Consumer Protection

  • May 14, 2026

    Rural Carrier To Pay $80K For Breaking FCC Rules

    A rural telephone company in Colorado has agreed to pay $80,000 and create a compliance plan to resolve a Federal Communications Commission probe into whether it provided unauthorized service.

  • May 14, 2026

    2nd Circ. Backs 20-Year Stretch For Forcount Fraudster

    The Second Circuit on Thursday affirmed a 20-year sentence for an Ecuadorian man from Florida who pushed the $14 million, international Forcount cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme, concluding that "any error" from a broadcast of the sentencing did not impact the outcome.

  • May 14, 2026

    Volkswagen Hit With Class Claims Over EV Battery Fire Risk

    Volkswagen has been hit with a proposed class action in New Jersey federal court alleging that tens of thousands of its ID.4 electric vehicles contain defective high-voltage batteries that can spontaneously catch fire because of misaligned electrodes.

  • May 14, 2026

    New Bill Would Ban Chinese Point-Of-Sale Tech For DOD

    The U.S. Department of Defense would be banned from using any Chinese-made point-of-sale technology — devices like those that allow people to tap their cards to pay — in its buildings, if one Republican congressman gets his way.

  • May 14, 2026

    Water Utilities Urge DC Circ. To Toss EPA PFAS Regs Suit

    A trade association for local public clean water utilities is urging the D.C. Circuit to affirm the dismissal of a suit from a group of farmers alleging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency hasn't adequately regulated so-called forever chemicals, saying the plaintiffs' suit risks interfering with their ability to do their jobs.

  • May 14, 2026

    Senate Banking Committee Advances Landmark Crypto Bill

    The latest version of a bill to regulate crypto markets advanced out of the Senate banking committee on Thursday in a vote that saw two Democrats break with their colleagues to support the measure, though they warned their continued support of the so-called Clarity Act is contingent upon adding ethics language and other updates before the bill reaches the Senate floor.

  • May 14, 2026

    'Pig Butchering' Crypto Scam Victim Seeks $962K From IRS

    An Ohio man told a district court that the Internal Revenue Service wrongly denied his tax deduction claim for a loss of over $800,000 from a cryptocurrency "pig butchering" scheme despite the extensive documentation of the fraud he said he provided to the agency.

  • May 14, 2026

    Chinese Steel Exporter Hit With 150% Duty Following Review

    The U.S. Department of Commerce on Thursday more than doubled the preliminarily determined antidumping duty for a Chinese exporter of steel cylinders to over 150% after it failed to fully comply with a review.

  • May 14, 2026

    Justices Say Freight Brokers Can Face Negligence Suits

    The U.S. Supreme Court said Thursday that freight brokers might also be liable under state law for selecting unsafe motor carriers that then get into highway crashes that kill or injure people, offering long-sought clarity on liability standards in a commercial trucking industry unnerved by supersized verdicts against carriers and drivers.

  • May 13, 2026

    Microsoft Exec Backed OpenAI Deal Amid Concerns, Jury Told

    Microsoft's chief technology officer testified in a California federal jury trial Wednesday over Elon Musk's challenge to OpenAI's for-profit conversion, recalling that he proposed Microsoft invest significant resources into OpenAI's for-profit arm to stay competitive despite his initial concerns over whether OpenAI's nonprofit donors had agreed to the for-profit partnership.

  • May 13, 2026

    Dems Target Ethics, Illicit Finance In Crypto Bill Amendments

    Lawmakers have offered over 100 amendments ahead of the Senate banking committee's Thursday markup of its latest proposal to regulate crypto markets, with Democrats proposing the lion's share of changes in an effort to add ethics language and beef up provisions addressing crypto's use in illicit finance.

  • May 13, 2026

    Columbia Bank Didn't Encrypt Client Data, Class Action Says

    A Columbia Bank customer whose personal information was allegedly compromised in a 2025 data breach filed a proposed class action Tuesday in Seattle federal court, accusing the bank of failing to follow federal cybersecurity guidance and industry best practices, including encrypting details such as clients' Social Security numbers and account numbers.

  • May 13, 2026

    Entertainment Website 'Tester' Can Proceed With Tracking Suit

    A California federal judge has refused to toss a proposed class action accusing Anschutz Entertainment Group of illegally using tracking tools that transmitted website visitors' data to third parties, finding that two of the plaintiff's three wiretap and privacy claims could move forward and that her status as a website "tester" did not preclude her from pressing the suit.

  • May 13, 2026

    Oversight Bill For FCC's High Cost Program Signed Into Law

    The Rural Broadband Protection Act, which aims to establish a vetting process for internet service providers who are taking part in the Federal Communications Commission's "high cost" program, has finally made it into law after being filed several times over the last couple of years.

  • May 13, 2026

    'Powerful' Risk For Women Using Talc, UC Prof Tells Jury

    An epidemiology professor at the University of California, San Francisco testified Wednesday in a Los Angeles bellwether trial over claims Johnson & Johnson's talc products caused deadly ovarian cancer in three women, saying there are multiple studies concluding the product increases the risk of the disease, including one finding a "very powerful" risk.

  • May 13, 2026

    Roblox Exploits Kids' Labor To Build Games, Action Claims

    A Georgia mother accused gaming giant Roblox Corp. of turning her 13-year-old son into an unpaid game developer who worked more than 40 hours weekly, funneling him and millions of other children into a virtual currency system designed to trap their labor, according to a proposed class action filed in New York federal court.

  • May 13, 2026

    Newsmax Defends Antitrust Case Against Fox

    Newsmax is defending its case, now back in Florida federal court, accusing Fox of pressuring cable and streaming providers into not carrying the rival right-leaning broadcaster, saying that Fox has a motive to block competition in the lucrative market for conservative news.

  • May 13, 2026

    4th Circ. Judge Flags Energy Shortage Harms In Pipeline Fight

    A Fourth Circuit judge on Wednesday appeared less than pleased with counsel for a collection of environmental groups during a hearing to consider halting construction on an interstate pipeline, calling attention to the "one sentence" devoted to the public harm of ongoing energy shortages.

  • May 13, 2026

    Fintech Inks $8M Mass. Settlement Over 'Lease-To-Own' Biz

    A Texas-based financial technology company told a state court Wednesday it has agreed to a $7.8 million resolution of the Massachusetts attorney general's claims that it misled consumers about its "lease-to-own" contracts for consumer merchandise, causing customers to pay "far more than the retail price for their merchandise."

  • May 13, 2026

    SEC's New Enforcement Chief Touts 'Back To Basics' Message

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's new head of enforcement affirmed Wednesday that he fully supports Chairman Paul Atkins' focus on "quality over quantity" regarding cases, amid a dramatic decrease in original enforcement actions at the agency.

  • May 13, 2026

    Full 5th Circ. Weighs Jackson, Mississippi, Lead Poisoning Claims

    The full Fifth Circuit on Tuesday weighed whether to keep intact a lawsuit alleging the city of Jackson, Mississippi, poisoned its residents by allowing lead to leach into the water supply, asking what level of lead in the water would constitute "shocking the conscience."

  • May 13, 2026

    Conn. PFAS Plaintiffs Deny Forum Shopping In Montana Suit

    The City of Stamford and a local fire district are pushing back against a bid by 3M and others to sanction them for moving their claims from Connecticut to Montana, saying the sanctions bid misrepresents the facts and circumstances motivating them to join the litigation.

  • May 13, 2026

    Fla. Law Makes Lyft Immune To Passenger's Assault Suit

    A Florida state appeals court ruled Wednesday that a state law shielding Lyft and other ride-hailing companies from liability bars a suit over a driver's alleged assault of a passenger, noting that the law's immunity provision is "very broad."

  • May 13, 2026

    Shutterstock Inks $35M Deal In FTC's Autorenewal Suit

    Shutterstock Inc. will pay $35 million to resolve the Federal Trade Commission's lawsuit alleging it knowingly deceived customers about its subscription plans' autorenewal policies, with one executive noting in internal communications they could "hopefully get away with it" when they saw competitor Adobe Inc. sued over its subscription practices in 2024.

  • May 13, 2026

    Apple Targets Hagens Berman 'Gamesmanship' In ICloud Suit

    Apple has lashed out at Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP for trying to withdraw a named plaintiff from an iCloud antitrust case in California federal court without discovery into any directions she received to preserve now-deleted emails, raising concerns that the withdrawal is meant to "paper over lost evidence."

Expert Analysis

  • AI Recruiting Suit Shows Old Laws May Implicate New Tools

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    The Fair Credit Reporting Act allegations recently filed in Kistler v. Eightfold AI, are the latest example of broad definitional language in legacy statutes proving far more dangerous to companies deploying artificial intelligence – particularly in hiring – than any purpose-built artificial intelligence regulation, say attorneys at Ogletree.

  • What A Court Doc Audit Reveals About Erroneous Filings

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    My audit of 1,522 court documents from last month found that over 95% contained at least one verifiable error, with fewer than 1% showing clear indicators of artificial intelligence use — highlighting above all else that lawyers may want to focus most on strengthening their review processes, says Elliott Ash at ETH Zurich.

  • How Cos. Can Prepare For 'Made In America' Ad Scrutiny

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    The Trump administration's executive order to combat fraudulent "Made in America" claims in consumer-facing advertising, along with actions by the Federal Trade Commission, suggest a potential increased focus on consumer protection and pricing-related matters, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Opinion

    FTC Case Risks Redefining Price Discrimination

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    Federal Trade Commission v. Southern Glazer puts a spotlight on the blurry line between illegal price discrimination and ordinary competition, and could potentially set a precedent that puts nearly any manufacturer at risk of Robinson-Patman Act enforcement, says Jeremy Sandford at Econic Partners.

  • Series

    Mich. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q1

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    Michigan's financial services sector saw several significant developments in 2026's first quarter, including the state Department of Insurance and Financial Services' issuance of a bulletin on the use of artificial intelligence and the Michigan House's introduction of a bill based on the Model Money Transmission Modernization Act, say attorneys at Dykema.

  • FDA's Crackdown On Drug Ads Conflicts With Precedent

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    Recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration warning letters to drug manufacturers targeting direct-to-consumer advertising raise significant constitutional concerns, and directly clash with prior FDA stances, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • How Cos. Can Navigate The Patchwork Of AI Safety Bills

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    In the first few months of 2026, state and federal lawmakers introduced hundreds of bills to address the perceived safety risks of artificial intelligence, so companies should assess whether existing or planned services could be scoped into AI safety legislation across jurisdictions, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.

  • Unpacking FCC's Proposed Rules For Offshore Call Centers

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    The Federal Communications Commission recently proposed rules that would restrict the use of offshore customer service operations, citing consumer frustration, data security risks and fraud as core reasons for the sweeping regulatory move, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • Series

    Calif. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q1

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    As usual, California remained a hub for financial services activity in the first quarter of 2026, with key developments including the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation's eye on consumer issues, a bill targeting "pig butchering" schemes, and jam-packed courts, say attorneys at Joseph Cohen.

  • Series

    Ultramarathons Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Completing a 100-mile ultramarathon was tougher, more humbling and more rewarding than I ever imagined, and the experience highlighted how long-distance running has sharpened my ability to adapt to the evolving nature of antitrust law and strengthened my resolve to handle demanding, unforeseen challenges, says Dan Oakes at Axinn.

  • Series

    Pa. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q1

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    The first quarter of 2026 brought several consequential developments for Pennsylvania financial institutions, including the state banking department's first assessment overhaul in 10 years, a bill prohibiting interchange fees on card transaction sales taxes and a federal appeals court's upholding of a $52 million enforcement action, say attorneys at Gross McGinley.

  • In First For DOJ, Action Signals New CFIUS Enforcement Era

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    The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking judicial enforcement of a divestment order, an unprecedented action for the agency that ushers in a new phase for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, one in which judicial proceedings complement administrative oversight and presidential divestment orders may be enforced through litigation, says attorney Sohan Dasgupta.

  • 6th Circ. Can Extend Insurance Valuation Clarity Beyond Auto

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    In rehearing Clippinger v. State Farm, the Sixth Circuit can align itself with the recent drumbeat of other circuits rejecting class certification of auto total loss claims and set standards that apply to similar claims brought under homeowners and other types of insurance policies, say attorneys at Jackson Walker.

  • 9th Circ. Ruling Clarifies Doc Protection Limits In Gov't Probes

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    The Ninth Circuit's recent decision in Kalbers v. U.S. Department of Justice confirms that Rule 6(e) provides robust protections when documents are in the government's possession only through a grand jury subpoena, emphasizing for companies the importance of careful labeling from the outset of an investigation, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • Verdicts Signal Product Liability's Expansion To Digital Realm

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    Last week's landmark verdict in K.G.M. v. Meta Platforms Inc., along with other recent verdicts that apply product liability theories to online services that rely on algorithmic design and user engagement features, make it clear that companies must evaluate digital product design through a litigation lens, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

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