Consumer Protection

  • September 13, 2024

    Sky Can't Force Ofcom To Revisit End-Of-Contract Decision

    Sky UK lost its attempt on Friday to force Ofcom to reconsider whether the media company broke consumer protection rules, even though Britain's competition tribunal has found that the telecommunications regulator had made mistakes in its original decision.

  • September 13, 2024

    Nestlé Can't Ax Danone's Whey Protein Patent At EPO

    Danone has rebuffed a bid by food and drink giant Nestlé to scrap its European patent for a whey protein composition, as it proved that using gum arabic as a sugar substitute was a new invention.

  • September 13, 2024

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    This past week in London has seen a football agent sue Chelsea FC after being cleared of allegations he threatened the club’s former director, an ongoing patent dispute between Amgen and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and a private school in Edinburgh suing Riverstone Insurance over compensation claims tied to historical abuse allegations made by former pupils. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • September 13, 2024

    FCA Faces Pressure Over Pricey Monthly Insurance Premiums

    A consumer advocacy group urged the British financial regulator on Friday to step in after it found that insurers were still charging up to 45% in interest for consumers who choose monthly payment plans for their annual premiums.

  • September 13, 2024

    UK Consumer Credit Firms Face New Reporting Requirements

    The Financial Conduct Authority has proposed issuing a new reporting obligation for consumer credit firms as it seeks to prevent harm to consumers earlier and avoid another scandal such as the collapse of London Capital & Finance.

  • September 13, 2024

    Brokers Seek Insurance Tax Cut In Budget For At-Risk Housing

    A trade body for insurance brokers has urged the U.K. government to exempt policyholders in apartment buildings with flammable cladding from a tax on premiums, as it seeks to avoid a jump in the price of cover.

  • September 13, 2024

    Vodafone-Three Deal Could Boost Users' Costs, UK Warns

    A proposed £16.5 billion ($21.7 billion) merger between Vodafone Group PLC and the telecommunications networks of Three UK could raise tens of millions of mobile customers' bills, Britain's antitrust authority warned Friday.

  • September 12, 2024

    8th Circ. Nixes $563M Verdict Against BMO Harris Over Ponzi

    The Eighth Circuit on Thursday struck down a $563 million verdict against BMO Harris NA over claims that a bank it acquired had aided and abetted Thomas J. Petters' multibillion dollar Ponzi scheme, ruling that the bank should have been allowed to raise a defense that would have barred the suit in the first place.

  • September 12, 2024

    Wells Fargo Ordered To Overhaul Sanctions, AML Compliance

    Wells Fargo faces fresh restrictions on launching new products and entering new markets, and must beef up its compliance and monitoring efforts around sanctions, anti-money laundering and other international business risks, under an enforcement action announced Thursday by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. 

  • September 12, 2024

    FCC Tells 6th Circ To Affirm Net Neutrality

    The Federal Communications Commission told the Sixth Circuit the agency acted well within the law when it reimposed net neutrality limits on broadband providers and urged the court to reject industry claims that the commission's authority to regulate high-speed internet service is a "major question" that only Congress may address.

  • September 12, 2024

    Crypto Wallet Co. Beats Colo. Class Action Over $100M Hack

    The developers and owners of cryptocurrency application Atomic Wallet have beaten a proposed class action over a hack last year that stole roughly $100 million in customers' assets, with a Colorado federal judge saying the suit doesn't have a strong enough connection to the Centennial State to proceed there.

  • September 12, 2024

    US Sanctions Cambodian Tycoon For Forced Labor Scam

    A prominent Cambodian businessman and his business entities were hit with sanctions from the Treasury Department for their role in human rights abuses related to forced labor and human trafficking, the department announced Thursday.

  • September 12, 2024

    Trading Firm EToro To Limit Crypto Sales, Pay $1.5M SEC Fine

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday ordered trading platform eToro USA LLC to pay a $1.5 million fine and stop U.S. customers from trading in all but the three largest crypto assets to settle the regulator's allegations that the firm operated as an unregistered broker and clearing agency.

  • September 12, 2024

    Court Seriously Overstepped In EUIPO Appeal, ECJ Told

    The General Court of the European Union overstepped when it decided to amend part of a decision by the EU intellectual property office based on a plea that it had raised in proceedings, an adviser told the bloc's highest court on Thursday.

  • September 12, 2024

    Linklaters Hires Shell's Qatar Legal Chief For Energy Practice

    Linklaters LLP has hired the head of legal for energy giant Shell in Qatar to become its global sector lead for its energy transition practice.

  • September 12, 2024

    UK Watchdog Waters Down New Capital Rules For Banks

    The Prudential Regulation Authority published Thursday the second part of its rules on capital requirements for banks and has delayed their implementation by six months to the beginning of 2026.

  • September 12, 2024

    Navient Agrees To Pay $120M To End CFPB Student Loan Case

    Navient Corp. would be barred from servicing federal student loans and required to pay $120 million to settle allegations related to its student lending practices under a proposed settlement the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced Thursday.

  • September 11, 2024

    Litigation Spending To Rise As Cases Grow More Aggressive

    A substantial number of large companies are expecting to increase their litigation spending by double digits next year in the face of more complex and hard-fought cases — and they are more open to bringing in new legal talent to navigate the matters, according to a report released Thursday. 

  • September 11, 2024

    Utah Social Media Law Blocked Amid 1st Amendment Fight

    A Utah federal judge has blocked the state from enforcing a new law requiring social media companies to verify the ages of minor users and impose restrictions on their accounts, saying the state law likely violates tech companies' First Amendment rights.

  • September 11, 2024

    FTC Fights Pa. Noncompete Ban Challenger's Pause Bid

    The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday urged a Pennsylvania federal judge to reject a tree service company's bid to pause its challenge of the agency's noncompete ban, arguing that another district court's decision to set the ban aside nationwide doesn't justify a stay because the agency is mulling an appeal.

  • September 11, 2024

    Sprout Foods Can't Get 9th Circ. Redo In Baby Food Label Suit

    A split Ninth Circuit panel declined Tuesday to rethink its decision that federal law doesn't preempt a couple's California state law claim over allegedly misleading nutrition labels on Sprout Foods baby food labels.

  • September 11, 2024

    Top Calif. Biz Bills Sitting On Gov. Newsom's Desk

    Among the hundreds of bills awaiting California Governor Gavin Newsom's signature are a number that would create new guidelines for Golden State employers, healthcare industry players, as well as artificial intelligence labeling, textile recycling and increasing criminal penalties for corporate malfeasance by tens of millions of dollars.

  • September 11, 2024

    San Diego Utility Hit With Suit Over Wood Waste Runoff

    San Diego Gas & Electric is using a wood treatment mixture on its power poles and in its facilities that includes toxic chemicals that poison the environment and pose a danger to humans and animals nearby, according to a suit filed in California federal court Tuesday.

  • September 11, 2024

    Health Co. Owes $65M For Breach Of Medical Data, Nude Pics

    Pennsylvania-based healthcare company Lehigh Valley Health Network will pay $65 million to individuals who had their private information, including cancer patients' nude images, exposed in a data breach, the plaintiffs' lawyers announced Wednesday.

  • September 11, 2024

    EasyGroup Loses TMs After Suing For Infringement

    A London judge rejected a claim on Wednesday by easyGroup that EasyFundraising Ltd. was infringing its trademarks, as it concluded that the low-cost giant's brands covered different services.

Expert Analysis

  • Considering Noncompete Strategies After Blocked FTC Ban

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    A Texas district court's recent decision in Ryan v. Federal Trade Commission to set aside the new FTC rule banning noncompetes does away with some immediate compliance obligations, but employers should still review strategies, attend to changes to state laws and monitor ongoing challenges, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • Replacing The Stigma Of Menopause With Law Firm Support

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    A large proportion of the workforce is forced to pull the brakes on their career aspirations because of the taboo surrounding menopause and a lack of consistent support, but law firms can initiate the cultural shift needed by formulating thoughtful workplace policies, says Barbara Hamilton-Bruce at Simmons & Simmons.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: August Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy considers certification cases touching on classwide evidence of injury from debt collection practices, defining coupon settlements under the Class Action Fairness Act, proper approaches for evaluating attorney fee awards in class action settlements, and more.

  • Planning Law Firm Content Calendars: What, When, Where

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    During the slower month of August, law firms should begin working on their 2025 content calendars, planning out a content creation and distribution framework that aligns with the firm’s objectives and maintains audience engagement throughout the year, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.

  • Key Concerns To Confront In FDIC Brokered Deposit Proposal

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    Banks and fintech companies should note several fundamental issues with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s recent proposal to widen how it classifies brokered deposits, an attempt to limit prudential risk that could expose the industry and underbanked consumers who rely on bank-fintech apps to widespread unintended consequences, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • 4 Steps To Address New Sanctions Time Bar Extension

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    Recent guidance from the Office of Foreign Assets Control clarifies details of the newly extended statute of limitations for civil and criminal enforcement of U.S. sanctions law, so compliance teams should implement key updates, including to lookback periods and recordkeeping policies, say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • Notable Q2 Updates In Insurance Class Actions

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    Mark Johnson and Mathew Drocton at BakerHostetler discuss the muted nature of the property and casualty insurance class action space in the second quarter of the year, with no large waves made in labor depreciation and total-loss vehicle class actions, but a new offensive theory emerging for insurance companies.

  • Series

    Playing Golf Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Golf can positively affect your personal and professional life well beyond the final putt, and it’s helped enrich my legal practice by improving my ability to build lasting relationships, study and apply the rules, face adversity with grace, and maintain my mental and physical well-being, says Adam Kelly at Venable.

  • What To Expect From CFPB And DOT Card Rewards Inquiry

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    Following the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's announcement of joint efforts with the U.S. Department of Transportation to investigate credit card rewards points, credit card issuers and airlines should keep a close eye on potential regulatory and class action litigation risks stemming from the inquiry, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • Law Firms Should Move From Reactive To Proactive Marketing

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    Most law firm marketing and business development teams operate in silos, leading to an ad hoc, reactive approach, but shifting to a culture of proactive planning — beginning with comprehensive campaigns — can help firms effectively execute their broader business strategy, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

  • Remedy May Be Google's Biggest Hurdle Yet In Antitrust Case

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    There are difficulties ahead in the remedies phase of the antitrust case against Google in District of Columbia federal court, including the search engine giant's scale advantage and the fast-moving nature of the tech industry, setting the stage for the most challenging of the proceedings so far, says Jonathan Rubin at MoginRubin.

  • 3 Ways To Limit Risks Of Black-Box AI In Financial Services

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    As regulators increasingly highlight the potential for artificial intelligence to make unfair consumer credit decisions, and require financial institutions to explain how these so-called black-box algorithms arrive at conclusions, companies should consider three key questions to reduce their regulatory risks from these tools, say Jeffrey Naimon and Caroline Stapleton at Orrick.

  • Takeaways From EU's 'Pay Or Consent' Advertising Probe

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    Anne-Gabrielle Haie and Charles Whiddington at Steptoe examine key points from the European Commission's recent investigation into Big Tech's use of "pay or consent" advertising models, as well as the European Data Protection Board’s opinion on how such models can comply with EU competition and data protection laws.

  • When Banks Unknowingly Become HIPAA Biz Associates

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    There appears to be significant confusion regarding the application of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act to financial institutions when serving healthcare-related clients, so these institutions should consider undertaking several steps as a starting point in the effort to achieve compliance, say attorneys at Vorys.

  • From Muppet Heads To OJ's Glove: How To Use Props At Trial

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    Demonstrative graphics have become so commonplace in the courtroom that jurors may start to find them boring, but attorneys can keep jurors engaged and improve their recall by effectively using physical props at trial, says Clint Townson at Townson Consulting.

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