Consumer Protection

  • June 20, 2025

    9th Circ. Says NY Claims Against Hyundai Raise 'Novel' Issue

    A split panel of the Ninth Circuit Friday refused to toss negligence claims from cities in Ohio and Wisconsin in consolidated litigation alleging Hyundai and Kia, of which Hyundai is a major shareholder, sold vehicles with design flaws that enabled car thefts nationwide, but said negligence claims under New York law "raise a novel issue" of state law.

  • June 20, 2025

    Apple Opposes Class Cert. Bid In Mobile Wallet Monopoly Suit

    Apple Inc. has pushed back against a bid for class certification in a suit accusing it of unlawfully monopolizing the "tap and pay" mobile wallet market for its own devices by blocking competition, saying the bid does not offer common evidence to support the plaintiffs' various claims.

  • June 20, 2025

    DEA Judge Backs Federal Ban On 2 Research Chemicals

    A U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration judge determined Friday that two unrestricted psychoactive research chemicals belong in Schedule I, the most stringent tier of prohibited substances under the federal Controlled Substances Act.

  • June 20, 2025

    Wash. AG Says Hops Farm Favored H-2A Workers Over Locals

    Washington state's attorney general launched a lawsuit on Friday accusing a hops grower of illegally firing local employees, often women, and replacing them with foreign farmworkers, abusing the federal H-2A temporary visa program for seasonal agricultural labor.

  • June 20, 2025

    Texas Jury To Decide Google Ad Tech Liability, Not Damages

    A Texas federal judge is giving Google only partial reprieve from facing a jury on state attorneys general claims targeting its advertising placement technology business, leaving liability under federal antitrust law and any damages up to the court, while letting most state law claims go to the jury.

  • June 20, 2025

    Hartford Claims Co. Accused Of Shortchanging Auto Payouts

    Hartford Fire Insurance Co. was hit with proposed class claims in Connecticut federal court that it failed to pay full value for totaled cars under individual policies, after it used third-party data to whittle hundreds of dollars from vehicle prices as uniform claims administrator for 20 other insurers under The Hartford banner.

  • June 20, 2025

    Atty Interaction Prompts Recusal In Google AI Suicide Suit

    A Florida federal judge and former Gunster shareholder has recused himself from a suit accusing Character.AI and Google of causing the suicide of a teen who was addicted to an artificial intelligence chatbot, after a Munger Tolles & Olson LLP attorney said he discussed the case with the then-attorney last year.

  • June 20, 2025

    737 Max Families Push For Special Prosecutor In Boeing Case

    Families of victims of the 737 Max 8 crashes have asked a Texas federal judge to appoint a special prosecutor in Boeing's criminal conspiracy case, saying the U.S. Department of Justice's latest nonprosecution agreement with the American aerospace giant sets a dangerous precedent for corporate defendants to evade accountability.

  • June 20, 2025

    Invest In More Broadband Use, Not Overbuilds, Report Says

    The federal government should be spending its money on making sure areas with no internet at all are getting connected, not "overbuilding" in areas that already have it, a new report says on the best way to close the digital divide.

  • June 20, 2025

    2nd Purdue Plan Heading For Creditor Vote, Nov. Hearing

    A New York bankruptcy judge Friday set OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma's second try at a bankruptcy plan on course for a November confirmation hearing, clearing the plan disclosure statement to be sent out for a creditor vote.

  • June 20, 2025

    Off The Bench: Lakers Sale, NASCAR Antitrust, NIL Appeals

    In this week's Off The Bench, the Lakers fetch a $10 billion valuation as a new owner takes control of the franchise, a federal judge urges litigants in the NASCAR antitrust brawl to settle, and appeals pile up against the NCAA's landmark $2.78 billion athlete compensation settlement.

  • June 20, 2025

    Veterans Can't Stop Defendant's Outreach To Potential Class

    A group of veterans can't stop a consulting firm from contacting potential class members for help with the firm's defense in a lawsuit alleging it charged millions of dollars in illegal fees, a North Carolina federal magistrate judge has ruled from the bench.

  • June 20, 2025

    Microplastics Focus May Force Change In Biz Practices

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency confirmed it's considering research that could lead to microplastics regulation, and although policies may be years away, businesses are already facing pressure to change their practices from increasing state regulation and consumer litigation.

  • June 20, 2025

    Exxon Says Class Action Trial Should Be Pushed To 2026

    Exxon Mobil told a federal court Friday that a November trial in a class action accusing the oil giant of misleading investors should be delayed, writing that the class is seeking a trial on new theories of liability that were not presented at class certification.

  • June 20, 2025

    CrowdStrike Escapes Flyers' IT Outage Class Action

    A Texas federal judge dismissed a proposed class action Wednesday against cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Inc. from airline customers whose flights were delayed or canceled due to the catastrophic July 2024 global IT outage, finding the collection of state law claims are preempted by the federal Airline Deregulation Act.

  • June 20, 2025

    PE Firm Demands FDA Docs For Defense In Deal Challenge

    Private equity firm GTCR BC Holdings LLC is seeking a court order for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to produce over a decade's worth of medical device approval applications, arguing the documents are necessary in its defense against a merger challenge by the federal government.

  • June 20, 2025

    NJ Court Greenlights Beasley Allen Attys In Talc Litigation

    A New Jersey state judge will allow two Beasley Allen Law Firm attorneys to represent a California couple in their suit accusing Johnson & Johnson of selling carcinogenic talc-based baby powder and appear pro hac vice despite the company's vehement opposition.

  • June 20, 2025

    Sig Sauer Aims To Take Down Conn. Atty's Defamation Suit

    Sig Sauer Inc. is asking a Connecticut federal judge to throw out an attorney's suit claiming it defamed him in a March press release as a "grifter" for his legal actions and litigation against the gunmaker.

  • June 20, 2025

    Pearson Warshaw, Fegan Scott To Steer PVC Antitrust Class

    Pearson Warshaw LLP and Fegan Scott LLC have been tapped as lead counsel for a new class of end-user plaintiffs in consolidated litigation accusing polyvinyl chloride pipe companies of using a commodity pricing service to exchange information and illegally fix prices.

  • June 20, 2025

    Nose Spray Co. Sues FTC Over Substantiation Requirement

    Nasal spray maker Xlear Inc. is suing the Federal Trade Commission in Utah federal court, seeking a declaration that the agency is going beyond its statutory mandate by requiring scientific substantiation in marketing claims, even if the claims are not false and misleading.

  • June 20, 2025

    Airport Parking Sites Charged Hidden Service Fees, Suit Says

    The operator of two airport parking reservation websites advertised prices that failed to disclose mandatory service charges customers would later have to pay to book parking spaces, according to a putative class action filed in Illinois state court.

  • June 20, 2025

    Justices Let E-Cig Retailers Join Challenge To FDA Prohibition

    The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday that e-cigarette retailers can challenge the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's denial of product marketing applications, finding manufacturers aren't the only entities that can be adversely affected by the agency's decisions.

  • June 20, 2025

    High Court Says FCC Orders Not Above District Court Review

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday ruled that district courts should be allowed to question the slate of regulations that the Federal Communications Commission has issued under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, further constricting the power of federal agencies to interpret laws.

  • June 18, 2025

    Sens., AGs Unite To Raise Alarm On State AI Moratorium

    A sweeping proposal being considered by Congress to strip states of the ability to regulate artificial intelligence for a decade would do more harm than good, especially if there continues to be no similar protections in place at the federal level, a bipartisan quartet of U.S. senators and state attorneys general said Wednesday. 

  • June 18, 2025

    Tesla Says Justices Shouldn't Wait On La. Auto Sales Law

    Tesla is asking the U.S. Supreme Court not to push off considering Louisiana regulators' petition seeking to appeal the revival of a lawsuit brought by the electric-car maker targeting the state's ban on direct sales by automakers, even though the state has asked the justices to wait.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From Fed. Prosecutor To BigLaw

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    Making the jump from government to private practice is no small feat, but, based on my experience transitioning to a business-driven environment after 15 years as an assistant U.S. attorney, it can be incredibly rewarding and help you become a more versatile lawyer, says Michael Beckwith at Dickinson Wright.

  • Opinion

    SEC Shouldn't Complicate Broker-Dealers' AML Compliance

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    Recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission anti-money laundering enforcement actions show that regulators should not second-guess broker-dealers' reasonable judgment, or stretch the law or their jurisdiction to regulate through enforcement, lest they expect broker-dealers to vigorously defend their AML programs, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Rebuttal

    6 Reasons Why Arbitration Offers Equitable Resolutions

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    Contrary to a recent Law360 guest article, arbitration provides numerous benefits to employees, consumers and businesses alike, ensuring fair and efficient dispute resolution without the excessive fees, costs and delays associated with traditional litigation, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • Executive Orders Paving Way For New Era Of Crypto Banking

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    Recent executive orders have already significantly affected the day-to-day operations of financial institutions that have an interest in engaging with digital assets, and creating informed strategies now can support institutions as the crypto gates continue to open to the banking industry, say attorneys at Spencer Fane.

  • How Calif. Algorithmic Pricing Bills Could Affect Consumers

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    California's legislative efforts to regulate algorithmic pricing may address antitrust and fairness concerns, but could stop retailers from providing consumer discounts, says Alyssa Sones at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Explaining CFPB's Legal Duties Under The Dodd-Frank Act

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    While only Congress can actually eradicate the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Trump administration has sought to significantly alter the agency's operations, so it's an apt time to review the minimum baseline of activities that Congress requires of the CFPB in Title X of the Dodd-Frank Act, say attorneys at Bradley Arant.

  • State Securities Enforcers May Fill A Federal Enforcement Gap

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission appears poised to take a lighter touch under the new administration, but state enforcement efforts are likely to continue unabated, and potentially even increase, particularly with regard to digital assets and ESG disclosures, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Firms Still Have Lateral Market Advantage, But Risks Persist

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    Partner and associate mobility data from the fourth quarter of 2024 shows that we’re in a new, stable era of lateral hiring where firms have the edge, but leaders should proceed cautiously, looking beyond expected revenue and compensation analyses for potential risks, say Julie Henson and Greg Hamman at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.

  • Recent Cases Highlight Latest AI-Related Civil Litigation Risks

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    Ongoing lawsuits in federal district courts reveal potential risks that companies using artificial intelligence may face from civil litigants, including health insurance coverage cases involving contractual and equitable claims, and myriad cases concerning securities disclosure claims, say attorneys at Katten.

  • What Rodney Hood's OCC Stint Could Mean For Banking

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    Acting Comptroller of the Currency Rodney Hood's time at the helm of the OCC, while temporary, is likely to feature clarity for financial institutions navigating regulations, the development of fintech innovation, and clearer expectations for counsel advising on related matters, say attorneys at Vedder Price.

  • Opinion

    We Must Allow Judges To Use Their Independent Judgment

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    As two recent cases show, the ability of judges to access their independent judgment crucially enables courts to exercise the discretion needed to reach the right outcome based on the unique facts within the law, says John Siffert at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.

  • 4 Actions For Cos. As SEC Rebrands Cyber Enforcement Units

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    As the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission signals its changing enforcement priorities by retooling a Biden-era crypto-asset and cybersecurity enforcement unit into a task force against artificial-intelligence-powered hacks and online investing fraud, financial institutions and technology companies should adapt by considering four key points, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: March Lessons

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    In this month's review of class actions appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses three federal appellate court decisions and identifies practice tips from cases involving antitrust allegations against coupon processing services, consumer fraud and class action settlements.

  • The PFAS Causation Question Is Far From Settled

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    In litigation over per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, the general causation question — whether the type of PFAS concerned is actually capable of causing disease — often receives little attention, but the scientific evidence around this issue is far from conclusive, and is a point worth raising by defense counsel, says John Gardella at CMBG3 Law.

  • How Health Cos. Can Navigate Data Security Regulation Limbo

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    Despite the Trump administration's freeze on proposed updates to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act security rule, there are critical cybersecurity steps healthcare organizations can take now without clear federal guidance, says William Li at Axiom.

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