Consumer Protection

  • February 19, 2026

    CIT Orders Reconsideration Of Fujifilm Co.'s Industry Status

    The U.S. International Trade Commission must redo its determination that a U.S. subsidiary of Fujifilm qualifies as a domestic producer for purposes of finding domestic industry has been harmed by imports from Japan and China, the U.S. Court of International Trade said.

  • February 19, 2026

    Ga. Appeals Court Weighs Kratom Seller's Liability

    A Georgia appellate court on Thursday gave little indication on whether it would reverse a trial court's grant of summary judgment to a kratom distributor whose customer died after consuming one of its products.

  • February 19, 2026

    'Sealed Container' Defense Sinks Exploding Battery Suit

    A North Carolina appeals panel won't revive a man's suit against a retailer and distributor alleging he was sold a defective lithium-ion battery that exploded in his pocket, saying all his claims are blocked by the sealed container defense.

  • February 19, 2026

    BakerHostetler Adds Contaminants Pro From DLA Piper

    BakerHostetler announced on Thursday that it has brought a San Francisco-based attorney from DLA Piper onto its product liability and toxic tort and environmental teams, calling him "one of the country's leading emerging contaminants litigators."

  • February 18, 2026

    Genetic Testing Co.'s Acquisition Draws Privacy Suit

    Healthcare technology company Tempus AI illegally compelled a genetic testing company to disclose its "massive trove" of genetic data through acquisition and then further disclosed affected individuals' private data to other companies without consent, an Illinois mother told a federal court.

  • February 18, 2026

    Smith & Wesson Gets Suit Over Tracking Cookies Pared Down

    A California federal judge has cut state wiretap law and several other claims from a proposed class action accusing Smith & Wesson of illegally gathering browsing data from website visitors who rejected the use of tracking cookies, while preserving allegations that the firearm manufacturer facilitated third parties' privacy intrusions.

  • February 18, 2026

    Birkin Bag Fans Appeal Hermès' 'Predetermined' Antitrust Win

    Shoppers urged the Ninth Circuit Wednesday to revive their proposed class action accusing Hermès of illegally tying the sale of its iconic Birkin handbags to other expensive luxury items, arguing that the lower court erroneously "predetermined" the outcome of their case even before they filed their latest complaint.

  • February 18, 2026

    Zuckerberg Testifies That Social Media Doesn't Harm Teens

    Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the stand Wednesday in a landmark California bellwether trial on claims his company and Google's YouTube harm children's mental health, saying the current scientific literature shows no causal link between social media and teens' mental health.

  • February 18, 2026

    Trans Health Org Sues To End 'Unconstitutional' FTC Inquiry

    The World Professional Association for Transgender Health on Wednesday sued over the Federal Trade Commission's recent consumer protection investigation into the major transgender medical group, claiming the probe is an unconstitutional attack aimed at undermining access to gender-affirming care.

  • February 18, 2026

    Duke Energy's $17M Fuel Cost Recovery Improper, Panel Says

    The North Carolina Utilities Commission was wrong to let Duke Energy recover over $17 million in fuel costs two years after they were incurred, a North Carolina appeals court panel ruled Wednesday, finding that a statute permits utilities to recover only the fuel costs incurred during a one-year "lookback period."

  • February 18, 2026

    Education Dept. Faces Suit Alleging Double Loan Reporting

    The U.S. Department of Education has been causing student loan balances to appear doubled on borrowers' credit reports, a New York resident alleged in a proposed class action filed Wednesday in New York federal court, saying her $150,000 total loan balance was reported at $300,000.

  • February 18, 2026

    Blue Shield Of Calif. Says 'Ghost Network' Action Falls Flat

    Trouble finding a mental health care therapist is unfortunate but not something that an entire class action can be based on, argued Blue Shield of California, urging a federal judge to dismiss a suit accusing the company of maintaining a "ghost network" directory of providers who don't exist or don't accept new patients.

  • February 18, 2026

    Halfday's 'Gut Healthy' Teas Aren't That Gut Healthy, Suit Says

    Halfday was hit with a proposed class action in New York federal court on Tuesday, alleging it deceptively advertises its iced teas as having "prebiotic benefits" despite the fact that they only contain six grams of soluble fiber, which is unlikely to have any meaningful effect on consumers' gut health.

  • February 18, 2026

    Robinhood Clears Fla. AG Probe Of Crypto Platform Marketing

    Robinhood Markets Inc. told investors on Wednesday that Florida's attorney general has closed an investigation into the marketing practices of its crypto trading arm, ending a probe that had scrutinized whether the company misled customers about trading costs.

  • February 18, 2026

    Government Drops Case Over Referrals-For-Kickback Scheme

    A Texas federal judge tossed an indictment accusing about a dozen physicians and pharmacists of running a sprawling patient referral scheme, ending allegations that the pharmacists gave the doctors kickbacks in exchange for expensive prescriptions fillable at specific pharmacies.

  • February 18, 2026

    Live Nation Antitrust Claims Heading To Trial

    A New York federal judge on Wednesday refused a bid from Live Nation Entertainment Inc. to avoid a looming trial in a case from the U.S. Department of Justice and state enforcers accusing it of monopolizing the live entertainment industry.

  • February 18, 2026

    Live Nation Can't Exit Suit Over Fatal Music Festival Shooting

    A lawsuit against Live Nation over two concertgoers' deaths in a 2023 shooting at the Beyond Wonderland music festival will move forward following a Washington state judge's rejection of the entertainment giant's argument that the event was unforeseeable.

  • February 18, 2026

    BofA Military Interest Cap Suit Should Be Tossed, Judge Says

    A North Carolina federal judge has recommended tossing a proposed class action accusing Bank of America of violating an interest cap law for military service members, saying the veteran plaintiffs have failed to allege any actual violations of federal or state law.

  • February 18, 2026

    Trump Admin Doubles Down At DC Circ. In Fight Over CFPB

    The Trump administration has pressed the D.C. Circuit to lift an injunction barring mass layoffs at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, slamming it as a "sweeping intrusion" on agency management that rests on incorrect speculation about what the end goal is.

  • February 18, 2026

    Reddit Must Face Privacy Suit Over LiveRamp Tracker

    Reddit lost its bid to nix a proposed class action alleging the social media platform violated a California privacy statute by placing a LiveRamp tracker on its website to gather visitor information for targeted advertising, after a federal judge ruled Tuesday that the tracker is plausibly a "pen register" under state law.

  • February 18, 2026

    DOJ Allowed To Dictate Pay, Term Of Google Search Watchers

    A D.C. federal judge sided with the U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday regarding the key terms of service for the five-member technical committee tasked with observing Google's compliance with mandates to prop up rival search engines with search results and data.

  • February 18, 2026

    FCC Pulls 'Zombies' Named By Inspector General Off Lifeline

    The Federal Communications Commission's chief said Wednesday that people wrongly enrolled in Lifeline as identified by the FCC inspector general have been removed from the telecom subsidy program, amid the FCC floating reforms to tamp down fraud.

  • February 18, 2026

    Mass. Judge Won't Let DraftKings Off Hook In Bonus Suit

    A Massachusetts state judge has refused an early win to DraftKings on claims it ran a misleading promotion for new users of its online sportsbook, with the judge excluding from consideration after-the-fact re-creations of how the fine print was displayed to users. 

  • February 18, 2026

    Judge Rejects FTC's Emergency Bid To Spare Merger Rule

    The Federal Trade Commission has just until Thursday to obtain Fifth Circuit intervention after a Texas federal judge refused Wednesday to extend his seven-day pause on the order scrapping the agency's premerger reporting overhaul.

  • February 18, 2026

    Social Media Cos. Can't Nix Experts In Schools' Health Trial

    The California federal judge overseeing multidistrict litigation claiming social media harms kids' mental health denied bids by Meta, TikTok, Google and SnapChat to block six experts' testimony on the alleged disruption and costs to school districts from a June bellwether trial over a Kentucky school district's claims.

Expert Analysis

  • False Ad Suit Shows Need For Clear, Conspicuous Disclosure

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    The Eleventh Circuit's recent false advertising decision in Federal Trade Commission v. Corpay reiterated the FTC's guidance imploring advertisers to ensure that any disclosures are clear and conspicuous to consumers, providing companies with numerous lessons about truthful advertising and highlighting some common disclosure pitfalls to avoid, says Michael Justus at Carlton Fields.

  • How Generative AI Cos. Can Navigate Product Liability Claims

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    Increasingly, plaintiffs are aggregating disputes over generative artificial intelligence and pursuing them through mass-tort-style proceedings, borrowing tactics from litigation involving social media, pharmaceuticals and other consumer-facing products — but there are approaches that AI companies can use to narrow claims and manage long-term exposure, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • And Now A Word From The Panel: MDL Year In Review

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    2025 was a roller coaster for the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, with the panel canceling one hearing session due to the absence of new MDL petitions, yet also issuing rulings on more new MDL petitions than in 2024 — making it clear that MDLs are still thriving, says Alan Rothman at Sidley Austin.

  • Digital Assets May Be In For A Growth Spurt In 2026

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    All signs point to an acceleration in digital asset product and service innovation throughout 2026, and while questions of first impression still need to be addressed, some legal issues will be clarified, spurring developments namely on the tokenization and stablecoin fronts, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Series

    Judges On AI: How Judicial Use Informs Guardrails

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    U.S. Magistrate Judge Maritza Dominguez Braswell at the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado discusses why having a sense of how generative AI tools behave, where they add value, where they introduce risk and how they are reshaping the practice of law is key for today's judges.

  • What Businesses Offering AI Should Expect From The FTC

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    The Federal Trade Commission's move to reopen and set aside an administrative order against Rytr shows that the FTC is serious about executing on the administration's Artificial Intelligence Action Plan, and won't stand in the way of businesses offering AI products with pro-consumer, legitimate uses, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • Lessons From EdTech Provider's Data Breach Settlements

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    Education technology company Illuminate Education's recent settlements with three states and the Federal Trade Commission over state privacy law claims following a student data breach are some of the first of their kind, suggesting a shift in enforcement focus to how companies handle student data and highlighting the potential for coordinated enforcement actions, say attorneys at Wilson Sonsini.

  • State Of Insurance: Q4 Notes From Pennsylvania

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    Last quarter in Pennsylvania, a Superior Court ruling underscored the centrality of careful policy drafting and judicial scrutiny of exclusionary language, and another provided practical guidance on the calculation of attorney fees and interest in bad faith cases, while a proposed bill endeavored to cover insurance gaps for homeowners, says Todd Leon at Marshall Dennehey.

  • Cybersecurity Must Remain Financial Sector's Focus In 2026

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    In 2026, financial institutions face a wave of more prescriptive cybersecurity legal requirements demanding clearer governance, faster incident reporting, and stronger oversight of third-party and AI-driven risks, making it crucial to understand these issues before they materialize into crises, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: 5 Tips From Ex-SEC Unit Chief

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    My move to private practice has reaffirmed my belief in the value of adaptability, collaboration and strategic thinking — qualities that are essential not only for successful client outcomes, but also for sustained professional satisfaction, says Dabney O’Riordan at Fried Frank.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: How To Start A Law Firm

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    Launching and sustaining a law firm requires skills most law schools don't teach, but every lawyer should understand a few core principles that can make the leap calculated rather than reckless, says Sam Katz at Athlaw.

  • 5 Compliance Takeaways From FINRA's Oversight Report

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    The priorities outlined in the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority's recently released annual oversight report focus on the organization's core mission of protecting investors, with AI being the sole new topic area, but financial firms can expect further reforms aimed at efficiency and modernization, say attorneys at Armstrong Teasdale.

  • Key False Claims Act Trends From The Last Year

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    The False Claims Act remains a powerful enforcement tool after some record verdicts and settlements in 2025, and while traditional fraud areas remain a priority, new initiatives are raising questions about its expanding application, says Veronica Nannis at Joseph Greenwald.

  • Reel Justice: 'Die My Love' And The Power Of Visuals At Trial

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    The powerful use of imagery to capture the protagonist’s experience of postpartum depression in “Die My Love” reminds attorneys that visuals at trial can persuade jurors more than words alone, so they should strategically wield a new federal evidence rule allowing for illustrative aids, says Veronica Finkelstein at Wilmington University.

  • How Payments Law Landscape Will Evolve In 2026

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    After a year of change across the payments landscape, financial services providers should expect more innovation and the pushing of regulatory boundaries, but should stay mindful that state regulators and litigation will continue to challenge the status quo, say attorneys at Troutman.

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