Expert Analysis

• Pending FDA Cosmetics Review Allows Class Action Defense

  

  The recently signed Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act directs the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to assess the use and safety of so-called forever chemicals in cosmetic products, and offers manufacturers the primary jurisdiction doctrine as a strong defense until the FDA completes its review, say attorneys at Patterson Belknap.

• A Litigation Move That Could Conserve Discovery Resources

  

  Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben proposes the preliminary legal opinion procedure — seeking a court's opinion on a disputed legal standard at the outset, rather than the close, of discovery — as a useful resource-preservation tool for legally complex, discovery-intensive litigation.

• Litigators Should Approach AI Tools With Caution

  

  Artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT hold potential to streamline various aspects of the litigation process, resulting in improved efficiency and outcomes, but should be carefully double-checked for confidentiality, plagiarism and accuracy concerns, say Zachary Foster and Melanie Kalmanson at Quarles & Brady.

• Agency Actions Show Shared Focus On Digital Ad Tactics

  

  Recent coordinated actions taken by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission demonstrate a new focus on assailing two distinct digital advertising practices — dark patterns and the use of algorithms for targeting consumers, say Kyle Tayman and Tierney Smith at Goodwin.

• Crypto Coverage After FTX Fall: Accountant And Atty Liability

  

  The recent fall of cryptocurrency firm FTX highlights complexities regarding accounting and tax reporting for digital assets, and reveals lawyers’ potential liability exposure when providing services to crypto firms — as a result, insurers may face unintended vulnerabilities related to this nebulous landscape, say Anjali Das and Farzana Ahmed at Wilson Elser.

• Opinion

  9th Circ. Should Rethink Inadequate UBH Ruling

  

  The Ninth Circuit should seriously consider rehearing Wit v. United Behavioral Health en banc because its recent claims reprocessing decision in the case raises troubling questions about the future of Employee Retirement Income Security Act's class actions, says Mark DeBofsky at DeBofsky Law.

• 5th Circ. Confidential Witness Ruling Is A Big Change

  

  The Fifth Circuit's recent ruling in Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement System v. Six Flags that confidential witness claims can be sufficient to establish scienter is a significant message that anonymous witness allegations should be credited, and plaintiffs should feel more confident including these claims in their securities fraud complaints, say James Christie and David Saldamando at Labaton Sucharow.

• FTC Noncompete Ban Could Open State Litigation Floodgate

  

  The Federal Trade Commission’s recently proposed ban on most employment noncompete agreements is likely to result in a cascade of litigation on the state level, providing a basis for private consumer class actions and state attorney general enforcement, say Ryan Strasser and Carson Cox at Troutman Pepper.

• Cannabis Cos. Must Brace For More Mislabeling Class Actions

  

  In the face of increasing consumer class actions alleging that labels and advertisements misstate products' THC content, cannabis companies must prepare for direct and collateral legal risks as well as potential damage to the industry's credibility as a whole, say Cassandra Beckman Widay and Amy Rubenstein at Dentons.

• High Court Slack Case Not Likely To Broadly Affect Issuers

  

  If the U.S. Supreme Court decides in Slack v. Pirani to limit claims under the Securities Act for direct listings to only the purchase of registered shares, it's unlikely to create a free-for-all environment for issuers, as some have claimed, say Susan Hurd and Madeleine Juszynski at Alston & Bird.

• 5 Ways Attorneys Can Use Emotion In Client Pitches

  

  Lawyers are skilled at using their high emotional intelligence to build rapport with clients, so when planning your next pitch, consider how you can create some emotional peaks, personal connections and moments of magic that might help you stick in prospective clients' minds and seal the deal, says consultant Diana Kander.

• Ruling May Affect FCRA Claims About Private Student Loans

  

  The Second Circuit’s recent ruling in Mader v. Experian may support credit reporting agencies defending Fair Credit Reporting Act claims that follow a Chapter 7 private student loan discharge, introducing new challenges for consumers skipping directly to the FCRA claim, say Jessica Salisbury-Copper and Kelsey Mincheff at Thompson Hine.

• 5 Keys To A Productive Mediation

  Excerpt from Practical Guidance

  

  Cortney Young at ADR Partners discusses factors that can help to foster success in mediation, including scheduling, preparation, managing client expectations and more.

• Crypto Coverage After FTX Fall: D&O Liability

  

  The fallout surrounding the recent implosion of cryptocurrency firm FTX highlights potential crypto coverage exposure — including in the area of directors and officers liability — for insurance carriers in the evolving and largely misunderstood world of digital assets, says Anjali Das at Wilson Elser.

• And Now A Word From The Panel: 2022 MDLs By The Numbers

  

  A highlight of the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation's practice during 2022 was the significant percentage increase of new MDL petitions granted — and given how many actions and plaintiffs may be involved in a single MDL, the true impact of this increase may be even greater than it appears, says Alan Rothman at Sidley.