attorneys hoping to be candidates in five to 10 years should start working on those skills now, says Dimitri Mastrocola at Major Lindsey.

  • AI Agents Will Test The Bounds Of Expert Witness Rules

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    Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence does not address whether a testifying expert must be human, but as the rule’s amended admissibility framework intersects with the accelerating capabilities of agentic AI, courts may be forced to confront whether AI-generated expertise fits within existing evidentiary doctrine, says Steven Cordero at Akerman.

  • Reel Justice: 'Project Hail Mary' Can Aid Cross-Examination

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    In the new science fiction film, "Project Hail Mary," a character understood that survival depended on eliminating ambiguity — a useful lesson that trial lawyers can implement by asking statements that are delivered in the form of a question during cross-examination, says Veronica Finkelstein at Wilmington University.

  • AI-Proofing Class Action Notices From Pro Se Objection Surge

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    Class action practitioners should prepare for a likely surge in artificial intelligence-enabled pro se objections by implementing several practical strategies to navigate this shift, says Britany Wessan at Almeida Law Group.

  • Series

    Judges On AI: How Courts Can Survive The Tech Revolution

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    Colorado Supreme Court Justice Maria Berkenkotter and Colorado Court of Appeals Judge Lino Lipinsky de Orlov discuss how artificial intelligence has already fundamentally altered the legal system and offer tips for courts navigating deepfakes, hallucinations and a gap in access to AI tools.

  • What Jury Holdouts Can Teach Trial Lawyers About Strategy

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    Though a hung jury can be a disappointment, a psychological understanding of jury holdouts can help trial lawyers shape their damages arguments and understand leadership and group composition as a function of jury selection, says Clint Townson at Townson Litigation.

  • 4th Circ. Ruling Will Rewrite Class Action Litigation Strategies

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    The Fourth Circuit's recent decision in Oliver v. Navy Federal Credit Union is the first from a federal circuit court to hold that motions to strike are inappropriate vehicles for challenging class allegations at the pleading stage, invalidating a tactic that had been used for decades, says Jim Francis at Francis Mailman.

  • AI Investment Advice May Fail Investor Protection Rules

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    Based on an ongoing study of artificial intelligence platforms' investment advice given to retail investors, direct access to AI may not yield recommendations for typical households that are suitable under relevant securities rules, raising new and important issues in the regulation of financial markets, says Bruce Carlin at Rice University.

  • Food Kiosk Merger Offers FTC Insights For Dealmakers

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent approval of 365 Retail Markets' merger with fellow food-kiosk provider Cantaloupe balances structural divestiture with behavioral provisions, emphasizing the role of early engagement by the parties and the importance of tailored remedies in concentrated markets, say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • 3 AI Adoption Mistakes GCs Should Avoid

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    The pressure in-house legal teams face to quickly adopt artificial intelligence tools, combined with budget constraints and the need to evaluate a crowded market of options, sets the stage for implementation mistakes that are often difficult to undo, says former 23andMe general counsel Guy Chayoun.

  • Series

    Playing Basketball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My grandfather used to say "I wear your jersey" as shorthand for wholly committing to support someone with loyalty and integrity — ideals that have shaped my life on the basketball court and in legal practice, says Tracy Schimelfenig at Schimelfenig Legal.

  • AG Watch: Reconciling 2 Maryland Data Privacy Statutes

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    In-house counsel should map the interplay between the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act's strictly necessary standard to deliver a requested service, and the Protection From Predatory Pricing Act's exemption of consent-based pricing within loyalty programs, before the state attorney general begins enforcement on the latter in October, says Erek Barron at Mintz.

  • Nexstar Offers A Cautionary Tale On State-Level Deal Scrutiny

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    State-enforcement challenges to the $6.2 billion Nexstar-Tegna merger remind legal practitioners that federal approval isn't always sufficient to deliver certainty on closing, integration and timetable assumptions, says Brett Story at Britehorn Securities.

  • How 'Bundling' Enforcement Is Parsing Efficiency, Access

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    Recent antitrust enforcement actions have taken a selective view of companies' bundling of products or services — challenging it when it shuts out rivals, but tolerating it when it creates efficient scale — making the real test now less about lower prices than about whether competition is being blocked, says attorney Alan Kusinitz.

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