Consumer Protection

  • January 22, 2026

    FTC Cites 'Serious Concerns' With Epic-Google Play Deal

    A settlement resolving Epic Games' antitrust lawsuit against Google that would replace the injunction Epic won against Google's Play Store controls has drawn pushback from the Federal Trade Commission, which is urging strict scrutiny of the agreement currently under the eye of an already skeptical California federal judge.

  • January 22, 2026

    Google Can't Duck Case Over Paid Search, Privacy Claims

    A California federal court has refused to toss a proposed consumer class action alleging Google's default search agreements block competition from rival search engines that could provide more privacy or even pay users to search.

  • January 22, 2026

    Ga. Financial Firm CEO Cops To $380M Ponzi Scheme

    The CEO of an Atlanta-area financial advisory group has pled guilty to conducting a $380 million Ponzi scheme, which is likely the largest in Georgia history, according to prosecutors.

  • January 22, 2026

    Md. Judge Keeps Ship Manager Liability Shield Bid Alive

    A Maryland federal judge Thursday allowed the manager of the container ship that slammed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge to press ahead, for now, with its request to invoke a nearly two-centuries-old maritime law to limit its liability for the 2024 wreck.

  • January 22, 2026

    T-Mobile Aims To Freeze Rate Action For Arbitration

    T-Mobile USA Inc. is asking a Washington federal judge to compel individual arbitration and stay a proposed class action over alleged wireless plan price hikes, arguing that customers agreed to arbitrate billing disputes and waive class claims.

  • January 22, 2026

    AGs Target Investor Advocacy Group As 'Climate Cartel'

    A group of state attorneys general led by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier issued a warning letter Wednesday to climate advocacy organization Ceres claiming concerns about violations of antitrust and consumer protection laws.

  • January 22, 2026

    Marketers Who Sold Fraudulent StraightPath Funds Plead Out

    Two New York men who hawked pre-initial public offering shares for fraud-ridden vendor StraightPath from "boiler room" sales floors pled guilty Thursday to fraud charges, after Manhattan federal prosecutors charged them with raising $185 million by duping customers.

  • January 21, 2026

    Holmes Seeks Trump Clemency For Theranos Fraud Sentence

    Former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes has asked President Donald Trump to commute an 11-year prison sentence she's been serving for defrauding investors with bogus blood-testing technology, according to the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of the Pardon Attorney.

  • January 21, 2026

    Senate Agriculture Unveils Crypto Bill Without Dem Backing

    The chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee released the text of a proposal to expand the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's authority over crypto Wednesday evening, despite failing to reach a bipartisan agreement on the text ahead of a markup slated for next week.

  • January 21, 2026

    CVS, UnitedHealth, Express Scripts Duck PBM Antitrust Suit

    A Missouri federal judge has thrown out a proposed class action accusing the country's three largest pharmacy benefit managers — owned by CVS, UnitedHealth Group and Cigna Group — of inflating prescription costs through their rebating practices.

  • January 21, 2026

    Apple Shakes Mobile Users' Suit Over App Data Collection

    A California federal judge released Apple from a putative class action accusing it of improperly collecting mobile device users' data when they interacted with Apple's App Store, Music and other proprietary apps, finding "perplexing" contradictory allegations and other deficiencies doomed plaintiffs' claims, including those under California and Pennsylvania's wiretap laws. 

  • January 21, 2026

    Stellantis North America Didn't Thwart Ransomware, Suit Says

    An Illinois couple sued Stellantis North America in Michigan federal court on Wednesday, alleging in a proposed class action that the carmaker's lax data security practices led to a cyberattack around Christmas Day on Chrysler's database that put their Social Security numbers and other personal information in the hands of a ransomware group.

  • January 21, 2026

    Comcast's $117.5M Data Breach Deal Gets Preliminary OK

    A Pennsylvania federal judge has granted initial approval to Comcast's deal to pay $117.5 million to resolve class claims alleging the internet, TV, phone, and mobile services provider didn't take adequate cybersecurity measures to protect more than 31 million customers' sensitive information from an October 2023 cybersecurity attack.

  • January 21, 2026

    Costco Nears Settlement With Insurer Over Store Injury Claims

    A Hartford unit has reached a tentative deal with Costco to end claims that the insurer wrongfully refused defense coverage for a lawsuit by a customer allegedly hurt while trying to move a grill box at a California store, according to a Wednesday filing in Seattle federal court.

  • January 21, 2026

    Texas AG Launches Investigation Into Vaccine Incentives

    The Texas attorney general launched what it characterized as a sweeping, multi-industry investigation into financial incentives for medical providers to recommend childhood vaccines, saying providers regularly dish out vaccines that "are not proven to be safe or necessary."

  • January 21, 2026

    Schwab Nixed From DOL Enforcement Suit Against Other Firm

    A Pennsylvania federal judge on Wednesday dismissed two Schwab companies from a U.S. Department of Labor enforcement case, finding the financial services providers' participation was no longer needed in the agency's dispute against another firm.

  • January 21, 2026

    5th Circ. Leans Toward Vacating Airline Fees Disclosure Rule

    The full Fifth Circuit wanted to know Wednesday why it shouldn't just do away with a Biden-era rule requiring airlines to more clearly disclose add-on fees upfront, saying that the government seemed to be arguing that the court should just vacate the rule.

  • January 21, 2026

    Midwives Challenge Miss. Practice Limits In Antitrust Suit

    The American College of Nurse-Midwives launched a suit seeking to permanently block Mississippi rules requiring certified nurse-midwives to obtain collaboration agreements with physicians, arguing the rules unlawfully restrict competition and exacerbate public health challenges in the state.

  • January 21, 2026

    Feds Say Medicare Steering Case Meets FCA Legal Bar

    The government said Wednesday that its False Claims Act complaint accusing insurers and brokers of participating in a kickback scheme to steer customers to Medicare Advantage plans doesn't conflict with a First Circuit decision last year setting out the standard for such cases.  

  • January 21, 2026

    FTC Must 'Scale A Slick Wall' To Revive Meta Suit

    The Federal Trade Commission set itself up for a tough fight to overturn a D.C. federal judge's rejection of its lawsuit accusing Meta of monopolizing personal social media through its purchases of WhatsApp and Instagram.

  • January 21, 2026

    Feds Back Freight Broker In High Court Negligence Case

    The federal government urged the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday to hold that federal law unequivocally shields freight brokers from state-based negligence and personal injury claims, throwing its support behind broker and logistics giant C.H. Robinson in a closely watched case.

  • January 21, 2026

    FINRA Says Firm Broke Reg BI By Not Spotting Risky Trading

    The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has accused a broker-dealer and its ex-CEO of violating Regulation Best Interest by failing to identify suspicious, excessive trading in a customer account by a representative of the firm, causing the client $1.2 million in losses.

  • January 21, 2026

    FCC Warns Shows To Follow Political 'Equal Opportunity' Reg

    The Federal Communications Commission cautioned TV broadcasters Wednesday that no exemption has been found that would let talk shows get around the agency's political equal opportunity rules.

  • January 21, 2026

    Google Likely Stuck With $425M Loss, But Bid For $3B Flops

    A California federal judge overseeing a class action accusing Google of illegally collecting information from 98 million cellphone users said Wednesday that he probably will not let Google decertify the class, but he is also unlikely to add $2.36 billion in alleged wrongful profits on top of a jury's $425 million verdict.

  • January 21, 2026

    AI Recruiting Co. Eightfold Sued Over Job Applicant 'Dossiers'

    Job applicants have hit Eightfold AI with a proposed class action in California court, alleging the artificial intelligence company's business model violates longstanding consumer protection statutes by using "opaque" closely guarded AI algorithms to scrape personal data and generate "dossiers" on job applicants for major employers without applicants' knowledge or consent.

Expert Analysis

  • How Financial Cos. Can Prep As NYDFS Cyber Changes Loom

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    Financial institutions supervised by the New York State Department of Financial Services can prepare for two critical cybersecurity requirements relating to multifactor authentication and asset inventories, effective Nov. 1, by conducting gap analyses and allocating resources to high-risk assets, among other steps, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: 3 Tips On Finding The Right Job

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    After 23 years as a state and federal prosecutor, when I contemplated moving to a law firm, practicing solo or going in-house, I found there's a critical first step — deep self-reflection on what you truly want to do and where your strengths lie, says Rachael Jones at McKool Smith.

  • Strategies For Defending Banks In Elder Abuse Cases

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    Several recent cases demonstrate that banks have plenty of tools to defend against claims they were complicit in financial abuse of older adults, but financial institutions should also continue to educate customers about third-party scams before they happen, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • AG Watch: Va. Race Spotlights Consumer Protection Priorities

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    Ahead of the state's attorney general election, Virginia companies should assess how either candidate's approach could affect their compliance posture, with incumbent Jason Miyares promising a business-friendly atmosphere that prioritizes public safety and challenger Jay Jones pledging to focus on economic justice and corporate accountability, says Chuck Slemp at Cozen O’Connor.

  • A Look At Project Crypto's Plans For Digital Asset Regulation

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    U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins' recent announcement of Project Crypto, an agencywide initiative to modernize federal securities regulations, signals a significant shift toward a more flexible regulatory framework that would shape the future of the U.S. digital asset market, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Breaking Down The Intersection Of Right-Of-Publicity Law, AI

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    Jillian Taylor at Blank Rome examines how existing right-of-publicity law governs artificial intelligence-generated voice-overs, deepfakes and deadbots; highlights a recent New York federal court ruling involving AI-generated voice clones; and offers practical guardrails for using AI without violating the right of publicity.

  • Series

    Painting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Painting trains me to see both the fine detail and the whole composition at once, enabling me to identify friction points while keeping sight of a client's bigger vision, but the most significant lesson I've brought to my legal work has been the value of originality, says Jana Gouchev at Gouchev Law.

  • NY AML Rules Get Crypto Rebrand: What It Means For Banks

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    A recent letter from the New York State Department of Financial Services outlining how banks can use blockchain analytics in anti-money laundering efforts is a reminder that crypto activity is not exempted from banks' role in keeping the financial system safe, says Katherine Lemire at Lankler Siffert.

  • What's At Stake At High Court For Presidential Removal Power

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    Two pending U.S. Supreme Court cases —Trump v. Slaughter and Trump v. Cook — raise fundamental questions about the constitutional separation of powers, threaten the 90-year-old precedent of Humphrey's Executor v. U.S. and will determine the president's authority to control independent federal agencies, says Kolya Glick at Arnold & Porter.

  • 3 Trends From AI-Related Securities Class Action Dismissals

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    A review of recently dismissed securities class actions centering on artificial intelligence highlights courts' scrutiny of statements about AI's capabilities and independence, and sustained focus on issues that aren't AI-specific, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • 5 Evolving Marketing Risks That Finance Cos. Should Watch

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    Financial services providers should beware several areas where consumer protection regulators are broadening their scrutiny of modern marketing practices, such as the use of influencer testimonials or advertisements touting artificial intelligence-powered products, so they can better adapt to changing expectations for compliance, say attorneys at Hinshaw.

  • CFTC, SEC Joint Statement Highlights New Unity On Crypto

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's recent joint statement announcing a cross-agency initiative enabling certain spot crypto-asset products to trade on regulated exchanges is the earliest and most visible instance of interagency cooperation on crypto regulation, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Understanding And Managing Jurors' Hindsight Bias

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    Hindsight bias — wherein events seem more predictable after the fact than they were beforehand — presents a persistent cognitive distortion in jury decision-making, but attorneys can mitigate its effects at trial through awareness, repetition and framing, say consultants at Courtroom Sciences.

  • Hybrid Claims In Antitrust Disputes Spark Coverage Battles

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    Antitrust litigation increasingly includes claims for breach of warranty, product liability or state consumer protection violations, complicating insurers' reliance on exclusions as courts analyze whether these are antitrust claims in disguise, says Jameson Pasek at Caldwell Law.

  • EU-US Data Transfer Ruling Offers Reassurance To Cos.

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    The European Union General Court’s recent upholding of the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework in Latombe v. European Commission, although subject to appeal, provides companies with legal certainty for the first time by allowing the transfer of European Economic Area personal data without relying on alternative mechanisms, say lawyers at Wilson Sonsini.

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