Consumer Protection

  • 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.

  • June 18, 2025

    FDA Says Vape Co.'s Suit Doesn't Merit Jury Trial

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration told a Texas federal court a company that allegedly sold illegal vapes does not have the right to a jury trial, saying that Congress expressly created administrative proceedings for infractions such as the one the company allegedly committed.

  • June 18, 2025

    Mississippi Social Media Law Blocked Again By Federal Judge

    A Mississippi federal judge reinstated a preliminary injunction Wednesday that blocks a state law requiring digital service providers to verify users' ages and social media platforms to acquire parental consent for a minor's account, preventing it from taking effect after the Fifth Circuit lifted the court's previous injunction.

Expert Analysis

  • Implications Of Kid Privacy Rule Revamp For Parents, Cos.

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent amendments to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act will expand protections for children online, meaning parents will have greater control over their children's data and tech companies must potentially change their current privacy practices — or risk noncompliance, say attorneys at Labaton Keller.

  • 2 Practical Ways For Banks To Battle Elder Financial Abuse

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    Federal regulators' recent statement raising awareness of elder financial exploitation provides a useful catalog of techniques that banks can employ to fight fraud, particularly encouraging older account holders to establish trusted contacts and sharing timely warnings about the latest scams with customers, say attorneys at Nutter.

  • Examining Trump Meme Coin And SEC's Crypto Changes

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    While the previous U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission tended to view most crypto-assets as securities, the tide is rapidly changing, and hopefully the long-needed reevaluation of this regulatory framework is not tarnished by an arguable conflict of interest due to President Donald Trump's affiliation with the $Trump meme coin, say attorneys at Thompson Coburn.

  • A Look At The Student Loan Case Pending At Supreme Court

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    The Trump administration is likely to drop the U.S. Supreme Court case of U.S. Department of Education v. Career Colleges and Schools of Texas after its review of the 2022 borrower defense to repayment rule, but any outcome will be significant for institutions participating in programs covered by Title IV of the Higher Education Act, say attorneys at Duane Morris.

  • Recent Cases Suggest ESG Means 'Ever-Shifting Guidelines'

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    U.S. courts have recently handed down a number of contradictory decisions on important environmental, social and governance issues, adding to an already complex mix of conflicting political priorities, new laws and changing regulatory guidance — but there are steps that companies can take to minimize risk, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

  • New HSR Rules Augur A Deeper Antitrust Review By Agencies

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    After some initial uncertainty, the new Hart-Scott-Rodino Act rules did go into effect last month, and though their increased information requirements create greater initial burdens for merging parties, the rules should lead to greater certainty and predictability through a more efficient and effective review process, says Craig Malam at Edgeworth Economics.

  • New Fla. Financial Abuse Law May See Limited Buy-In

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    Florida's newly effective financial protection law comes with compliance burdens and uncertainties that could discourage financial institutions from participating, even though the law aims to shield them from liability for delaying transactions when they suspect exploitation of elderly and vulnerable account holders, say attorneys at Shutts & Bowen.

  • What To Know About Insurance Coverage For Greenwashing

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    As the number of public and private lawsuits relating to greenwashing dramatically grows, risk managers of companies making environmental claims should look to several types of insurance for coverage in the event of a suit, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • 7 Tips For Associates To Thrive In Hybrid Work Environments

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    As the vast majority of law firms have embraced some type of hybrid work policy, associates should consider a few strategies to get the most out of both their in-person and remote workdays, says James Argionis at Cozen O’Connor.

  • Series

    Playing Beach Volleyball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My commitment to beach volleyball has become integral to my performance as an attorney, with the sport continually reminding me that teamwork, perseverance, professionalism and stress management are essential to both undertakings, says Amy Drushal at Trenam.

  • Considering The Future Of AI Regulation On Health Sector

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    As Texas looks to become the next state to pass a comprehensive law regulating artificial intelligence, the healthcare industry should consider how AI regulation will continue to evolve in the U.S. and how industry members can keep up with compliance considerations, say attorneys at Kirkland & Ellis.

  • 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.

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