Consumer Protection

  • May 14, 2025

    Ohio Water Utility Sues Chem Cos. Over PFAS Cleanup

    An Ohio water utility has said some makers of fire fighting foam that contain so-called forever chemicals have known since the 1960s that the chemicals would contaminate soil and water but continued to sell the foam regardless, according to a suit filed against a dozen companies.

  • May 14, 2025

    10th Circ. Wary Of Hemp Interests' Challenge To Wyoming Law

    A Tenth Circuit panel on Wednesday appeared skeptical that a Wyoming state law regulating hemp-derived intoxicating products was preempted by the federal law legalizing hemp nationwide.

  • May 14, 2025

    EPA Plans Cutbacks And Delays To PFAS Drinking Water Regs

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday said it will retain the current drinking water standards for two toxic PFAS but will delay compliance deadlines for public water systems and eliminate limits on other forever chemicals.

  • May 14, 2025

    CFTC's Mersinger Will Depart Agency To Lead Crypto Lobby

    U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commissioner Summer Mersinger is leaving the agency to lead cryptocurrency industry group the Blockchain Association, the organization announced Wednesday.

  • May 14, 2025

    NY AG Says Capital One Denied Millions In Account Interest

    New York's attorney general on Wednesday sued Capital One in New York federal court, alleging the bank deprived online savings customers of millions of dollars in interest, a case that echoes a lawsuit the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently abandoned.

  • May 13, 2025

    CFPB Floats Repeal Of Biden-Era Registry, Designation Rules

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Tuesday that it will seek to close its "repeat offender" registry and stop disclosing its decisions to tag potentially risky firms for closer oversight, stepping back from two Biden-era initiatives aimed at greater nonbank scrutiny.

  • May 13, 2025

    Crypto Platform's Ex-Brass Plead Guilty To $150M Fraud

    Two former executives behind bankrupt cryptocurrency investment platform Cred Inc. pled guilty Tuesday in California federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, admitting they gave customers "an unreasonably positive" portrayal of the business ahead of a collapse that prosecutors say wiped out up to $150 million in customer crypto.

  • May 13, 2025

    Asterisk Doesn't Save CVS In Sanitizer Row, 9th Circ. Told

    An attorney for a man suing CVS Pharmacy urged the Ninth Circuit on Tuesday to revive his claims alleging the company misled consumers with a promise its hand sanitizer kills 99.99% of germs, arguing the asterisk on the front label does not clear the company of wrongdoing despite a recent ruling from the circuit that gives significance to that type of asterisk. 

  • May 13, 2025

    CFPB Calls Off Suit Over Walmart Driver Deposit Accounts

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau told a Minnesota federal court Tuesday that it is dropping its enforcement lawsuit that accused Walmart and fintech company Branch Messenger Inc. of forcing delivery drivers to use costly deposit accounts to receive wages, months after the court put the case on hold.

  • May 13, 2025

    Ga. Law Shields Pesticide Makers From Failure-To-Warn Suits

    Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has signed new legislation into law that will soon shield pesticide manufacturers from liability in failure-to-warn suits, coming on the heels of a $2.1 billion verdict against the makers of Roundup weed killer delivered by a state jury earlier this year.

  • May 13, 2025

    DOJ Antitrust Deputy Says Gov't 'Out-Lawyered' Google

    The deputy head of the U.S. Justice Department's Antitrust Division took a victory lap Tuesday after dual monopolization wins over Google's search and advertising technology businesses, citing the cases as proof that the government's attorneys can win in a "David versus Goliath" battle.

  • May 13, 2025

    Kansas City Bank Fights Ex-Detainees' Debit Fee Case

    A Kansas City, Missouri-based bank urged a Washington federal judge to dismiss a class action from former detainees who said they were hit with illegal card fees to get back money confiscated from them, arguing that the bank has made changes to comply with a federal electronic fund transfers law.

  • May 13, 2025

    FTC Remains Concerned With Merger 'Underenforcement'

    A Federal Trade Commission official emphasized Tuesday that Trump administration merger enforcers are worried about taking insufficient action against tie-ups, as they stand by Biden-era guidelines meant to enshrine a more aggressive tack against corporate concentration.

  • May 13, 2025

    Google Spars With AGs Over Impact Of DOJ Ad Tech Ruling

    Google is telling a Texas federal judge that its recent ad tech trial loss to the U.S. Department of Justice in the Eastern District of Virginia should have no bearing on the similar case brought in Texas by state attorneys general because the Virginia ruling is not yet final.

  • May 13, 2025

    Snap Denies It Caused Users' Fentanyl Overdose Deaths

    Snap has hit back at dozens of claims by parents of children who suffered fatal overdoses from fentanyl-laced pills acquired through the social media platform, saying many had a history of drug use, were themselves dealers or acquired drugs through other means.

  • May 13, 2025

    Ski Resort Owner Offers Alternative Fixes After Antitrust Loss

    A New York ski resort operator is offering alternative remedies for a state court to consider after it found the owner violated antitrust law by acquiring a rival ski operation and shutting it down, despite a call from enforcers for a sale of the property to another operator.

  • May 13, 2025

    Target Slapped With Class Action Over IPhone Warranties

    Target Corp. is facing a proposed class action alleging it misled cellphone buyers about who is responsible for repairs, how much repairs cost and the warranty terms for its phones.

  • May 13, 2025

    Texas Investigates Gen­er­al Mills Over Food Coloring In Cereal

    Texas launched an investigation against General Mills Inc. over allegedly illegal misrepresentations the company made about its cereals such as Trix and Lucky Charms, saying in a Tuesday announcement the cereals contain artificial dyes that pose severe health risks for children.

  • May 13, 2025

    FTC Says It Won't Enforce 'Click To Cancel' Until July

    The Federal Trade Commission, currently only staffed with Republicans following President Donald Trump's firing of the remaining two Democratic commissioners, has decided to pump the brakes on its plan to start enforcing the agency's new "click to cancel" rule this month.

  • May 13, 2025

    State Farm's Emergency Rate Hike Request Approved In Calif.

    California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced Tuesday that he had adopted a judge's recommendation to approve State Farm General Insurance Co.'s request for an emergency rate increase for property insurance in the state, following January wildfires that have already cost California insurers $12.1 billion.

  • May 13, 2025

    Senate Dems Say Paramount Deal Needs Full FCC Vote

    Two Democratic senators called Tuesday for a full Federal Communications Commission vote on the tie-up of Paramount and Skydance Media to avoid even the "appearance of impropriety" from the deal gaining approval amid President Donald Trump's suit against Paramount's CBS.

  • May 13, 2025

    PBMs Get Bipartisan Bashing At Hearing On Drug Costs

    Senators across party lines slammed pharmacy benefit managers on Tuesday, sometimes in coarse language, as they wrestled with how to reduce drug prices for patients while also preventing the closure of rural pharmacies.

  • May 13, 2025

    Farberware, Walmart Can't Duck Pressure Cooker Burn Suit

    A Pennsylvania federal judge on Tuesday denied Walmart Inc. and Farberware Licensing Co.'s bid to prevail in a suit alleging they sold a defective pressure cooker that erupted and burned a woman using it to make steak.

  • May 13, 2025

    Judge Preserves Consumer Action Over Kratom Extract

    A Missouri federal judge has largely preserved claims against a company that markets an opioid-like kratom extract, advancing a proposed consumer class action alleging the products were deceptively marketed to hide their addictive properties.

  • May 13, 2025

    States Grapple With Feds Revoking Digital Equity Grants

    States that received grant money under the $2.75 billion Digital Equity Act are scrambling to figure out their next steps after the Trump administration called the program "unconstitutional" and cut off their funding in recent days.

Expert Analysis

  • 2 Recent Federal Decisions Affecting State CIPA Cases

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    Two recent cases may help stem the tide of the ever-increasing number of California Invasion of Privacy Act complaints filed in federal court, but won't prevent plaintiffs from filing in state courts, so companies need to shift their focus from Article III standing to statutory standing, says Matthew Pearson at Womble Bond.

  • Opinion

    Airlines Should Follow Treaty On Prompt Crash Payouts

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    In the wake of the recent crash of a Delta Air Lines flight during landing in Toronto, it is vital for air carriers and their insurers to understand how the Montreal Convention's process for immediate passenger compensation can avoid years of costly litigation and reputational damage for companies, says Robert Alpert at International Crisis Response.

  • McKernan-Led CFPB May Lead To Decentralized Enforcement

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    Though Jonathan McKernan’s confirmation as director would likely mean a less active Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the decreased federal oversight could lead to more state-led investigations, multistate regulatory actions and private lawsuits under consumer protection laws, says Jonathan Pompan at Venable.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From Fed. Prosecutor To BigLaw

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    Making the jump from government to private practice is no small feat, but, based on my experience transitioning to a business-driven environment after 15 years as an assistant U.S. attorney, it can be incredibly rewarding and help you become a more versatile lawyer, says Michael Beckwith at Dickinson Wright.

  • Opinion

    SEC Shouldn't Complicate Broker-Dealers' AML Compliance

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    Recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission anti-money laundering enforcement actions show that regulators should not second-guess broker-dealers' reasonable judgment, or stretch the law or their jurisdiction to regulate through enforcement, lest they expect broker-dealers to vigorously defend their AML programs, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Rebuttal

    6 Reasons Why Arbitration Offers Equitable Resolutions

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    Contrary to a recent Law360 guest article, arbitration provides numerous benefits to employees, consumers and businesses alike, ensuring fair and efficient dispute resolution without the excessive fees, costs and delays associated with traditional litigation, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • Executive Orders Paving Way For New Era Of Crypto Banking

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    Recent executive orders have already significantly affected the day-to-day operations of financial institutions that have an interest in engaging with digital assets, and creating informed strategies now can support institutions as the crypto gates continue to open to the banking industry, say attorneys at Spencer Fane.

  • How Calif. Algorithmic Pricing Bills Could Affect Consumers

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    California's legislative efforts to regulate algorithmic pricing may address antitrust and fairness concerns, but could stop retailers from providing consumer discounts, says Alyssa Sones at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Explaining CFPB's Legal Duties Under The Dodd-Frank Act

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    While only Congress can actually eradicate the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Trump administration has sought to significantly alter the agency's operations, so it's an apt time to review the minimum baseline of activities that Congress requires of the CFPB in Title X of the Dodd-Frank Act, say attorneys at Bradley Arant.

  • State Securities Enforcers May Fill A Federal Enforcement Gap

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission appears poised to take a lighter touch under the new administration, but state enforcement efforts are likely to continue unabated, and potentially even increase, particularly with regard to digital assets and ESG disclosures, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Firms Still Have Lateral Market Advantage, But Risks Persist

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    Partner and associate mobility data from the fourth quarter of 2024 shows that we’re in a new, stable era of lateral hiring where firms have the edge, but leaders should proceed cautiously, looking beyond expected revenue and compensation analyses for potential risks, say Julie Henson and Greg Hamman at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.

  • Recent Cases Highlight Latest AI-Related Civil Litigation Risks

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    Ongoing lawsuits in federal district courts reveal potential risks that companies using artificial intelligence may face from civil litigants, including health insurance coverage cases involving contractual and equitable claims, and myriad cases concerning securities disclosure claims, say attorneys at Katten.

  • What Rodney Hood's OCC Stint Could Mean For Banking

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    Acting Comptroller of the Currency Rodney Hood's time at the helm of the OCC, while temporary, is likely to feature clarity for financial institutions navigating regulations, the development of fintech innovation, and clearer expectations for counsel advising on related matters, say attorneys at Vedder Price.

  • Opinion

    We Must Allow Judges To Use Their Independent Judgment

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    As two recent cases show, the ability of judges to access their independent judgment crucially enables courts to exercise the discretion needed to reach the right outcome based on the unique facts within the law, says John Siffert at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.

  • 4 Actions For Cos. As SEC Rebrands Cyber Enforcement Units

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    As the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission signals its changing enforcement priorities by retooling a Biden-era crypto-asset and cybersecurity enforcement unit into a task force against artificial-intelligence-powered hacks and online investing fraud, financial institutions and technology companies should adapt by considering four key points, say attorneys at Troutman.

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