Consumer Protection

  • April 30, 2025

    House GOP Bill To Cut CFPB Budget, Audit Board Clears Panel

    The U.S. House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday approved Republican budget legislation that would strip most funding from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and wind down an independent audit regulator for public companies.  

  • April 30, 2025

    VSL Probiotic Buyers Win Class Cert. In RICO Case

    A Maryland federal judge has certified 10 classes of customers who bought a knockoff version of a proprietary probiotic formula developed by a professor to treat gastrointestinal ailments, saying in an order unsealed Wednesday the customers all suffered the same alleged injury from buying a product that wasn't the one they expected. 

  • April 30, 2025

    CFPB Scraps More Cases, Curbs Small Biz Loan Rule Focus

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Wednesday abandoned more lawsuits, including its Fifth Circuit appeal over a Biden-era policy that expanded the agency's anti-discrimination scrutiny of financial firms, and said it will not focus on enforcing a contested small business lending rule.

  • April 30, 2025

    Calif. Privacy Agency Inks Cooperation Pact With UK Authority

    The California Privacy Protection Agency has taken its latest step toward boosting its collaboration with data protection authorities around the world, announcing Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with the U.K.'s privacy regulator to compare investigative methods, research into new technologies and other vital tools.

  • April 30, 2025

    CEO Asked How Rivals Can Possibly Match Google Money

    Google CEO Sundar Pichai testified Wednesday that the Justice Department's proposed monopolization fixes amount to a "de facto divestiture" of the company's entire search intellectual property, only for the D.C. federal judge to wonder how rival search engines could hope to match its financial resources.

  • April 30, 2025

    FCC Could Ban Foreign Adversaries' Testing Labs

    The Federal Communications Commission plans to vote in May on whether to ban U.S. operations of telecom equipment test labs owned by foreign adversaries.

  • April 30, 2025

    Joe Rogan-Backed 'Alpha Brain' False Ad Suit Dropped In NY

    A consumer is asking a New York federal judge to dismiss his proposed class action accusing Onnit Labs Inc. of falsely advertising its "Alpha Brain" cognitive supplement, which were previously promoted by podcaster Joe Rogan, as clinically proven to boost memory.

  • April 30, 2025

    Senate Bill Would Make FCC List Foreign Foes' Telecom Stakes

    The U.S. Senate will consider a bipartisan bill to direct the Federal Communications Commission to publish a list of foreign adversaries' ownership stakes in regulated companies.

  • April 30, 2025

    Anheuser-Busch Must Face Trial In $90M SpikedSeltzer Case

    Anheuser-Busch must face a jury in a multimillion-dollar contract claim surrounding its 2016 buyout of a hard seltzer product line from its inventors and their investors, a Connecticut trial court judge ruled Wednesday, partially declining the beverage giant's bid for a quick win.

  • April 30, 2025

    Judge Rejects $5M Fee Bid In Prospect Medical's Ch. 11

    Bankruptcy Code provisions that allow creditors who make substantial contributions to be reimbursed for costs don't cover Prospect Medical's pre-Chapter 11 investment banker, a Texas bankruptcy judge said Wednesday, rejecting a finance firm's bid for a $5 million sale fee.

  • April 30, 2025

    Agri Stats Gets Say In DOJ's Poultry Worker Wage-Fixing Case

    A Maryland federal court allowed Agri Stats Inc. to intervene Wednesday in the U.S. Department of Justice's case accusing Wayne-Sanderson Farms and George's Inc. of suppressing wages, after the government said the poultry companies need to stop using the agricultural data firm.

  • April 30, 2025

    Underwriters Seek Exit From $37M FTC Dispute With Loan Co.

    Underwriters asked a California federal court on Wednesday to find that they did not have to defend a company accused by the Federal Trade Commission of bilking consumers out of at least $37 million through a credit scheme designed to trick consumers into taking on debt.

  • April 30, 2025

    Website Operators Challenge $102M FTC Judgment

    Two former executives of On Point Global LLC urged the Eleventh Circuit to reverse a civil contempt sanction of $102 million for violating a prior injunction, arguing that the lower court should have held a hearing to allow them to present evidence in their favor.

  • April 30, 2025

    Fla. Lender Urges 11th Circ. To OK Arbitration In Fee Suit

    A Florida credit union urged an Eleventh Circuit panel Wednesday to overturn a lower court order denying arbitration in a proposed class action over wrongly assessed overdraft fees, saying failure to preregister with the American Arbitration Association isn't grounds for a default.

  • April 30, 2025

    Senate Bill Moves Ahead To Beef Up FCC Disaster Reports

    A bipartisan bill to require the Federal Communications Commission release more data on disaster-related network outage reports cleared a U.S. Senate committee Wednesday.

  • April 30, 2025

    TikTok Exec Calls Facebook, Instagram 'Complements'

    A TikTok executive said Wednesday that his company views Facebook and Instagram as "complements" to the Chinese-owned short-form video platform rather than direct competitors playing in the same market, in testimony that largely supported the Federal Trade Commission's claim that Meta dominates personal social networking services.

  • April 30, 2025

    Schools Say Norfolk Southern Ducked Postderailment Pledge

    The school district for East Palestine, Ohio, filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against Norfolk Southern, claiming the railroad hasn't made good on its promises to help the district recover after a fiery derailment shook the town in 2023.

  • April 30, 2025

    Coinbase Urges Justices To Take User's IRS Data Seizure Suit

    Crypto exchange Coinbase on Wednesday urged the U.S. Supreme Court to firm up privacy rights around digital information stored with third parties, backing a petition by a Coinbase user who's challenging the Internal Revenue Service's seizure of his account records.

  • April 30, 2025

    9th Circ. Won't Revive Phone Number Privacy Suit Against X

    The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday declined to revive a Washington resident's putative class action that accused Twitter Inc., now called X, of deceptively obtaining his phone number, saying in an unpublished opinion that a state law he leaned on prohibited the fraudulent collection of telephone records, "not numbers."

  • April 30, 2025

    Akin Atty Returns To FCC To Lead Wireline Bureau

    After three years in private practice, the Federal Communications Commission has welcomed an Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP attorney back to the agency as the newest head of the commission's Wireline Competition Bureau.

  • April 30, 2025

    Lego Says Toy Co.'s Tiny Figurines Are Big IP Infringement

    Lego sued Veux Toys LLC in Connecticut federal court Tuesday, seeking to block the California-based toy retailer from selling figurines that are "substantially similar" to its copyrighted products, such as Spider-Man toy men.

  • April 30, 2025

    Fox, Smartmatic Trade Barbs In $2.7B Suit As Both Seek Win

    Both sides asked a New York state judge Wednesday to grant them victory in Smartmatic's $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News, with the voting tech company accusing Fox of a malicious "betrayal of the truth" while the network argued there was no evidence its election fraud claims caused Smartmatic's "business failure."

  • April 30, 2025

    Feds Barred From Reviving 'Unlawful' Tornado Cash Sanctions

    A Texas federal judge has permanently barred the U.S. Department of the Treasury from enforcing its now-dissolved sanctions on crypto mixer Tornado Cash after the advocates who challenged the designation argued the government's removal of the sanctions wasn't enough.

  • April 30, 2025

    Local Gov'ts Say FCC Must Tread Lightly On Deleting Regs

    The FCC is flying by the seat of its pants a little too much as it seeks to slash unnecessary regulations, a coalition of local governments have come together to tell the agency, saying that the docket "does not meet the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act."

  • April 30, 2025

    Mich. AG Says Express Scripts, Prime Fix Pharmacy Rates

    Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel took aim at pharmacy benefit managers Express Scripts and Prime Therapeutics this week in a lawsuit accusing them of a price-fixing deal the state said has crippled pharmacies.

Expert Analysis

  • 5 Major Crypto Developments From The Trump Admin So Far

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    The early weeks of the Trump administration have set the stage for a significant transformation in U.S. digital asset policy by prioritizing regulatory clarity, innovation and a shift away from enforcement-heavy tactics, but many of these changes will require congressional support and progress may be gradual, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Compliance Pointers For DOJ's Sweeping Data Security Rule

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    A new Justice Department rule broadly restricts many common data transactions with the goal of preventing access by countries of concern, and with an effective date of April 8, U.S. companies must quickly assess practices related to employee, customer and vendor data, says Sam Castic at Hintze Law.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: February Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses five federal appellate court class certification decisions and identifies practice tips from cases involving breach of life insurance contracts, constitutional violations of inmates and more.

  • What To Expect From The New FCC Chair

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    As a vocal critic of the Federal Communications Commission's recent priorities, newly appointed chair Brendan Carr has described a vision for the agency that would bring significant changes to telecommunication regulation and Telephone Consumer Protection Act enforcement in the U.S., say attorneys at BCLP.

  • Comparing 2 Pending Bills To Regulate Stablecoins

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    Alexandra Steinberg Barrage at Troutman analyzes the key similarities and differences between two payment stablecoin proposals currently pending in Congress — the STABLE and GENIUS acts — as both chambers are forming a working group to deliver a clear regulatory framework for digital assets and bipartisan agreement appears within reach.

  • Citibank Wire Transfer Ruling Creates New Liability For Banks

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    A New York federal court's recent decision in New York v. Citibank, affirming the Electronic Fund Transfer Act's consumer protections cover wire transfers allegedly initiated by scammers who infiltrated Citibank customers' online accounts, creates new liability for sending financial institutions and upends decades-old regulatory guidance, say attorneys at Stinson.

  • 4 Do's And Don'ts For Trial Lawyers Using Generative AI

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    Trial attorneys who use artificial intelligence tools should review a few key reminders, from the likelihood that prompts are discoverable to the rapid evolution of court rules, to safeguard against embarrassing missteps, says Nate Sabri at Perkins Coie.

  • Series

    Competitive Weightlifting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The parallels between the core principles required for competitive weightlifting and practicing law have helped me to excel in both endeavors, with each holding important lessons about discipline, dedication, drive and failure, says Damien Bielli at VF Law.

  • 11th Circ. TCPA Ruling Signals Erosion Of Judicial Deference

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    The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit recently came to the rescue of the lead generation industry, striking down new regulations that were set to go into effect on Jan. 27, a decision consistent with federal courts' recent willingness to review administrative decisions, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • How Southern Calif. Fires Can Affect National, Local Pricing

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    The fire-related California state of emergency declared last month in Los Angeles and Ventura counties triggered laws around price-gouging and pricing restrictions that affect not just individuals and businesses in the state, but also nationwide, meaning sellers should be mindful of how price changes are discussed and rolled out, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • Inside The Uncertainty Surrounding CFPB's Overdraft Rule

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    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's overhaul of overdraft fee regulation hangs in limbo as the industry watches to see whether new leadership will repeal the rule, allow it to stay in place, or wait for congressional action or the courts to drive its demise, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • How Private Securities Suits Complement SEC Enforcement

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    U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement is vital to the healthy functioning of markets, but government enforcement alone is not enough to ensure meaningful monetary recoveries for investor losses due to securities law violations, say attorneys at Bernstein Litowitz.

  • The Case For Compliance During The Trump Administration

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    Given the Trump administration’s shifting white collar enforcement priorities, C-suite executives may have the natural instinct to pare back compliance initiatives, but there are several good reasons for companies to at least stay the course on their compliance programs, if not enhance them, say attorneys at Riley Safer.

  • Opinion

    Despite Noble Intentions, Va. Usury Bill Is Bad For Consumers

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    A Virginia bill purportedly aimed at eradicating predatory online bank lending actually does nothing to achieve that goal, and instead would limit credit opportunities for state residents, says Catherine Brennan at Hudson Cook.

  • Opinion

    Undoing An American Ideal Of Fairness

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    President Donald Trump’s orders attacking birthright citizenship, civil rights education, and diversity, equity and inclusion programs threaten hard-won constitutional civil rights protections and decades of efforts to undo bias in the law — undermining what Chief Justice Earl Warren called "our American ideal of fairness," says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

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