Consumer Protection

  • July 30, 2025

    Landlords Not Covered For Lead Exposure Suit, Insurer Says

    An insurer has no duty to defend or indemnify property owners accused of negligently renting out an apartment with hazardous levels of lead that injured a child, the carrier told an Illinois federal court, saying the owners' policy bars coverage for bodily injury caused by lead.

  • July 30, 2025

    Apple Says DOJ Attacking Legitimate 'Design Choices'

    Apple leaned on a familiar playbook of privacy, security and independent choice in its answer to the U.S. Department of Justice monopolization lawsuit in New Jersey federal court, arguing the government "fundamentally misunderstands" the restrictions it imposes on iMessage, smartwatch compatibility, mobile wallets, cloud gaming and more.

  • July 30, 2025

    Samourai Wallet Execs Cop To Money-Transmitting Charges

    Two Samourai Wallet executives told a Manhattan federal judge Wednesday that they facilitated bitcoin transfers derived from criminal activity, pleading guilty to scheming to use their crypto-mixer as an unlicensed money transmitter but avoiding a more serious money-laundering conspiracy count.

  • July 29, 2025

    CFPB Plans 'Accelerated' Push To Revamp Open Banking Rule

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Tuesday persuaded a Kentucky federal judge to stay a banking industry legal challenge to its Biden-era open banking rule, saying it now plans to rewrite the rule on an "accelerated" basis and expects to start next month.

  • July 29, 2025

    FCC Nixes Objection To Nonprofit's New Miami FM Station

    Three petitioners have been scrabbling before the Federal Communications Commission for the right to operate a new low-power station in a part of Miami that can only tolerate one station, and the agency has finally decided who gets it.

  • July 29, 2025

    8th Circ. Says Bankruptcy Sale Appeal Dead Without Stay

    The Eighth Circuit on Tuesday rejected a woman's bid to undo an order approving a sale in her Chapter 7 bankruptcy, saying she didn't get a stay of the sale and so her appeal had to be dismissed.

  • July 29, 2025

    Hawk Tuah Meme Coin Buyers Seek To Combine Their Suits

    Two groups of buyers of the viral "Hawk Tuah" meme-themed cryptocurrency on Monday asked a Brooklyn federal judge to combine their respective securities suits against the project's promoters and developers.

  • July 29, 2025

    9th Circ. Won't Renew Suit Over Wash. Ban On 'DIY' Rape Kits

    A Ninth Circuit panel on Tuesday refused to revive a constitutional challenge to Washington state's ban on self-administered DNA evidence collection kits for sexual assault survivors, concluding that the plaintiff company failed to show the law illegally restricts commercial speech.

  • July 29, 2025

    Colo. Sues PetSmart Over Allegedly Illegal 'TRAP' Contracts

    PetSmart LLC is under fire from the state of Colorado, with the attorney general's office filing a complaint in state court on Tuesday claiming it tricked dog groomers into signing up for a "free" training program that included a "training repayment agreement provision" with fees of up to $5,500 if they left before working for two years.

  • July 29, 2025

    Airbnb Says Slim Odds Of Shooting Don't Create Tort 'Duty'

    The chances of being shot at one of Airbnb's short-term rentals are only slightly greater than the odds of being struck by lightning, so the company could not foresee or be held responsible for events like a 2022 mass shooting at a Pittsburgh rental, counsel for Airbnb told a Pennsylvania judge Tuesday during an oral argument.

  • July 29, 2025

    Tesla Expert Says No Tech Would've Stopped Reckless Driver

    No improved autopilot technology would have changed the reckless behavior of the Tesla driver who caused a fatal crash in the Florida Keys, an expert psychologist told federal jurors Tuesday in the trial over whether the car's autopilot software contributed to the crash.

  • July 29, 2025

    SpaceX Backs 'Light Licensing Framework' In 37 GHz

    As the Federal Communications Commission looks into revamping the lower 37 gigahertz band, SpaceX is pushing the agency to consider a "light licensing framework" like the one it has deployed in several other satellite bands.

  • July 29, 2025

    Next-Gen TV Can Deliver Localized Emergency Info, FCC Told

    A public safety trade group called on the Federal Communications Commission to cement the next-generation TV standard into government rules, emphasizing the public interest benefits of quickly conveying advanced emergency information such as geotargeted alerts.

  • July 29, 2025

    Crypto Mixer Execs To Change Plea In Samourai Wallet Case

    The two co-founders of crypto mixer Samourai Wallet told a New York federal judge on Tuesday that they intend to change their not guilty pleas after initially fighting charges that they facilitated over $2 billion in unlawful transactions.

  • July 29, 2025

    RFK Jr. Slams Vaccine Injury Program: 3 Things To Know

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is taking aim at the national program that compensates people for vaccine injuries, calling it a "heartless" system that he intends to fix.

  • July 29, 2025

    Hershey Tries To Sink Suit Over Spicy Chip Blamed For Death

    The Hershey Company has asked a Massachusetts federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the family of a teen who died after participating in a viral social media trend dubbed the "One Chip Challenge," which involved consuming an extremely spicy tortilla chip, saying the product is legal and includes "prominent warning labels."

  • July 29, 2025

    Senate Dem Presses Musk On Starlink Use In Scams

    Elon Musk is facing questions from a Democratic U.S. senator concerning the possible use of Starlink by South Asian criminal organizations to run sweeping scams against Americans.

  • July 29, 2025

    FDA Recommends Federal Restrictions On Kratom Extract

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that it recommends placing federal restrictions on 7-Hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, an opioid-like alkaloid compound derived from the kratom leaf that the agency said had a strong potential for abuse.

  • July 29, 2025

    DOJ Drops Challenge Of Amex GBT's $570M Deal For CWT

    The U.S. Department of Justice said Tuesday that enforcers have agreed to drop their case challenging American Express Global Business Travel Inc.'s planned $570 million purchase of corporate travel management rival CWT Holdings LLC.

  • July 29, 2025

    Brokerage Owner Says NAR Dues Policy Hurts Competition

    The owner of a Modesto, California, residential sales brokerage urged a California federal court to not toss his antitrust suit challenging dues created by the National Association of Realtors and enforced by affiliated Realtor associations, arguing that he has Article III standing for his claims and that he was significantly harmed by the dues policy.

  • July 29, 2025

    Sens. Introduce Aviation Safety Bill 6 Months After DCA Crash

    Republican senators introduced legislation Tuesday that would mandate aircraft-tracking technology in civilian and military aircraft, alongside fresh audits of Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. Army practices, six months after January's deadly midair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet near Washington, D.C.

  • July 29, 2025

    4th Circ. Won't Block NC Vape Regs As Vape Cos. Appeal

    The Fourth Circuit won't issue an injunction blocking a North Carolina law that would prohibit the sale of vape products not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as vape interests appeal a lower court ruling denying an identical injunction.

  • July 29, 2025

    Symetra Gets Final OK On $2.1M Structured Settlement Suit

    A Washington federal judge has given final approval to a $2.175 million deal to end allegations that insurance conglomerate Symetra tricked structured settlement recipients into trading their long-term payments for a heavily discounted lump sum.

  • July 29, 2025

    Limited Run Games Customers Seek OK Of $2.7M VPPA Deal

    Limited Run Games inked a $2.72 million settlement in a proposed class action alleging it illegally shared customers' personally identifiable information and video-viewing history with Meta Platforms Inc. through a tracking pixel embedded on its website, according to a preliminary approval motion filed in New York federal court.

  • July 29, 2025

    Ford Settles Proposed Class Action Over Emissions Warranty

    Ford has settled a putative class action accusing it of violating the unfair competition law by failing to provide an emissions warranty for Golden State drivers whose vehicle transmissions weren't covered for seven years or 70,000 miles, according to a notice filed in California federal court.

Expert Analysis

  • The Potential Efficiencies, Risks Of Folding PCAOB Into SEC

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    Integrating the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board into the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission offers the potential for regulatory efficiencies, as well as a more streamlined and consistent enforcement approach, but it also presents constitutional and operational uncertainties, say attorneys at Hilgers Graben.

  • Tips For Companies Crafting Tariff Surcharge Disclosures

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    As the Trump administration imposes tariffs on imports, retail businesses considering itemizing tariff-related costs separately for consumers must ensure that any disclosures are both accurate and defensible to avoid regulatory enforcement or private suits, says Christopher Cole at Katten.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From NY Fed To BigLaw

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    While the move to private practice brings a learning curve, it also brings chances to learn new skills and grow your network, requiring a clear understanding of how your skills can complement and contribute to a firm's existing practice, and where you can add new value, says Meghann Donahue at Covington.

  • Top 3 Litigation Finance Deal-Killers, And How To Avoid Them

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    Like all transactions, litigation finance deals can sometimes collapse, but understanding the most common reasons for failure, including a lack of trust or a misunderstanding of deal terms, can help both parties avoid problems, say Rebecca Berrebi at Avenue 33 and Boris Ziser at Schulte Roth.

  • Compliance Lessons From Warby Parker's HIPAA Fine

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    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' civil money penalty against Warby Parker highlights the emerging challenges that consumer-facing brands encounter when expanding into healthcare-adjacent sectors, with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliance being a potential focus of regulatory attention, say attorneys at Saul Ewing.

  • How Attys Can Use A Therapy Model To Help Triggered Clients

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    Attorneys can lean on key principles from a psychotherapeutic paradigm known as the "Internal Family Systems" model to help manage triggered clients and get settlement negotiations back on track, says Jennifer Gibbs at Zelle.

  • How Banks Can Manage Risk As AI Adoption Expands

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    Following new, supportive comments from financial regulatory leaders about the use of artificial intelligence in the industry, banks may move toward wider, less-tentative adoption of the technology, but will also need to deploy important risk management measures, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Rebuttal

    Mass Arbitration Reform Must Focus On Justice

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    A recent Law360 guest article argued that mass arbitration reform is needed to alleviate companies’ financial and administrative burdens, but any such reform must deliver real justice, not just cost savings for the powerful, says Eduard Korsinsky at Levi & Korsinsky.

  • What Bank Regulator Consolidation Would Mean For Industry

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    Speculation over the Trump administration’s potential plans to consolidate financial service regulators is intensifying uncertainty, but no matter the outcome for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the industry should expect continued policy changes, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.

  • How Attorneys Can Make The Most Of A Deposition Transcript

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    With recent amendments to federal evidence rules now in effect, it’s more important than ever to make sure that deposition transcripts are clear and precise, and a few key strategies can help attorneys get the most out of a transcript before, during and after a deposition, says Allison Rocker at Baker McKenzie.

  • Getting Ahead Of The SEC's Continued Focus On Cyber, AI

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is showing it will continue to scrutinize actions involving cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, but there are proactive measures that companies and financial institutions can take to avoid regulatory scrutiny going forward, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • 3 Steps For In-House Counsel To Assess Litigation Claims

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    Before a potential economic downturn, in-house attorneys should investigate whether their company is sitting on hidden litigation claims that could unlock large recoveries to help the business withstand tough times, says Will Burgess at Hilgers Graben.

  • Breaking Down Ill. Bellwether Case For Bank Preemption

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    The banking industry's pending lawsuit against the state of Illinois stands to permanently enjoin state regulation of bank card processing, as well as clarify the outstanding and consequential issue of whether conflict preemption continues to cover third parties in certain circumstances, says Tom Witherspoon at Stinson.

  • Series

    Teaching College Students Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Serving as an adjunct college professor has taught me the importance of building rapport, communicating effectively, and persuading individuals to critically analyze the difference between what they think and what they know — principles that have helped to improve my practice of law, says Sheria Clarke at Nelson Mullins.

  • Planning For Open Banking Despite CFPB Uncertainty

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    Though pending litigation or new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau leadership may reshape the Biden-era regulation governing access to consumer financial data, companies can use this uncertain period to take practical steps toward an open banking strategy that will work regardless of the rule’s ultimate form, says Adam Maarec at McGlinchey Stafford.

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