Consumer Protection

  • February 26, 2026

    Pool Co. Says Rival Sells Unauthorized Products On Amazon

    Major pool equipment supplier Hayward Industries Inc. asked a North Carolina federal court to enjoin a series of LLCs from selling unauthorized Hayward products on the internet, arguing the companies are infringing valuable trademarks.

  • February 26, 2026

    Tenn. Health System Can't Dodge $28M False Claims Act Suit

    A Tennessee-based health system must face claims it allegedly ran a sprawling patient referral scheme by overcompensating doctors in exchange for Medicare patient referrals and then billed Medicare $28 million for services it offered those illegally referred patients, a Tennessee federal judge said Thursday, denying the health system's dismissal bid. 

  • February 26, 2026

    FCC Denies Cos.' Bids To Scrap Regulatory Fee Late Charges

    The Federal Communications Commission is declining to waive the 25% penalty it slaps on top of regulatory fees from 2023 and 2024 that come in late, dashing the hopes of nearly two dozen companies that had asked the agency to do just that.

  • February 26, 2026

    5th Circ. Affirms FDA's Vape Rule Despite Small Biz Concerns

    The Fifth Circuit on Thursday affirmed that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration complied with the law when it promulgated a new rule requiring companies seeking premarket authorization of new tobacco products to investigate the product's health effects.

  • February 26, 2026

    Boston Scientific Wins Toss Of Spinal Device Suit

    Boston Scientific escaped a suit alleging that its spinal implant device malfunctioned and caused a Michigan man pain and permanent injuries, after a federal judge ruled that each of the plaintiff's claims are preempted by federal law.

  • February 26, 2026

    Kenvue Can't Duck Texas AG's Tylenol Autism Suit

    A Texas state court Thursday rejected Kenvue's bid to toss a lawsuit that Texas' attorney general has brought alleging Tylenol taken during pregnancy could cause autism in children, even though it is marketed as the safest pain relief for pregnant women and young children.

  • February 26, 2026

    JRK-Owned Co. Will Pay Up To $5.1M To Conn. Tenants

    A JRK Property Holdings unit will provide up to $5.1 million in immediate financial relief under the first of two agreements to settle an unfair trade practices probe into health and safety concerns at a 544-unit complex in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, the state attorney general's office announced Thursday.

  • February 26, 2026

    $200M Antitrust Deal Can Shield Drugmakers In States' Claims

    Sun Pharmaceutical and Taro Pharmaceuticals can use their $200 million settlement with the "end payors" for generic drugs in an alleged price-fixing scheme as a defense in a similar lawsuit brought by 47 states and territories, the Connecticut federal judge overseeing the case ruled Wednesday.

  • February 26, 2026

    Yardi Urges No More Discovery In Wash. Rent-Fixing Suit

    Yardi Systems Inc. asked a Washington federal court not to grant renters' bid for further discovery in their proposed antitrust class action over rent-setting algorithms, arguing that the renters haven't even identified what other materials they might still seek.

  • February 26, 2026

    ITC To Probe China's Trade Status, Biotech Practices

    The U.S. International Trade Commission announced the start of two investigations Thursday related to China that were ordered by Congress, including examining state support and pricing practices for Chinese biotechnology firms and exploring the idea of ending normal trade relations with the country.

  • February 26, 2026

    'OnlyFake' Website Operator Cops To $1.2M ID Fraud Scheme

    A Ukrainian national told a Manhattan federal judge on Thursday that he conspired to operate a lucrative identification-faking business, admitting to a conspiracy count after prosecutors said his artificial intelligence-driven "OnlyFake" website catered to money launderers and generated $1.2 million.

  • February 26, 2026

    Thai Oil Drill Products Evading China Duties, Commerce Says

    Oil and gas pipe imports from Thailand are evading antidumping and countervailing duties imposed on those products from China, the U.S. Department of Commerce determined Thursday.

  • February 26, 2026

    Walmart Will Pay Up To $100M To End FTC's Driver Pay Suit

    The Federal Trade Commission and 11 states have reached a $100 million deal with Walmart to settle claims the company misled its "Spark" delivery program drivers over the amount they would be paid, and deceived customers over how much of the tips they paid would go to their drivers, the agency announced Thursday.

  • February 25, 2026

    Online Abortion Pill Provider Illegally Ships To Texas, AG Says

    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Aid Access, its founder and a California doctor in state court Tuesday alleging they operate an "abortion-by-mail enterprise" that ship abortion-inducing drugs to Texas residents, which is endangering the lives of unborn children and their mothers. 

  • February 25, 2026

    OCC Unveils Landmark Stablecoin Rule Proposal

    The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency took a significant step Wednesday toward standing up its oversight framework for stablecoin issuers, proposing rules that lay out how licensing will work, what activities will be allowed and what prudential standards will apply.

  • February 25, 2026

    FTC Backs Age Verification Use With New Enforcement Stance

    The Federal Trade Commission said Wednesday that it won't use its enforcement authority under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act to bring actions against certain websites and services that collect kids' personal information without parental consent for the sole purpose of verifying users' ages. 

  • February 25, 2026

    Social Media Contributed To Mental Health Issues, Jury Hears

    A therapist who treated the plaintiff in a landmark bellwether trial alleging Instagram and YouTube harm children's mental health told a California jury Wednesday that social media use contributed to the plaintiff's struggles, while acknowledging that social media addiction is not a diagnosis formally recognized in her field.

  • February 25, 2026

    Dems Demand Explanation For DOJ Antitrust Chief's Exit

    Two Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee demanded Wednesday that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi explain to lawmakers why the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust chief was forced to resign, expressing concern about the administration's potential interference with merger reviews and antitrust litigation.

  • February 25, 2026

    Senate Bill Would Make Gov't Admit It Perused Your Emails

    Courts issue hundreds of thousands of criminal surveillance orders each year, allowing law enforcement to spy on suspects beyond the bounds of what is normally legal, but a bill reintroduced Wednesday in the U.S. Senate aims to shed light on the process by informing someone when the government wanted their digital information.

  • February 25, 2026

    Crypto Hedge Fund Manager Charged With Tax Evasion

    Federal prosecutors have charged a crypto hedge fund manager who has renounced his U.S. citizenship with filing false tax returns and willfully failing to disclose millions of dollars' worth of foreign assets.

  • February 25, 2026

    Lawsuit Over Recalled Lowe's Batteries Tossed, For Now

    Tool company Chervon North America Inc. and retailer Lowe's Home Centers LLC have, for now, beaten a proposed class action accusing them of selling lithium-ion batteries that caught fire, after an Illinois federal judge ruled that the buyer failed to point to any particular "promise regarding safety."

  • February 25, 2026

    9th Circ. Upends $8M Asbestos Verdict Against BNSF

    The Ninth Circuit has ruled that BNSF Railway Co. cannot be held strictly liable under Montana law for transporting asbestos-containing vermiculite and letting vermiculite dust collect on tracks and its railyard, upending the $8 million jury verdict awarded to the estates of two former Libby, Montana, residents who developed mesothelioma.

  • February 25, 2026

    $17.9M Drug Price-Fixing Deal Advances Despite Objections

    A Connecticut federal judge on Wednesday advanced a $17.9 million generic drug price-fixing settlement between 48 states and territories and pharmaceutical companies Bausch Health US LLC, Bausch Health Americas Inc. and Lannett Co. Inc., sidelining objections by consumers suing separately in a Pennsylvania multidistrict litigation case.

  • February 25, 2026

    Netflix Swaps Out Latham For Munger Tolles In Antitrust Suit

    Latham & Watkins LLP withdrew Wednesday as defense counsel for Netflix in a proposed consumer class action in Illinois federal court claiming Meta cut an illegal deal ceding the video streaming market to Netflix, which is now represented by Munger Tolles & Olson LLP.

  • February 25, 2026

    Valve Promotes Illegal Gambling In Its Games, NY AG Claims

    The New York attorney general Wednesday sued Valve Corp., claiming the video game developer has been illegally promoting gambling to children through games like Counter-Strike by "enticing" them to pay for chances to win virtual items, some of which can be rare and hold significant monetary value.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Texas, One Year In

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    A year after the Texas Business Court's first decision, it's clear that Texas didn't just copy Delaware and instead built something uniquely its own, combining specialization with constitutional accountability and creating a model that looks forward without losing touch with the state's democratic and statutory roots, says Chris Bankler at Jackson Walker.

  • AI Product Safety Insights May Expand Foreseeability

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    Product liability law has long held that companies are responsible for risks they knew about or should have known about — and with AI systems now able to assess and predict hazards during the design process, companies should expect that courts will likely treat such hazards as foreseeable, says Donald Fountain at Clark Fountain.

  • AG Watch: Illinois A Key Player In State-Level Enforcement

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    Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has systematically strengthened his office to fill federal enforcement gaps, oppose Trump administration mandates and advance state policy objectives, particularly by aggressively pursuing labor-related issues, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Educating Your Community

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    Nearly two decades prosecuting scammers and elder fraud taught me that proactively educating the public about the risks they face and the rights they possess is essential to building trust within our communities, empowering otherwise vulnerable citizens and preventing wrongdoers from gaining a foothold, says Roger Handberg at GrayRobinson.

  • How A 9th Circ. False Ad Ruling Could Shift Class Certification

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    The Ninth Circuit's July decision in Noohi v. Johnson & Johnson, holding that unexecuted damages models may suffice for purposes of class certification, has the potential to create judicial inefficiencies and crippling uncertainties for class action defendants, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • Strategies For Merchants As Payment Processing Costs Rise

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    As current economic pressures and rising card processing costs threaten to decrease margins for businesses, retail merchants should consider restructuring how payments are made and who processes them within the evolving legal framework, says Tom Witherspoon at Stinson.

  • 7 Areas To Watch As FTC Ends Push For A Noncompete Ban

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    ​​​​​​As the government ends its push for a nationwide noncompete ban, ​employers who do not want to be caught without protections for legitimate business interests should explore supplementing their noncompetes by deploying elements of seven practical, enforceable tools, including nondisclosure agreements and garden leave strategies, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • Shifting Crypto Landscape Complicates Tornado Cash Verdict

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    Amid shifts in the decentralized finance regulatory landscape, the mixed verdict in the prosecution of Tornado Cash’s founder may represent the high-water mark in a cryptocurrency enforcement strategy from which the U.S. Department of Justice has begun to retreat, say attorneys at Venable.

  • 5 Crisis Lawyering Skills For An Age Of Uncertainty

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    As attorneys increasingly face unprecedented and pervasive situations — from prosecutions of law enforcement officials to executive orders targeting law firms — they must develop several essential competencies of effective crisis lawyering, says Ray Brescia at Albany Law School.

  • Del. Dispatch: Chancery Expands On Caremark Red Flags

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    The Delaware Court of Chancery’s recent Brewer v. Turner decision, allowing a shareholder derivative suit against the board of Regions Bank to proceed, takes a more expansive view as to what constitutes red flags, bad faith and corporate trauma in Caremark claims, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • Compliance Tips Amid Rising FTC Scrutiny Of Minors' Privacy

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    The Federal Trade Commission has recently rolled out multiple enforcement actions related to children's privacy, highlighting a renewed focus on federal regulation of minors' personal information and the evolving challenges of establishing effective, privacy-protective age assurance solutions, say attorneys at Nelson Mullins.

  • Opinion

    It's Time For The Judiciary To Fix Its Cybersecurity Problem

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    After recent reports that hackers have once again infiltrated federal courts’ electronic case management systems, the judiciary should strengthen its cybersecurity practices in line with executive branch standards, outlining clear roles and responsibilities for execution, says Ilona Cohen at HackerOne.

  • Tips For Cos. Crafting Enforceable Online Arbitration Clauses

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    Recent rulings from the Ninth Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California indicate that courts are carefully examining the enforceability of online arbitration clauses, so businesses should review the design of their websites and consider specific language next to the "purchase" button, say attorneys at DTO Law.

  • Who Will Regulate Insider Trading In Prediction Markets?

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    The possibilities for insider trading have greatly expanded in the brave new world of prediction markets, and both the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and U.S. Department of Justice could bring enforcement actions in the space, so businesses should revisit their insider trading and confidential information policies, say attorneys at Fenwick.

  • Identifying The Sources And Impacts Of Juror Contamination

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    Jury contamination can be pervasive, so it is important that trial teams be able to spot its sources and take specific mitigation steps, says consultant Clint Townson.

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