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Consumer Protection
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June 03, 2024
3 Airlines To Refund Over $900M For COVID Flight Changes
Deutsche Lufthansa AG, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and South African Airways will refund a combined $903 million to passengers who had flights changed or canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic and pay a combined $2.2 million in penalties for "extreme delays" in processing the requests, the U.S. Department of Transportation said Monday.
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June 03, 2024
FTC Gets Backing Against Noncompete Rule Challenge
The Federal Trade Commission has received backing against a challenge of its new rule banning noncompete clauses, with a labor group, local lawmakers and others urging a Texas federal court not to prevent the rule from taking effect in September.
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June 03, 2024
Navy Federal Lets AI Co. Monitor Calls, Suit Says
Navy Federal Credit Union has been letting an artificial intelligence software company intercept, analyze and record all its customer calls, according to a new lawsuit accusing the nation's largest credit union of putting its members' confidential, personal and financial information at risk.
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June 03, 2024
Vietnamese EV Co. Hit With Investor Suit Over SPAC Merger
Vietnamese electric car manufacturer VinFast Auto and several executives have been hit with a proposed class action alleging they exaggerated the strength of VinFast's business model and prospects following a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company last year.
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June 03, 2024
Clear Rate Faces 4 New FCC Complaints Over 'Slamming'
Michigan-based Clear Rate Communications is yet again in the Federal Communications Commission's crosshairs over allegations of "slamming," with the commission ordering the company to wipe new customers' charges for the third time this year.
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June 03, 2024
Put Net Neutrality On Ice During Court Reviews, FCC Urged
Nine industry groups are calling on the Federal Communications Commission to delay making net neutrality rules effective until the federal appeals courts have a chance to review them, and to act quickly so the groups can seek a court order if needed.
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June 03, 2024
Congress' Crypto Votes Lay Groundwork For Next Session
Congress' sudden and surprisingly bipartisan momentum on crypto policy is unlikely to result in a signed law this year, but the agreements set the stage for proposals that could go the distance next session.
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June 03, 2024
Royal Caribbean Sued Over Ship's Wave Simulation Attraction
Royal Caribbean was hit Monday with a lawsuit in Florida federal court alleging its FlowRider wave simulation attraction on one of its cruise ships was "unreasonably dangerous" and led to a passenger being injured.
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June 03, 2024
American Says 'Common Sense' Makes JetBlue Deal A Positive
An attorney for American Airlines appeared to run into turbulence during his First Circuit oral arguments Monday while contending that the mere presence of "upward pricing pressure" from the since-blocked Northeast Alliance joint venture with JetBlue is outweighed by deal benefits improperly ignored by the district court.
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June 03, 2024
Public Stations Fight One-Size-Fits-All Definition Of Localism
The Federal Communications Commission might harm public TV stations if it applies the same definition of "locally originated content" to public outlets and its commercial counterparts, public broadcasting groups say.
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June 03, 2024
New Mexico AG Beats Meta's Bid To Toss Child Abuse Suit
Social media company Meta can't escape a lawsuit claiming sexual predators were allowed to abuse children on Facebook and Instagram, after a New Mexico state judge rejected Meta's claims for immunity under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
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June 03, 2024
Drug Cos. Can Depose DC AG In Drug Price-Fixing Row
A Connecticut federal judge reluctantly ordered the District of Columbia Attorney General's Office to be deposed by the drug companies wrapped up in more than 40 states' claims over an alleged price-fixing conspiracy, noting that he would not have done so but for the case being remanded from a sprawling multidistrict litigation in Pennsylvania.
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June 03, 2024
Jeep Driver Files Proposed Class Suit Over Battery Defect
Stellantis North America has been slapped with a proposed class action in California federal court alleging that although the carmaker's 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4XE suffers from a serious battery system defect, the company has refused to issue a recall or fix the vehicles.
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June 03, 2024
Eversource 'Shamelessly' Touts Dangerous Fuel, Suit Says
Eversource Energy promotes natural gas as a safe, clean energy source when it knows otherwise and engages in "greenwashing" that minimizes its impact on the environment, according to a proposed class action filed in state court on behalf of Massachusetts residents serviced by the utility.
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June 03, 2024
Equifax Judge OKs $1.1M Atty Fees In Debt Reporting Deal
Attorneys will recover $1.1 million in fees for securing $500 payments for class members in litigation alleging Equifax reported unenforceable debts, a decision that comes several months after a California federal judge warned he would likely hold a portion of the fees until he learned the ultimate settlement payout.
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June 03, 2024
Restaurants Fight Bid-Rigging Release In $75M Chicken Deals
Boston Market, Golden Corral and other restaurants have urged an Illinois federal judge to reject a class of chicken buyers' attempt to lock in $75 million in price-fixing settlements, continuing their fight to preserve a bid-rigging claim they argue should not be released.
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June 03, 2024
Bookstores Can't Step Into FTC's Antitrust Fight With Amazon
A Washington federal judge on Monday declined to allow booksellers to intervene in the Federal Trade Commission's antitrust suit against Amazon to raise concerns about the digital retailer's book sales and agreements with publishers, but invited them to seek permission to file an amicus brief instead.
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June 03, 2024
'Luxury' Wasn't Part Of Mansion Deal, 3rd Circ. Told
An attorney for a luxury home-building company asked the Third Circuit on Monday to throw out a six-figure judgment against the company for allegedly falling short on its promise to construct a high-end house for two Western Pennsylvania homeowners, arguing the customers' suit was not based on promises made in the contract but on vague marketing statements.
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June 03, 2024
Google Must Face Online Tax Filer's Privacy Suit
An Illinois woman who prepared her taxes online through H&R Block and then sued Google, claiming the search engine's tracking tool effectively eavesdropped on her confidential tax information, can move forward with her proposed class action, a California federal judge ruled Monday.
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June 03, 2024
Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court
Delaware's Court of Chancery pushed out tons of decisions last week, along with a second round of new rules and letters of concern over pending changes to the state's corporate law code. The court's docket was as busy as ever, with new cases involving Tesla CEO Elon Musk, FTX cryptocurrency claims, and more. In case you missed it, here's the latest from Delaware's Chancery Court.
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June 03, 2024
Printing Co. Loses Bid To Revive Tesla Screen Defect Suit
The Fourth Circuit has thrown out a printing company's lawsuit alleging Tesla refused to permanently fix a defective touch screen, with a panel ruling the defect wasn't present when the vehicle was sold, as required by the standards of a breach of warranty lawsuit.
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June 03, 2024
Tubi Accuses Keller Postman Of Filing Frivolous Arbitrations
Streaming service company Tubi Inc. is going after a plaintiffs firm in Washington, D.C., federal court, alleging it has engaged in a mass arbitration scheme in which the firm has filed more than 23,000 allegedly frivolous or fraudulent demands for arbitration in attempts to force the company to settle.
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June 03, 2024
Jury Trials Dwindle In State Courts; Fall Started Before COVID
Jury trials have continued to "vanish" from state courts, despite seeing a slight bump following the pandemic shutdowns, with 2021 seeing fewer than half the number of jury trials as 2019 and one-third the number held in 2007, according to a new report from the National Center for State Courts.
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June 03, 2024
Attys Get $10M In Fees In Family Dollar Infestation Deal
A Tennessee federal judge has granted $10 million in fees to attorneys representing consumers following a settlement to resolve multidistrict litigation stemming from a rodent infestation at a Family Dollar Stores Inc. warehouse, finding the fees reasonable for the work done on the case.
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June 03, 2024
CFPB Unveils Registry To Track Nonbank 'Repeat Offenders'
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Monday finalized plans to begin centrally tracking court and regulatory enforcement orders against nonbank financial firms, issuing a rule that will create a public registry intended to help shine a light on companies that have recurring run-ins with authorities.
Expert Analysis
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3 Notification Pitfalls To Avoid With Arbitration Provisions
In Lipsett v. Popular Bank, the Second Circuit found that a bank's arbitration provision was unenforceable due to insufficient notice to a customer that he was bound by the agreement, highlighting the importance of adequate communication of arbitration provisions, and customers' options for opting out, say attorneys at Covington.
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Tips For Orgs Facing AI Data Privacy Compliance Challenges
Regulators around the world are actively seeking to enforce data privacy and consumer protection laws against companies providing artificial intelligence-related services, raising complex compliance questions in areas like transparency, data minimization, lawfulness of processing, data subject rights and higher risk activities, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.
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What's At Play In Rising Lanham Act Cases At The ITC
Amid an uptick in Lanham Act claims involving false advertising related to medical devices at the U.S. International Trade Commission, Brian Busey and Maryrose McLaughlin at MoFo discuss recent ITC complaints from Eli Lilly and R.J. Reynolds, Lanham Act claim limits under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and the issues practitioners face in this realm.
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Preempting Bottled Water Microplastics Fraud Claims
Food products like bottled water are increasingly likely to be targets of consumer fraud complaints due to alleged microplastics contamination — but depending on the labeling or advertising at issue, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act can provide a powerful preemption defense, say Tariq Naeem and Brenda Sweet at Tucker Ellis.
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Enforcement Risk Amid Increased Consumer Data Use
While no state has introduced a private right of action for noncompliance with a comprehensive consumer privacy law — except for the California Consumer Privacy Act's data breach provision — organizations and retailers face risk from enforcement actions by state attorneys general and privacy regulators, say attorneys at Dentons.
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Litigation Inspiration: A Source Of Untapped Fulfillment
As increasing numbers of attorneys struggle with stress and mental health issues, business litigators can find protection against burnout by remembering their important role in society — because fulfillment in one’s work isn’t just reserved for public interest lawyers, say Bennett Rawicki and Peter Bigelow at Hilgers Graben.
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What FTC's 'Killer Acquisition' Theory Means For Pharma Cos.
The Federal Trade Commission's recent lawsuit to block Sanofi's acquisition of a pharmaceutical treatment developed by Maze Therapeutics builds on previous enforcement actions and could indicate the agency's growing willingness to use its so-called killer acquisition theory against perceived attempts to eliminate nascent competition, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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Fla. Bankruptcy Ruling Is Cautionary Tale For Debt Collectors
A Florida bankruptcy court recently rejected the assertion that a debt purchaser was entitled to enforce a debt not correctly listed on the debtor's bankruptcy schedules, and the sanctions imposed provide a stark reminder on due diligence in debt collection practices, say Deborah Kovsky-Apap and Stefanie Jackman at Troutman Pepper.
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Opinion
The Problems In Calif. Draft Behavioral Ad Privacy Regs
The California Privacy Protection Agency has an opportunity with its automated decision-making technology and profiling rulemaking to harmonize California's regulation of data-driven advertising, but this will be a failure unless several things are changed in its proposed treatment of behavioral advertising, say Alan Friel and Kyle Fath at Squire Patton.
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5 Ways To Hone Deposition Skills And Improve Results
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Depositions must never be taken for granted in the preparations needed to win a dispositive motion or a trial, and five best practices, including knowing when to hire a videographer, can significantly improve outcomes, says James Argionis at Cozen O'Connor.
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The Challenges Of Measuring Harm In Slack-Fill Cases
A recent California federal court partial class certification ruling was a rare victory for plaintiffs in a case over slack-fill empty space in packaged products, indicating that damages arguments may be important at the certification stage, say Sushrut Jain and Valentina Bernasconi at Edgeworth Economics.
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Series
Skiing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
A lifetime of skiing has helped me develop important professional skills, and taught me that embracing challenges with a spirit of adventure can allow lawyers to push boundaries, expand their capabilities and ultimately excel in their careers, says Andrea Przybysz at Tucker Ellis.
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Can A DAO Be Sued? SDNY Case May Hold The Answer
A case pending in the Southern District of New York will examine whether decentralized crypto co-op MakerDAO is a partnership with the capacity to be sued in federal court, and the decision could shape how legal frameworks will adapt to accommodate blockchain technologies moving forward, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.
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How Breach Reporting Is Changing For Financial Institutions
In May, the Federal Trade Commission's amended Safeguards Rule will extend the data protections that apply to information held by banks to information held by nonbanking financial institutions — and sweep even more broadly in some critical aspects, say Evan Yahng and Kurt Hunt at Dinsmore.
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Opinion
UK Whistleblowers Flock To The US For Good Reason
The U.K. Serious Fraud Office director recently brought renewed attention to the differences between the U.K. and U.S. whistleblower regimes — differences that may make reporting to U.S. agencies a better and safer option for U.K. whistleblowers, and show why U.K. whistleblower laws need to be improved, say Benjamin Calitri and Kate Reeves at Kohn Kohn.