Consumer Protection

  • May 07, 2024

    Russian Charged Over $100M LockBit Ransomware Scheme

    Federal prosecutors said Tuesday they have charged a Russian national with founding and heading the prolific ransomware group LockBit, which is accused of stealing more than $100 million from its victims.

  • May 07, 2024

    TikTok Urges DC Circ. To Ax 'Unprecedented' Divestment Bill

    TikTok on Tuesday lodged its highly anticipated challenge to a new federal law that would exclude the popular app from the U.S. market unless it cuts ties with its Chinese parent company, telling the D.C. Circuit that the measure amounts to an unconstitutional and unprecedented ban on free speech. 

  • May 07, 2024

    Attys Denied $10M Fees As Family Dollar Deal Is Approved

    A Tennessee federal judge has given final approval to a settlement to end consumer claims stemming from a rodent infestation at a Family Dollar Stores Inc. warehouse, but denied a bid by class counsel for $10 million in fees.

  • May 07, 2024

    Birth Control Cos. Can't Dodge Conn. Injury Suit, Court Told

    An Illinois woman who sued after her Filshie Clip birth control device migrated inside of her and "wreaked havoc on her body" has urged a state court not to let the manufacturers of the device and the seller's parent companies dodge her claims.

  • May 06, 2024

    Google's $62M Location-Tracking Settlement Gets Green Light

    A California federal judge has granted final approval to Google's $62 million settlement resolving allegations it illegally collected and stored smartphone users' private location information, a deal that includes $18.6 million in fees for the lawyers representing the consolidated class.

  • May 06, 2024

    Coinbase Operates As Unregistered Broker, Investors Say

    Coinbase and its CEO have been hit with a proposed class action in California federal court alleging the crypto exchange "has been a part of a shadowy crypto ecosystem operating just outside of the law since formed over 10 years ago."

  • May 06, 2024

    Monsanto Says Ruling Undoes $438M School PCB Loss

    Monsanto said Friday that a $438 million judgment in a polychlorinated biphenyls poisoning case at a Washington school should be thrown out, citing a recent state appellate court ruling undoing a $185 million jury verdict in a similar case involving chemical-caused illnesses at the same school campus.

  • May 06, 2024

    New EPA Policy Could Increase Criminal Enforcement

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has rolled out a new policy intended to foster communication and coordination between its civil and criminal enforcement offices, a move experts say could result in an increase in criminal investigations and cases.

  • May 06, 2024

    Judge Turns Down Realtek's Patent 'Conspiracy' Case

    A California federal judge has found that Taiwanese chipmaker Realtek can't use the federal courts to sue one of its major rivals for allegedly using a "bounty" to fund "patent troll" litigation against it because that doesn't break any federal antitrust laws.

  • May 06, 2024

    Fed Law Doesn't Preempt Colo.'s Kroger Deal Challenge: DOJ

    The U.S. Department of Justice weighed in on Kroger and Alberton's arguments that the Colorado attorney general should not be able to challenge their national merger, arguing instead that states have an important solo role and there is nothing stopping a state court judge from blocking a deal regionally.

  • May 06, 2024

    GM Tells Mich. Justices Not To Heap On More Auto Regulation

    General Motors urged the Michigan Supreme Court to reject a call to expand the reach of a state consumer protection law to the automotive industry and others, saying federal and state oversight already protects car buyers.

  • May 06, 2024

    Crypto Platform's Ex-Brass Charged With $783M Fraud

    Three former executives behind bankrupt cryptocurrency investment platform Cred Inc. face wire fraud and money laundering charges after they allegedly lied to customers about the firm's lending and investing practices ahead of a collapse prosecutors say wiped out $783 million in customer crypto.

  • May 06, 2024

    Biotech Co. Wants To Appeal Red Cross Antitrust Immunity

    A biotech company has told a Massachusetts federal court that giving the American Red Cross immunity from claims that it smothered competition in the platelet bacteria mitigation market is unprecedented and leaves the organization free to fix prices or buy up its competitors.

  • May 06, 2024

    Warranty Claims Trimmed From Bone Graft Tuberculosis Suit

    A North Carolina federal judge has thrown out breach of warranty claims against three companies in a suit alleging their bone repair product gave a woman tuberculosis, saying it's subject to a state law blocking warranty liability for services involving human tissue.

  • May 06, 2024

    CFPB Sues Pa. Student Loan Servicer, Trusts For $5M

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is seeking $5 million in penalties against a Pennsylvania public corporation that services almost $18 billion in student loans and a group of 15 securitization trusts, accusing them in federal court of ignoring or wrongly denying borrowers who requested relief.

  • May 06, 2024

    UChicago Can't Ditch Data Sharing Privacy Claim

    A University of Chicago Medical Center patient accusing the hospital of illegally sharing her and other patients' identifying information with Meta can pursue her claims that the info sharing constitutes a federal wiretap violation, an Illinois federal judge said.

  • May 06, 2024

    Ga. Insurance Agency Hit With Suit Over 'Unwanted Calls'

    A Georgia-based insurance agency was hit with a proposed class action Monday alleging it makes "aggressive" telemarketing calls to seniors advertising final expense and life insurance products, even when the seniors are on the national do-not-call list or ask that the calls stop.

  • May 06, 2024

    5th Circ. Revives Airline Workers' Hearing-Loss Suit

    A pair of flight attendants seeking to hold Boeing liable over hearing loss they suffered due to an aircraft's allegedly faulty smoke alarm have successfully convinced a Fifth Circuit panel to allow them to refile their case, bringing their claims back from the brink almost three years after the appeals court tossed them.

  • May 06, 2024

    Class Actions Target Conn. Dealership Prices For 'VIN Etching'

    Three proposed class actions seeking to represent thousands of automobile buyers have accused Connecticut dealerships of overcharging for a service called VIN etching, which is designed to make it harder for thieves to offload stolen vehicles.

  • May 06, 2024

    Schools, Towns Reach Deal With Artificial Turf Maker

    A class of New Jersey school districts and municipalities has asked a New Jersey federal judge to give preliminary approval to a settlement with FieldTurf USA Inc. to resolve multidistrict litigation over claims its synthetic turf fields are defective.

  • May 06, 2024

    FCC Calls High Court Telecom Subsidy Challenge Premature

    The Federal Communications Commission has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to forgo review in two constitutional challenges to the agency's Universal Services Fund brought by free-enterprise groups, arguing that the appeals were filed too early and are based on a speculative circuit split that hasn't formed yet.

  • May 06, 2024

    Fashion Cos. Aim To Make FTC Define Market In Merger Suit

    Fashion companies Tapestry Inc. and Capri Holdings Ltd. have asked a New York federal court to order the Federal Trade Commission to define the proposed relevant market in its suit attempting to block the companies' planned $8.5 billion merger, saying they need a specific definition of the market in order to properly defend the deal.

  • May 06, 2024

    Chamber's Noncompete Challenge On Hold For Earlier Case

    A Texas federal court has paused the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's case challenging the Federal Trade Commission's pending ban on noncompetes and encouraged the group to join a case filed a day earlier by tax services and software company Ryan LLC.

  • May 06, 2024

    Redfin To Pay $9.2M To Exit Broker Fee Class Action

    Redfin disclosed to regulators on Monday that it will pay $9.25 million to end claims that it caused home sellers to pay inflated commissions under rules set by the National Association of Realtors, allowing the company to exit a class action that ensnared several brokerage firms.

  • May 06, 2024

    Ohio AG Says Social Media Age Limit Fight Hurts Democracy

    Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and the internet technology trade association that sued to block him from enforcing the Buckeye State's new law requiring parental consent for children under 16 to create online accounts have filed competing bids for early wins.

Expert Analysis

  • A Potential Proactive Tool For Public-Private Joint Ventures

    Author Photo

    In the current environment of heightened antitrust enforcement, the National Cooperative Research and Production Act seems tailor-made for the collaborative work among competitors encouraged by the Biden administration's infrastructure and green energy funding legislation, say Jeetander Dulani and Susan Ebner at Stinson.

  • 5 AI Risks For Corporate Boards To Examine

    Author Photo

    Whether companies are building their own artificial intelligence technology or leveraging third-party tools, their directors should get educated on certain legal issues and business risks to ensure the adoption of policies that foster responsible use of generative AI, say James Gatto and Tiana Garbett at Sheppard Mullin.

  • 3 Areas Of Focus In Congressional Crosshairs This Year

    Author Photo

    Companies must prepare for Congress to build on its 2023 oversight priorities this year, continuing its vigorous inquiries into Chinese company-related investments, workplace safety and labor relations issues, and generative artificial intelligence, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Companies Should Beware Greater Scrutiny Of Subscriptions

    Author Photo

    The New York Attorney General's Office has been utilizing a severe interpretation of the law in enforcement against subscription services, as demonstrated in last month's Sirius XM complaint and Cerebral settlement — and this focus is representative of heightened subscription scrutiny in other states and at the federal level, say attorneys at Venable.

  • Takeaways From FTC Children's Privacy Rule Proposal

    Author Photo

    The Federal Trade Commission’s recently issued and long-awaited proposed revisions to its Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule are not as seismic as might have been expected under current leadership, and show that the agency's COPPA rulemaking is far from over, says Phyllis Marcus at Hunton.

  • Series

    Baking Bread Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    After many years practicing law, and a few years baking bread, I have learned that there are a few keys to success in both endeavors, including the assembly of a nourishing and resilient culture, and the ability to learn from failure and exercise patience, says Rick Robinson at Reed Smith.

  • 3 Key Class Action Trends To Use As Guidance In 2024

    Author Photo

    Telephone Consumer Protection Act, privacy and false advertising class actions saw significant shifts last year — including a trend toward expanding the application of preexisting laws to current technologies — that businesses should keep in mind to navigate the class action landscape in 2024, say attorneys at Mintz.

  • Federal Courts And AI Standing Orders: Safety Or Overkill?

    Author Photo

    Several district court judges have issued standing orders regulating the use of artificial intelligence in their courts, but courts should consider following ordinary notice and comment procedures before implementing sweeping mandates that could be unnecessarily burdensome and counterproductive, say attorneys at Curtis.

  • What FTC CARS Rule Means For Auto Dealers And Lenders

    Author Photo

    A newly finalized Federal Trade Commission rule is aimed at changing how auto dealers interact with customers in the financing process, but will likely also affect banks and finance companies — and consequences for lenders and servicers have been amplified by recent Consumer Financial Protection Bureau enforcement actions, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • How Data Brokers Can Prep For Calif. Delete Act Compliance

    Author Photo

    As California Delete Act obligations approach in late January, data brokers should proactively assess and scrutinize their compliance with the act, taking proactive measures to mitigate potential risks associated with noncompliance, say Goli Mahdavi and Gabrielle Harwell at BCLP.

  • Why CFTC Whistleblowers Are Crucial To Crypto Regulation

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's whistleblower program has proven to be a key tool in the U.S.' efforts to police cryptocurrency, but a funding issue shows that it has become a victim of its own success, says Stephen Kohn at Kohn Kohn.

  • How 4 State AGs Are Shaping Data Privacy Compliance

    Author Photo

    As the landscape of state data privacy laws continues to grow across the nation, understanding how state attorneys general — such as in California, Colorado, Connecticut and Virginia — are thinking about these laws is critical to begin forecasting how enforcement will play out, say Michelle Kallen and Daniel Echeverri at Jenner & Block.

  • 7 E-Discovery Predictions For 2024 And Beyond

    Author Photo

    The legal and technical issues of e-discovery now affect virtually every lawsuit, and in the year to come, practitioners can expect practices and policies to evolve in a number of ways, from the expanded use of relevancy redactions to mandated information security provisions in protective orders, say attorneys at Littler.

  • Securities Class Actions Show No Signs of Slowing In 2024

    Author Photo

    Plaintiffs asserted securities class actions at elevated levels in 2023 — a sign that filings will remain high in the year ahead — as they switched gears to target companies that allegedly have failed to anticipate supply chain disruptions, persistent inflation, rising interest rates and other macroeconomic headwinds, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Top Considerations For Retailers Using AI To Combat Theft

    Author Photo

    The Federal Trade Commission's recent enforcement action against Rite Aid indicates a significant evolution in the landscape surrounding biometric information and artificial intelligence data collection by retailers, meaning retailers should take reasonable measures to prevent harm to customers, say attorneys at Dentons.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Consumer Protection archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!