Consumer Protection

  • February 12, 2025

    Google Must Face Wiretapping Suit Over AI-Powered Assistant

    A California federal judge has refused to toss a proposed class action accusing Google of using a "human-like" customer-service product powered by artificial intelligence to illegally eavesdrop on users' calls with Hulu, Verizon and others, finding the consumers adequately allege Google is a third party that can benefit from the data.

  • February 12, 2025

    Conn. Opposes Bankrupt Prospect Medical's 'Plunder'

    Prospect Medical Holdings Inc. must be held accountable for harm that the hospital operator caused in Connecticut, but first, its three facilities in the state need to quickly transition to new ownership, the offices of the attorney general and the governor told a Dallas bankruptcy judge.

  • February 12, 2025

    House GOP Eyes Medicaid Cuts, Work Requirements

    House Republicans set their sights on potential cuts and changes to Medicaid on Wednesday, arguing Congress and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency should target improper payments, institute work requirements and repeal a Biden-era rule that made enrolling in the federal healthcare program easier. 

  • February 12, 2025

    Meta User Antitrust Suit Gets Nov. 17 Trial Date

    A California federal judge has set a Nov. 17 trial date for accusations that Meta monopolized the social media advertising market weeks after he declined to certify a class of Facebook users that would have numbered in the millions.

  • February 12, 2025

    Sidley Litigator Tapped For Treasury GC Post

    President Donald Trump has nominated Sidley Austin LLP regulatory litigation and white collar partner Brian P. Morrissey to become the U.S. Department of the Treasury's top lawyer, which would mark a return to the department where he was previously the number two lawyer.

  • February 12, 2025

    Trump's Picks For CFPB, OCC Chiefs Hailed By Industry

    President Donald Trump has tapped Jonathan McKernan, formerly of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau full time, part of a slate of top financial regulatory nominees that has many in industry breathing a sigh of relief.  

  • February 11, 2025

    Trump Tells Agencies To Plan 'Large-Scale' Cuts With Musk

    President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday that directs agencies to prepare for "large-scale" cuts to the federal workforce and gives Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency the authority to approve the future hiring of career officials.

  • February 11, 2025

    Wash. Health Privacy Law Debuts In Amazon Tracking Suit

    A Washington resident has launched the first claims under the state's groundbreaking health privacy law, as part of a proposed class action accusing Amazon of unlawfully harvesting location data from tens of millions of mobile phone users through third-party apps that are running the company's software development kit. 

  • February 11, 2025

    Calif.'s Insurance Safety Net Gets $1B Infusion For Fire Claims

    California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has signed off on $1 billion in additional funding for California's FAIR Plan, the state's insurer of last resort, to ensure the plan can keep paying consumer claims to survivors of the Southern California wildfires, according to an order issued Tuesday.

  • February 11, 2025

    Kratom Producers Hid 'Addictive' Risks, Consumers Say

    Companies that make kratom are facing a proposed class action in New York federal court over sales of kratom, standing accused of not disclosing that the substance is just as addictive as opioids.

  • February 11, 2025

    ​​​​​​​FCC's Subsidy Fund Like 'Bureaucrat's Dream,' Justices Told

    A free-market litigation group urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday to overturn the Federal Communications Commission's fee system to support telecom subsidies, comparing the regime to an out-of-control IRS with unbridled taxing powers.

  • February 11, 2025

    Justices Ponder If Colo. Climate Case Would Open Floodgates

    Colorado justices on Tuesday asked a city and county seeking damages against ExxonMobil and Suncor over the local impacts of climate change why such suits don't amount to an attempt to regulate the oil and gas industry, with one justice saying he has "practical concerns" about more municipalities bringing novel climate tort claims.

  • February 11, 2025

    Alaska Airlines Sued Over Alleged In-Flight Sexual Assault

    A passenger has sued Alaska Airlines seeking to recover damages in the wake of an alleged sexual assault aboard a 2023 flight from Seattle to Honolulu, according to a complaint filed in Washington state court.

  • February 11, 2025

    Progressive Inks $3.25M Data Breach Deal With 350K Members

    Approximately 350,000 Progressive Casualty Insurance customers on Tuesday asked an Ohio federal judge to grant final approval to a $3.25 million settlement stemming from a data breach event that exposed their personal information, noting the resolution is a favorable outcome, given the risks to their claims if litigation continued.

  • February 11, 2025

    Monsanto Loses Attempt To Overturn $1.25M Roundup Award

    A Missouri appellate court on Tuesday refused Monsanto's request to overturn a $1.25 million award to a man who claimed Roundup weed killer caused his cancer, leaning on reasoning from several other state and federal appeals courts that favored consumers over the company.

  • February 11, 2025

    Novo Nordisk Mostly Escapes Insulin Pen Contamination Suit

    Novo Nordisk has, for now, beaten much of a Connecticut-based hospital's federal lawsuit seeking to hold it financially responsible for the $1 million settlement the hospital paid to patients potentially exposed to blood-borne infections after the medical staff used the pharma company's product.

  • February 11, 2025

    PFAS Litigation Finds A New Frontier: Consumer Products

    Smartwatch wristbands, adhesive bandages, tampons and juice containers — what do they all have in common? In a growing trend, plaintiffs attorneys allege the products contain toxic forever chemicals and that manufacturers misled consumers about it.

  • February 11, 2025

    9th Circ. Doubts X Plaintiff Can Revive Phone Data Suit

    A Ninth Circuit panel on Tuesday questioned whether a lawsuit targeting social platform X could be revived and remanded to state court, with one judge suggesting circuit precedent established a privacy right that keeps the case in federal court, and another saying the lower court had "broad discretion" in deciding to dismiss the case.

  • February 11, 2025

    Monsanto PCB Appeal Seems To Divide Wash. High Court

    Thorny choice-of-law issues seemingly divided the Washington State Supreme Court during oral arguments Tuesday, with one justice suggesting that the teachers who brought suit are relying on "forum-shopping" to reinstate a $185 million win against Monsanto, and another saying the company's stance violates state law intended to hold corporations accountable for harming citizens.

  • February 11, 2025

    FTC Says Small Stores Pay Southern Glazer's Up To 67% More

    The Federal Trade Commission's price discrimination case against Southern Glazer's accuses the wine and spirits distributor of routinely charging small retailers up to 67% more for the same products as large chain stores, according to newly unsealed redactions.

  • February 11, 2025

    FTC Bureau Heads Include DOJ Alum With Big Tech Mandate

    The Federal Trade Commission named its new competition and consumer protection bureau chiefs Monday, tapping for its top competition enforcer the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division's civil conduct head, praised specifically for his "experience taking on Big Tech."

  • February 11, 2025

    Insurer Says $641M Deal Over Tainted Flint Water Not Covered

    An insurer told a Michigan federal court Tuesday that it shouldn't have to pay any part of a $641 million settlement reached by a Flint, Michigan, medical center on behalf of patients who supposedly suffered from legionella and lead exposure because of unclean drinking water in the facility.

  • February 11, 2025

    Fla. Judge OKs $7M Deal In Health Data Breach Class Action

    A Florida federal judge Tuesday granted final approval of a $7 million class action settlement as part of multidistrict litigation over the theft of personal information from millions of U.S. citizens in a health data breach linked to a Russian ransomware group.

  • February 11, 2025

    Olaplex Can't Escape IPO Investors' Formula Change Suit

    Olaplex and some of its executives must face investor claims that the company's initial public offering documents did not disclose the European Union had banned a controversial ingredient known as lilial, which would impact Olaplex's main product offering, but the IPO underwriters and selling stockholders were allowed to escape the suit.

  • February 11, 2025

    End 'Cableopoly' Over Broadband Consumers, 5G Groups Say

    Mobile industry groups formed a coalition this week to combat what they say are cable industry tactics meant to keep wireless companies from amassing enough spectrum to fully compete in and bring newer services to the home broadband market.

Expert Analysis

  • Drug Pricing Policy Trends To Expect In 2025 And Beyond

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    Though 2025 may bring more of the same in the realm of drug pricing policy, business as usual entails a sustained, high level of legal and policy developments across at least six major areas, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • The Tides Are Changing For Fair Access Banking Laws

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    The landscape of fair access banking laws, which seek to prevent banks from denying services based on individuals' ideological beliefs, has shifted in the last few years, but a new presidential administration provides renewed momentum for advancing such legislation against the backdrop of state efforts, say attorneys at Latham.

  • Imagine The Possibilities Of Openly Autistic Lawyering

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    Andi Mazingo at Lumen Law, who was diagnosed with autism about midway through her career, discusses how the legal profession can create inclusive workplaces that empower openly autistic lawyers and enhance innovation, and how neurodivergent attorneys can navigate the challenges and opportunities that come with disclosing one’s diagnosis.

  • Opinion

    How Congress Can Stem Consumer Finance Law Uncertainty

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    In the face of rising uncertainty about consumer finance laws that are based largely on fluctuating administrative rules, Congress should cement certain existing laws into statute and clarify federal agencies' delegations of authority, say attorneys at Bradley Arant.

  • Why Trump's FTC May Not U-Turn On Robinson-Patman

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent revival of Robinson-Patman Act enforcement may well be here to stay under the Trump administration — albeit with some important caveats for businesses caught in the government's crosshairs, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • Opinion

    Courts Should Nix Conferencing Rule In 1 Discovery Scenario

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    Parties are generally required to meet and confer to resolve a discovery dispute before bringing a related motion, but courts should dispense with this conferencing requirement when a party fails to specify a time by which it will complete its production, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law.

  • 4 Keys To Litigating In An Active Regulatory Environment

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    For companies facing litigation influenced by government regulatory action — a recent trend that a politically charged atmosphere will exacerbate — there are a few principles that can help to align litigation strategy with broader public positioning in the regulatory and oversight context, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Series

    Documentary Filmmaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Becoming a documentary filmmaker has allowed me to merge my legal expertise with my passion for storytelling, and has helped me to hone negotiation, critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are important to both endeavors, says Robert Darwell at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Litigation Funding Disclosure Debate: Strategy Considerations

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    In the ongoing debate over whether courts should require disclosure of litigation funding, funders and plaintiffs tend to argue against such mandates, but voluntarily disclosing limited details about a funding arrangement can actually confer certain benefits to plaintiffs in some scenarios, say Andrew Stulce and Marc Cavan at Longford Capital.

  • A Look At Shifting Legal Landscape For Data Brokers

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    An increasingly complex legal landscape at both the federal and state levels has expanded the types of businesses classified as data brokers, so consumer-facing businesses should consider their designations under these new regulations and any consequences for compliance and business operations, say attorneys at Morrison Foerster.

  • Understanding Risks Of Celebrities 'Hawking' Crypto Tokens

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    Prominent social media personality Haliey Welch was recently sued over the promotion and sale of the Hawk Tuah cryptocurrency memecoin, underscoring the importance of public figures conducting due diligence to verify they aren't endorsing a token that is in fact a security, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • State AG Enforcement Is Poised For Another Pivot In 2025

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    Backed by a Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, the Trump administration intends to make substantial policy changes, and attorneys general of both parties around the country are preparing their response playbooks, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • The Implications Of E-Cigarette Cos. Taking Suits To 5th Circ.

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    The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in U.S. Food and Drug Administration v. R.J. Reynolds over the definition of an "adversely affected" person under the Tobacco Control Act, and the justices' ruling will have important and potentially wide-ranging implications for forum shopping claims, says Trillium Chang at Zuckerman Spaeder.

  • Del. Dispatch: Lessons From Failed Albertsons-Kroger Merger

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    The allegations in Albertsons' lawsuit against Kroger following the grocery stores' blocked merger demonstrate how a target company can best ensure that a buyer timely and effectively complies with its obligations to pursue the necessary regulatory approvals for a deal, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • Series

    Adventure Photography Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Photographing nature everywhere from Siberia to Cuba and Iceland to Rwanda provides me with a constant reminder to refresh, refocus and rethink the legal issues that my clients face, says Richard Birmingham at Davis Wright.

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