Consumer Protection

  • June 17, 2025

    CFPB's Vought Seeks To Limit Use Of Civil Penalty Fund

    Consumer Financial Protection Bureau acting Director Russell Vought is proposing to restrict the agency's ability to tap its civil penalty fund for consumer education and financial literacy initiatives as part of a trio of draft regulatory changes posted online Tuesday.

  • June 17, 2025

    Amazon Sold Bike That Paralyzed Man, Suit Claims

    A man who became paralyzed from the waist down after the foldable electric bicycle he was using collapsed is suing the manufacturer and Amazon.com Inc., claiming both companies were negligent in making and selling the bike, according to a lawsuit filed in California state court.

  • June 17, 2025

    Senate Confirms Trump's FCC Nominee, Giving GOP Majority

    The U.S. Senate confirmed Olivia Trusty to the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday, providing Republicans a 2-1 majority on the telecom regulatory body five months after President Donald Trump named her for the seat.

  • June 17, 2025

    Hemp Interests Urge Court To Halt Md. Licensing Policy

    A group of Maryland hemp interests is urging a federal court to halt enforcement of a state policy which would require retailers to obtain recreational cannabis licenses to buy and sell hemp products, which they say is impossible to do.

  • June 17, 2025

    Ohio High Court Allows Challenge To Duke Gas Rate Increase

    Ohio's utility consumer advocate filed a timely appeal to challenge a regulator's approval of a Duke Energy Ohio Inc. rate increase for natural gas customers, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled Tuesday, denying Duke's bid to have the case dismissed.

  • June 17, 2025

    Sunglass Suit Tossed After 11th Circ. Nixes $40M Deal

    A Florida federal judge on Tuesday threw out a proposed class action alleging Costa Del Mar Inc. misled buyers about its sunglasses' lifetime warranty, saying the court doesn't have subject matter jurisdiction over the claims.

  • June 17, 2025

    Democrats Probe Palantir About IRS Taxpayer Database

    Ten Democratic lawmakers demanded information Tuesday from the head of Palantir Technologies Inc. about media reports that the software company is working with the IRS to create a searchable database containing sensitive taxpayer information — claims the company denied almost immediately.

  • June 17, 2025

    Drivers Can't Get Class Cert. For Undervaluation Claims

    A Massachusetts state court justice on Tuesday declined to certify a class of drivers who say they were underpaid for the value of their "totaled" vehicles, saying the case against The Commerce Insurance Co. requires individualized inquiry.

  • June 17, 2025

    Packaging Co. Ex-Worker's Genetic Privacy Suit Dropped

    A former employee claiming a food packaging company unlawfully asked her and other prospective workers about their family medical history have agreed to drop a lawsuit alleging her ex-employer violated Illinois' privacy law, according to a joint filing in Illinois federal court.

  • June 17, 2025

    Four More Women Appeal NIL Deal Over Title IX Objections

    Four additional former and current women college athletes, including one of the most decorated lacrosse players of all time, have filed notice of their intent to appeal the NCAA's $2.78 billion name, image and likeness compensation settlement to the Ninth Circuit, objecting to the deal's disproportionately low allocation of money to women.

  • June 17, 2025

    Senate Bill Could Hike Taxes On Litigation Funding Profits

    Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, released the committee's budget reconciliation proposal Monday evening, which includes proposed reforms to third-party litigation funding.

  • June 17, 2025

    Firms Fight To Rep End Users In PVC Pipe Antitrust Row

    Several law firms are duking it out for a lead counsel appointment representing a new class of end-user plaintiffs in consolidated litigation accusing PVC pipe companies of using a commodity pricing service to exchange information and illegally fix prices, with Pearson Warshaw LLP, Kirby McInerney LLP, Fegan Scott LLC and Levin Sedran & Berman LLP making bids.

  • June 17, 2025

    Google Opposes Advertisers' Ad Tech Class Cert Bid

    Google told a New York federal court that the advertiser seeking to represent a class of more than 2 million members in multidistrict litigation accusing the tech giant of monopolizing key digital ad technology spent less than $500 on Google Ads during the class period.

  • June 17, 2025

    Squire Patton Hires TikTok Product Privacy Pro In Sydney

    Squire Patton Boggs has added a data protection and regulatory attorney in Sydney, Australia, who previously served as TikTok's product privacy lead in the Asia Pacific region and in emerging markets, the firm has announced.

  • June 17, 2025

    Gemini Says CFTC Enforcement Went 'Trophy-Hunting' In Suit

    The crypto exchange Gemini on Tuesday slammed the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's Enforcement Division and the attorneys who pursued a now-settled case against the firm, calling the division "out of control" and accusing its attorneys of engaging in "trophy-hunting lawfare."

  • June 17, 2025

    Meta Can't Nix FTC's Lead Econ Expert From Antitrust Trial

    A D.C. federal judge on Tuesday refused to exclude testimony by the Federal Trade Commission's lead economics expert during an antitrust trial over Meta's acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram, finding Meta already had the chance to question if he was biased and that it wouldn't improperly influence a jury since it's a bench trial.

  • June 17, 2025

    Burford Blasts Interference Claim In Chicken Price-Fix Case

    The Illinois federal judge handling consolidated price-fixing litigation against the nation's largest chicken producers should throw out the settlement interference counterclaim Tyson lodged alongside its answer in the case because it is no more than a speculation-based "fishing expedition," litigation funder Burford Capital argued.

  • June 17, 2025

    Comerica Says Cardholders Get No Interest On Benefit Cards

    Comerica Bank is not permitted to pay interest to recipients of a federal assistance program it helps administer, the bank argued in a bid to toss class claims from enrollees of the benefits card program who allege that the bank improperly kept interest earned on their accounts.  

  • June 17, 2025

    BowFlex Recall Burdens Buyers Of 3.7M Dumbbells, Suit Says

    A BowFlex buyer is suing the brand's new owner in California federal court, alleging that a recall of defective adjustable dumbbells wrongly leaves out the vast majority of the product's buyers, covering only about 100,000 of the 3.8 million products sold.

  • June 17, 2025

    Former Antitrust Enforcers Launching New Firm

    Former enforcers from the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice launched a new law firm on Tuesday, Simonsen Sussman LLP, to bring cases on behalf of entrepreneurs, small businesses, workers and other victims of anticompetitive practices.

  • June 16, 2025

    Monsanto Fights Plaintiffs' Billion-Dollar Ask In PCB Tort Trial

    Nearly two dozen people who say they were poisoned by Monsanto-made chemicals asked a Washington state jury on Monday for a damages award of $1.1 billion to $3.3 billion, as the company's counsel countered the plaintiffs lack blood testing results and other key evidence to back their "extraordinary" request.

  • June 16, 2025

    DVD Buyers Must Arbitrate Video Privacy Claims, Judge Says

    A California federal judge has found that a putative class action accusing a pair of DVD and video game sellers of unlawfully disclosing online buyers' personal information to Meta belongs in arbitration, finding that while the dispute presents a "close call," the defendants haven't waived their right to compel arbitration. 

  • June 16, 2025

    Paddle.com To Pay FTC $5M Over Tech Support Scam Claims

    Payment processing company Paddle.com Market Ltd. agreed on Monday to pay $5 million to settle a suit brought by the Federal Trade Commission accusing it of assisting and processing payments for tech support scams.

  • June 16, 2025

    Ex-Gree Execs Get 3 Yrs. In Landmark Product Safety Case

    Two former Gree USA Inc. executives were sentenced to approximately three years in prison each by a California federal judge on Monday, after being found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission by failing to report defective humidifiers in landmark criminal convictions under the Consumer Product Safety Act.

  • June 16, 2025

    Bank Groups Will Join In On Fed's Debit-Card Swipe Fee Fight

    Two banking industry groups received a North Dakota federal judge's permission Monday to present the perspective of banks when he holds a key hearing next month to mull a retailer-backed legal challenge to the Federal Reserve's limits on debit-card swipe fees.

Expert Analysis

  • 30 Years Later: How PSLRA Has Improved Securities Litigation

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    In the 30 years since the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act's passage, the statute has achieved its purpose of shifting securities class actions to investors most capable of monitoring the litigation, selecting competent counsel at competitive rates and maximizing recoveries for the investor classes they represent, say attorneys at Bernstein Litowitz.

  • Managing Anti-Corporate Juror Views Revealed By CEO Killing

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    After the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson laid bare deep-seated anti-corporate sentiments among the public, companies in numerous industries will have to navigate the influence of related juror biases on litigation dynamics, say Jorge Monroy and Keith Pounds at IMS Legal Strategies.

  • How Banks Can Prepare For NYDFS Overdraft Overhaul

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    The New York State Department of Financial Services' recent proposal to amend overdraft rules for financial institutions underscores states' potential to create consumer protection mechanisms in the absence of meaningful federal action, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • Terraform Case May Be Bellwether For Crypto Enforcement

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    The prosecution of crypto company Terraform Labs and its CEO, Do Kwon, offers a unique test of the line between lawful and unlawful conduct in digital transactions, and the Trump administration’s posture toward the case will provide clues about its cryptocurrency enforcement agenda in the years to come, say attorneys at Brooks Pierce.

  • How Law Firms Can Counteract The Loneliness Epidemic

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    The legal industry is facing an urgent epidemic of loneliness, affecting lawyer well-being, productivity, retention and profitability, and law firm leaders should take concrete steps to encourage the development of genuine workplace connections, says Michelle Gomez at Littler and Gwen Mellor Romans at Herald Talent.

  • What's At Stake In High Court's Class Member Standing Case

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s eventual decision in Labcorp v. Davis could significantly alter how parties prosecute and defend class actions in federal court, particularly if the court determines some proof of member standing is required before a class may be certified, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • Texas Fraud Case Shows Dangers Of Faulty Crypto Reporting

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    The recent sentencing of a man who failed to properly report capital gains from bitcoin sales is a reminder that special attention must be given to the IRS' reporting requirements in order to stay out of the government's crosshairs, says Saverio Romeo at Fox Rothschild.

  • 5 Keys To Building Stronger Attorney-Client Relationships

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    Attorneys are often focused on being seen as the expert, but bonding with clients and prospects by sharing a few key personal details provides the basis for a caring, trusted and profoundly deeper business relationship, says Deb Feder at Feder Development.

  • Justices' TikTok Ruling May Pose Threat To Online Expression

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent landmark ruling upholding a federal law mandating TikTok's forced divestiture in the name of data security may embolden digital censorship agendas worldwide, says IP lawyer Bahram Jafari.

  • Assessing PE Risk After Mass. False Claims Act Amendments

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    A law recently passed in Massachusetts amends the commonwealth's False Claims Act by dramatically expanding potential liability for private equity firms and investors, underscoring the importance of robust diligence and risk assessments for private equity firms conducting transactions in the commonwealth, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • Notable Q4 Updates In Insurance Class Actions

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    In a continuation of trends in property and casualty insurance class actions, last quarter insurers struggled with defending the merits and class certification of sales tax and fee suits, and labor depreciation cases, but succeeded in dismissing privacy class actions at the pleading stages, says Mathew Drocton at BakerHostetler.

  • The Current And Future State Of Bank-Fintech Partnerships

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    Though the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under President Donald Trump seems likely to cultivate an environment friendlier to the financial services industry, bank-fintech partnerships should stay devoted to proactive compliance and be ready to adapt to regulatory shifts that may intensify scrutiny from enforcers, say attorneys at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Evidence Rule May Expand Use Of Out-Of-Court Statements

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    A proposed amendment to Federal Rule of Evidence 801(d)(1)(A) would broaden the definition of nonhearsay, reflects a more pragmatic approach to regulating the admissibility of out-of-court statements by declarant-witnesses, and could help level the playing field between prosecutors and criminal defendants, say attorneys at Hangley Aronchick.

  • How The AI Antitrust Landscape Might Evolve Under Trump

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    The Trump administration's early actions around artificial intelligence and antitrust policy, along with statements from competition regulators, suggest that the AI competition landscape may see reduced scrutiny around acquisitions, but not an entirely hands-off enforcement approach, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.

  • Series

    Racing Corvettes Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I use when racing Corvettes have enhanced my legal practice in several ways, because driving, like practicing law, requires precision, awareness and a good set of brakes — complete with the wisdom to know how and when to use them, says Kat Mateo at Olshan Frome.

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