Consumer Protection

  • October 14, 2025

    Rural Phone Co. Asks FCC To Revisit $3M Subsidy Clawback

    A rural phone carrier has urged the full Federal Communications Commission to review a decision to claw back $3 million in universal service aid, claiming the move ran counter to an executive order and federal law.

  • October 14, 2025

    Texans Say Drinking Water Tainted With PFAS From Military Base

    Residents and local businesses in Lubbock, Texas, are suing 3M, DuPont de Nemours Inc. and others over alleged exposure to so-called forever chemicals that leached into their well water from firefighting foam used on a nearby former U.S. Air Force base and caused a woman's death.

  • October 14, 2025

    Sunbeam Faces Class Action Over 'Defective' Oster Oven

    Sunbeam Products Inc. is facing a proposed class action in Georgia federal court over Oster-brand French door countertop ovens that were recalled in September due to burn hazards caused by spring-loaded doors that can unexpectedly close and burn users.

  • October 14, 2025

    Calif. Seeks To Dismiss Feds' Suit Challenging Emission Regs

    California is asking a federal court to dismiss the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's lawsuit challenging the state's emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks.

  • October 14, 2025

    Calif. Gov. Vetoes 'Well-Intentioned' Bill Targeting PFAS

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom rejected a bill that would require manufacturers to phase out their use of so-called forever chemicals in children's products, cookware, dental floss and other items, saying he agrees with the bill's health and environmental protection goals but that it could lead to higher costs for Californians.

  • October 14, 2025

    3rd Circ. Vacates Injunction Over Erie Indemnity Fee Claims

    A Pennsylvania federal court erred in preliminarily halting a state court action challenging Erie Indemnity Co.'s collection of a management fee, the Third Circuit ruled Tuesday, rejecting Erie Indemnity's position that two similar, now-dismissed lawsuits precluded the state court action from proceeding.

  • October 14, 2025

    4th Circ. Says Data Leak Info On Dark Web Is Grounds To Sue

    The Fourth Circuit on Tuesday partially revived a data breach class action against an insurance company, finding a subset of the proposed class has standing to sue because they allege their stolen driver's license numbers have since shown up on the dark web.

  • October 14, 2025

    Microsoft Bullied OpenAI Into Cloud Deal, Antitrust Suit Says

    A group of ChatGPT subscribers launched a proposed class action in California federal court Monday accusing Microsoft Corp. of inflating prices by forcing OpenAI into a deal that made the software giant the sole provider of computing services for the growing suite of artificial intelligence products.

  • October 14, 2025

    Judge Won't Let Mortgage Co. Slip Data Breach Class Action

    A Utah federal judge refused to dismiss a proposed data breach class action filed against a mortgage lender, ruling that only the proposed class's unjust enrichment claim will be tossed.

  • October 14, 2025

    Don't Raise Power Levels In Shared Band, Advocates Say

    It would be a bad idea to allow devices to operate at higher power levels in the Citizens Broadband Radio Service, as some in the wireless industry want, an advocacy group said, telling the Federal Communications Commission the move might cause "needless disruption" to the shared airwaves.

  • October 14, 2025

    DuPont Pollution Suit To Advance Amid NC Top Court Appeal

    North Carolina Attorney General Jeffrey Jackson's forever chemicals suit against two DuPont spinoffs will surge ahead while the companies pursue an appeal in the state's top court challenging Jackson's power to bring contamination claims, a state Business Court judge has ruled.

  • October 14, 2025

    EU Fines Fashion Brands €157M For Price Maintenance

    The European Commission has fined fashion companies Gucci, Chloé and Loewe a total of €157 million ($182.2 million) for allegedly breaching the bloc's competition rules by restricting the retail prices of their products.

  • October 14, 2025

    Justices Seek SG Input In 'Lightning Rod' Health Ministry Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday asked for the U.S. solicitor general to weigh in on a "lightning rod" of a case involving the regulation of nonprofit healthcare-sharing ministries that provide cheap, Christian-friendly health insurance options but aren't legally bound to pay for medical care.

  • October 14, 2025

    High Court Won't Hear FDA Stem Cell Regulation Fight

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to review a circuit court holding that a stem cell treatment derived from a patient's own tissue is subject to Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act regulations.

  • October 10, 2025

    Zantac MDL Suits Were Impropely Tossed, 11th Circ. Told

    Consumers urged the Eleventh Circuit on Friday to revive their claims in a multidistrict litigation alleging that the main ingredient in the heartburn medication Zantac causes cancer, saying the court overseeing the case improperly sided with drugmakers' experts and preempted more claims from coming forward.

  • October 10, 2025

    Delta, Aeromexico Say USDOT Erred In Blocking Partnership

    Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico have asked the Eleventh Circuit to vacate the U.S. Department of Transportation's order terminating approval of their joint venture and ordering them to dismantle it by January, according to a petition for review posted to the case docket Friday.

  • October 10, 2025

    Judge Dubious Of Amazon Shoppers' Slow Shipping Zone Suit

    A Washington federal judge cast doubt Friday on a group of Amazon Prime subscribers' argument that variability in delivery time by ZIP code amounts to an unfair business practice, highlighting data that suggests packages sometimes take longer than two days to arrive regardless of the purchaser's address.

  • October 10, 2025

    Block Founders Face Investor Suit Over Cash App Fraud

    Several executives and directors of Cash App parent company Block Inc. have been hit with a derivative suit accusing them of allowing Cash App's "frictionless" sign-up system to fuel fraud, money laundering and inflated user counts while lying about compliance.

  • October 10, 2025

    Ill. AG, Retailers Will Split Swipe-Fee Law's Defense At Hearing

    A Chicago federal judge has agreed to allow a coalition of merchant groups to take part in a key hearing later this month that could decide a banking industry legal challenge to the Illinois Interchange Fee Prohibition Act, a law banning swipe fees on tax and tip payments.

  • October 10, 2025

    5th Circ.'s FDIC Ruling 'Cries Out' For Review, Ex-CEO Says

    A former Texas bank CEO has asked the full Fifth Circuit to revive his constitutional challenge to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s in-house enforcement process, arguing that a recent panel decision to reject his case as premature "cries out" for review.

  • October 10, 2025

    SEC's Atkins Commits To Expanding Use Of Wells Process

    U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins plans to refresh the agency's Wells process of engaging with firms ahead of potential enforcement actions, saying he intends for the agency to be more forthcoming with investigative findings and provide more time and opportunities to respond to these findings.

  • October 10, 2025

    DOJ Can't Pause Review Of UnitedHealth Deal Amid Shutdown

    A Maryland federal judge rejected the U.S. Department of Justice's bid to stay its recently settled case with UnitedHealth over the company's merger with Amedisys because of the government shutdown and lapse in appropriations, ruling that a stay would impede the DOJ's ability to evaluate the public interest in the settlement.

  • October 10, 2025

    SC Woman Says Recall Not Enough For Wood In Corn Dogs

    A South Carolina woman lodged a proposed class action Friday in California federal court claiming Foster Farms sold corn dogs later recalled for potentially containing wood in the batter, saying the recall isn't a sufficient remedy for consumers who've already bought the food.

  • October 10, 2025

    Musk Accuses OpenAI Ex-Exec Of Subpoena 'Cat And Mouse'

    A California federal magistrate judge is allowing Elon Musk to serve a deposition subpoena by Federal Express to a tech executive who briefly served as OpenAI's interim CEO after hearing that process servers and investigators had attempted personal service 11 times but were "stonewalled" by the woman and her security.

  • October 10, 2025

    Elf Bar Will No Longer Sell In Calif., Ending Altria Unit Suit

    The Chinese companies behind the popular Elf Bar brand of vape will no longer sell their flavored products in California, according to an agreement they signed to end a lawsuit filed by the e-cigarette unit of tobacco giant Altria Group.

Expert Analysis

  • Wells Fargo Suit Shows Consumer Protection Limits In Mass.

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    The Massachusetts Appeals Court's May decision in Wells Fargo Bank v. Coulsey underscores that consumer rights are balanced against the need for closure, and even the broad protections of state consumer protection law will not open the door to relitigating the same claims, say attorneys at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Series

    Ohio Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2

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    Ohio's financial services sector saw several significant developments in the second quarter of 2025, including a case that confirmed credit unions' setoff rights, another that established contract rights between banks and cardholders, and the House passage of a digital asset bill, say attorneys at Frost Brown.

  • Managing Risks As State AGs Seek To Fill Enforcement Gap

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    Given an unprecedented surge in state attorney general activity resulting from significant shifts in federal enforcement priorities, companies must consider tailored strategies for navigating the ever-evolving risk landscape, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Skillful Persuasion

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    In many ways, law school teaches us how to argue, but when the ultimate goal is to get your client what they want, being persuasive through preparation and humility is the more likely key to success, says Michael Friedland at Friedland Cianfrani.

  • Breaking Down Novel Va. Social Media Law For Minors

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    While a Virginia bill passed in May is notable for setting a one-hour daily limit on minors' use of social media, other provisions create compliance burdens for social media operators and app store providers, and increase privacy and security risks associated with the collection of sensitive information to prove identity, says Jenna Rode at Hunton.

  • Litigation Inspiration: How To Respond After A Loss

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    Every litigator loses a case now and then, and the sting of that loss can become a medicine that strengthens or a poison that corrodes, depending on how the attorney responds, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • FDA's Hasty Policymaking Approach Faces APA Challenges

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    Though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has abandoned its usual notice-and-comment process for implementing new regulatory initiatives, two recent district court decisions make clear that these programs are still susceptible to Administrative Procedure Act challenges, says Rachel Turow at Skadden.

  • DOJ Crypto Enforcement Is Shifting To Target Willfulness

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    Three pending criminal prosecutions could be an indication of how the U.S. Department of Justice's recent digital assets memo is shaping enforcement of the area, and show a growing focus on executives who knowingly allow their platforms to be used for criminal conduct involving sanctions offenses, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • How NJ's Proposed Privacy Rules Could Reshape AI Data Use

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    Although not revolutionary, New Jersey's proposed privacy rules would create obligations around the management and processing of consumer personal data that will require careful planning before they can be successfully implemented, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

  • The Metamorphosis Of The Major Questions Doctrine

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    The so-called major questions doctrine arose as a counterweight to Chevron deference over the past few decades, but invocations of the doctrine have persisted in the year since Chevron was overturned, suggesting it still has a role to play in reining in agency overreach, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Business Takeaways Following CCPA Enforcement Actions

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    Advisories and recent enforcement activity by the California Privacy Protection Agency against Honda and Todd Snyder underscore the agency's enforcement interest in the intersection of data minimization and consumer rights, and could make it more challenging for a business to provide a streamlined consumer rights process, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Compliance Lessons From 1st-Ever Product Safety Sentences

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    A California federal judge’s recent sentencing of two former Gree USA executives in a landmark Consumer Product Safety Act case serves as a reminder of the federal government’s willingness to pursue criminal prosecution of individuals who fail to report safety hazards, as well as companies’ need to strengthen their reporting and compliance programs, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • 9th Circ. Decisions Help Clarify Scope Of Legal Lab Marketing

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    Two Ninth Circuit decisions last week provide a welcome development in clarifying the line between laboratories' legal marketing efforts and undue influence that violates the Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act, and offer useful guidance for labs seeking to mitigate enforcement risk, says Joshua Robbins at Buchalter.

  • Feds' Shift On Reputational Risk Raises Questions For Banks

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    While banking regulators' recent retreat from reputational risk narrows the scope of federal oversight in some respects, it also raises practical questions about consistency, reputational management and the evolving political landscape surrounding financial services, say attorneys at Smith Anderson.

  • Series

    Playing Mah-Jongg Makes Me A Better Mediator

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    Mah-jongg rewards patience, pattern recognition, adaptability and keen observation, all skills that are invaluable to my role as a mediator, and to all mediating parties, says Marina Corodemus.

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