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Consumer Protection
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September 06, 2024
SEC Fraud Suit Against Battery Co. Survives Dismissal Bid
A California federal judge has rejected battery developer NDB Inc.'s motion to dismiss a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission suit alleging the company and its CEO misled investors about the prospects of so-called nano-diamond battery technology, saying the SEC sufficiently pled that the defendants were the "maker" of statements that were materially misleading to investors.
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September 06, 2024
'Insanity Tolling' May Save Ford Rollaway Claims, Panel Says
A split Michigan appellate panel has revived a lawsuit against Ford Motor Co. from a woman who was run over by her Ford Escape, finding her debilitating stress and depression may entitle her to an exception to the statute of limitations.
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September 06, 2024
State Law Claims Chopped From Jeep Windshield Defect Suit
A New Jersey federal judge has dismissed all state law consumer protection claims from a proposed class action alleging FCA US LLC sold Jeep vehicles with defective windshields, finding the plaintiffs' allegations that they did "online research" about the vehicles are not enough to show the company made any misrepresentations.
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September 06, 2024
Military Borrowers Get Initial Nod On $64M USAA Settlement
USAA Federal Savings Bank garnered initial approval of a $64.2 million settlement that draws to a close nearly three years of litigation over claims it disregarded federal laws protecting military borrowers, according to an order filed Friday in North Carolina federal court.
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September 06, 2024
DOJ Must Give Google 'Something Concrete' On Search Fixes
The Justice Department cannot wait until February to propose remedies meant to address Google's default contract exclusionary thumb on the scales of online search, a D.C. federal judge told the agency during a hearing Friday, adding that the government needs to put a definitive proposal on the table much sooner.
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September 06, 2024
YouTuber Says Logan Paul Filed Defamation Claims Too Soon
YouTuber Coffeezilla has told a Texas federal judge that social media entertainer Logan Paul's defamation suit shouldn't move forward since Paul never asked the video creator to correct or rework the investigative series that Paul claims defamed him as a scammer.
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September 06, 2024
NC Judge Orders MV Realty's CEO To Produce Emails
A North Carolina Business Court judge on Friday ordered MV Realty to produce its CEO's emails as part of Attorney General Josh Stein's lawsuit accusing the company of locking homeowners in fraudulent deals to extract illegal fees.
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September 06, 2024
Boeing Loses Bid To Toss Investor Suit Over Blowout
A Virginia federal judge gave the green light to Boeing investors to continue their securities fraud proposed class suit against the company over one of its planes' midair door blowout in January, rejecting the aerospace giant's motion to dismiss and telling Boeing it had a "real problem" on its hands.
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September 05, 2024
TikToker Conned Followers With Real Estate Fraud, Feds Say
A social media influencer faces criminal charges and a suit from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission after he allegedly made false claims to investors that money put into purported real estate projects would earn them passive income.
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September 05, 2024
Lawmakers, AGs Urge Justices To OK Denial Of E-Cig Apps
A coalition of state attorneys general and a group of Democratic Congress members are backing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in its fight to persuade the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a decision striking down the denials of applications to market flavored vapes.
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September 05, 2024
CFTC Says Ex-Commish's Signature Was Forged For $1.5M Scam
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has sued the operator of an unlicensed commodity pool for allegedly targeting dozens of Spanish-speaking immigrants in a $1.5 million Ponzi-like scheme that used a fictitious license containing a counterfeit CFTC seal and a forged commissioner signature to falsely promise investors guaranteed monthly returns.
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September 05, 2024
Law Firms Appeal Atty Fee Denial In Opioid Settlements
Two law firms, Goldstein & Russell PC and Kelley & Ferraro LLP, have claimed in an appeal to the Sixth Circuit that they were improperly shut out of the $2.13 billion attorney fee pool created by recent national opioid settlements with major pharmaceutical companies and pharmacy chains.
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September 05, 2024
Conn. Dentist Admits To Reaping $2.2M Through Kickbacks
A Connecticut dentist has pled guilty to paying $360,000 in kickbacks to recruiters who corralled Medicaid patients into her practice, pocketing $2.2 million in government payments in the process, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced Thursday.
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September 05, 2024
Judge Orders Jury Trial Over Arbitration Bid In TCPA Fight
An Ohio federal judge declined to rule on whether a proposed Telephone Consumer Protection Act class action against a Maryland-based healthcare company should go to arbitration, ordering that a jury should decide whether the plaintiff had an applicable arbitration agreement.
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September 05, 2024
NM AG Sues Snapchat Over Child 'Sextortion' And Abuse
New Mexico's attorney general on Thursday announced he has sued Snap Inc., alleging the social media company's policies and algorithm promote child sexual exploitation and the spread of child sexual abuse material.
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September 05, 2024
Clubman Talc Settles Prominent Developer's Asbestos Claims
The company behind Pinaud Clubman talcum powder products has settled claims that its merchandise contained asbestos and caused cancer in a real estate developer described by attorneys for co-defendant Johnson & Johnson as the "Donald Trump of Springfield, Massachusetts."
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September 05, 2024
FTC Staff Opposes Indiana Hospital Merger
Federal Trade Commission staff on Thursday urged Indiana's health department to reject Union Health's planned purchase of Terre Haute Regional Hospital LP from HCA Healthcare Inc.
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September 05, 2024
Advisory Opinion Backs Italian Case Against Android Auto
Italian antitrust authorities got a boost Thursday defending a more than €100 million fine ($113.3 million at current exchange rates) against Google and an order requiring the company to further open up its Android Auto app that integrates with car infotainment systems, thanks to an advisory opinion submitted to Europe's highest court.
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September 05, 2024
Lumen Sued Over $1.4B Pension Swap With 'Risky' Provider
Two retired employees of Lumen Technologies are suing the internet service provider and an investment adviser over the transfer of $1.4 billion in pension obligations to a "highly risky private equity-controlled" insurance company, arguing in a Colorado class action that the move puts their retirement benefits at risk despite safer options available.
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September 05, 2024
Asbestos Claimants Want A Say In 4th Circ. 'Two-Step' Appeal
Asbestos cancer survivors and the estates of victims with pending claims against Aldrich Pump LLC, DBMP LLC and Murray Boiler LLC have asked the Fourth Circuit's permission to file an amicus brief in an appeal centered on the separate Chapter 11 case of Georgia-Pacific unit Bestwall, saying they had been prevented from pursuing relief while Aldrich, DBMP and Murray pursue bankruptcy.
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September 05, 2024
Mayors Say No To FCC Bulk Billing Proposal
Dozens of mayors from across the country have teamed up to tell the Federal Communications Commission that they are against its plans to enact stricter regulations against bulk billing arrangements, saying the agency's "intervention would be detrimental."
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September 05, 2024
FCC Says Telecom Needn't Cover Already Funded Tribes
A pair of tribes in Oklahoma and Arizona already have plans to use federal funding to get broadband to their people, so the FCC has agreed to remove the tribal lands from the area one telecom was required by its federal grant commitments to provide service to.
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September 05, 2024
Split 3rd Circ. Won't Rule Out Pa. As Wiretapping Suit Forum
The Third Circuit ruled in a precedential opinion Thursday that a lower court must reconsider if Pennsylvania consumers can sue for privacy violations caused by session replay software, reviving a portion of consolidated wiretapping class claims over activity tracking on websites for companies including Papa John's and Mattress Firm.
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September 05, 2024
Google Wants To Know Now What Search Fixes DOJ Will Seek
The U.S. Department of Justice and Google are offering a D.C. federal judge opposing views about how the remedy phase should go in the search monopolization case, with Google pressing to know as soon as possible what enforcers will be asking for.
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September 05, 2024
Dodge Ram Drivers Urge 6th Circ. To Revive Emissions Claims
Dodge Ram drivers pressed the Sixth Circuit to revive their proposed class action alleging Fiat Chrysler and engine manufacturer Cummins deceptively marketed their trucks as being more environmentally friendly than they actually were, saying a Michigan federal judge incorrectly found that their claims conflicted with federal law.
Expert Analysis
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Opinion
Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism
As society becomes increasingly fractured and workplace incivility is on the rise, attorneys must champion professionalism and lead by example, demonstrating how lawyers can respectfully disagree without being disagreeable, says Edward Casmere at Norton Rose.
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'Outsourcing' Ruling, 5 Years On: A Warning, Not A Watershed
A New York federal court’s 2019 ruling in U.S. v. Connolly, holding that the government improperly outsourced an investigation to Deutsche Bank, has not undercut corporate cooperation incentives as feared — but companies should not completely ignore the lessons of the case, say Temidayo Aganga-Williams and Anna Nabutovsky at Selendy Gay.
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Series
Serving In The National Guard Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My ongoing military experience as a judge advocate general in the National Guard has shaped me as a person and a lawyer, teaching me the importance of embracing confidence, balance and teamwork in both my Army and civilian roles, says Danielle Aymond at Baker Donelson.
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Big Business May Come To Rue The Post-Administrative State
Many have framed the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decisions overturning Chevron deference and extending the window to challenge regulations as big wins for big business, but sand in the gears of agency rulemaking may be a double-edged sword, creating prolonged uncertainty that impedes businesses’ ability to plan for the future, says Todd Baker at Columbia University.
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Series
After Chevron: Impact On CFPB May Be Limited
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo is likely to have a limited impact on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's regulatory activities, and for those who value due process, consistency and predictability in consumer financial services regulation, this may be a good thing, says John Coleman at Orrick.
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A Midyear Forecast: Tailwinds Expected For Atty Hourly Rates
Hourly rates for partners, associates and support staff continued to rise in the first half of this year, and this growth shows no signs of slowing for the rest of 2024 and into next year, driven in part by the return of mergers and acquisitions and the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, says Chuck Chandler at Valeo Partners.
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Synapse Bankruptcy Has Ripple Effects For Fintech Industry
Synapse Financial Technologies’ recent bankruptcy filing marks a significant moment in the fintech industry's evolution, highlighting that stringent compliance and risk management in fintech partnerships are essential to mitigate risk and protect consumers, say Joann Needleman and Ryan Blumberg at Clark Hill.
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Opinion
Discount Window Reform Needed To Curb Modern Bank Runs
We learned during the spring 2023 failures that bank runs can happen extraordinarily fast in light of modern technology, especially when banks have a greater concentration of large deposits, demonstrating that the antiquated but effective discount window needs to be overhauled before the next crisis, says Cris Cicala at Stinson.
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Mitigating Risks Amid 10-Year Sanctions Enforcement Window
In response to recent legislation, which doubles the statute of limitations for actions related to certain U.S. sanctions and provides regulators greater opportunity to investigate possible violations, companies should take specific steps to account for the increased civil and criminal enforcement risk, say attorneys at Freshfields.
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Series
In The CFPB Playbook: Making Good On Bold Promises
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision upholding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's funding structure in the second quarter cleared the way for the bureau to resume a number of high-priority initiatives, and it appears poised to charge ahead in working toward its aggressive preelection agenda, say Andrew Arculin and Paula Vigo Marqués at Blank Rome.
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Series
After Chevron: Creating New Hurdles For ESG Rulemaking
The U.S. Supreme Court's Loper Bright decision, limiting court deference to agencies' statutory interpretations, could have significant impacts on the future of ESG regulation, creating new hurdles for agency rulemaking around these emerging issues, and calling into question current administrative actions, says Leah Malone at Simpson Thacher.
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California Adds A Novel Twist To State Suits Against Big Oil
California’s suit against Exxon Mobil Corp., one of several state suits that seek to hold oil and gas companies accountable for climate-related harms, is unique both in the magnitude of the alleged claims and its use of a consumer protection statute to seek disgorgement of industry profits, says Julia Stein at UCLA School of Law.
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Opinion
States Should Loosen Law Firm Ownership Restrictions
Despite growing buzz, normalized nonlawyer ownership of law firms is a distant prospect, so the legal community should focus first on liberalizing state restrictions on attorney and firm purchases of practices, which would bolster succession planning and improve access to justice, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.
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How Attorneys Can Reduce Bad Behavior At Deposition
To minimize unprofessional behavior by opposing counsel and witnesses, and take charge of the room at deposition, attorneys should lay out some key ground rules at the outset — and be sure to model good behavior themselves, says John Farrell at Fish & Richardson.
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Best Text Practices In Light Of Terraform's $4.5B Fraud Deal
Text messages were extremely important in a recent civil trial against Terraform Labs, leading to a $4.5 billion settlement, so litigants in securities fraud cases need to have robust mobile data policies that address the content and retention of messages, and the obligations of employees to allow for collection, say Josh Sohn and Alicia Clausen at Crowell & Moring.