Consumer Protection

  • October 30, 2024

    3rd Circ. Asks If Dodge Charger Suit Is Ripe For Revival

    A Third Circuit panel on Wednesday asked owners of Dodge Charger Hellcats whether now is the right time to revive allegations that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US LLC sold them muscle cars that fell short of advertised high-performance standards.

  • October 30, 2024

    Under Armour Hit With False Ad Suit Alleging Fake Discounts

    Under Armour was slapped with a potential false advertising class action Tuesday in New York federal court accusing it of promising customers huge savings on athletic apparel sold online and at its brick-and-mortar stores by including bogus, higher reference prices on products that are virtually never sold at those prices.

  • October 30, 2024

    CTIA Asks To Expand Hot Spot Program Directly To Devices

    School districts and libraries should be able to use their E-rate funds to provide commercially available mobile broadband service to students instead of just hotspots, a wireless industry trade group has told the Federal Communication Commission.

  • October 30, 2024

    Keurig Dr Pepper Sued Over 'Naturally Flavored' Ginger Ale

    Keurig Dr Pepper faces a proposed class action filed in California federal court accusing it of mislabeling its Schweppes and Canada Dry brands of ginger ale beverages as only containing "natural flavors" while they actually contain a synthetic chemical to mimic the taste of ginger.

  • October 30, 2024

    Maryland Says Electricity Greenwashing Law Is Constitutional

    Renewable energy company Green Mountain Energy Co. and a national advocacy organization cannot block a Maryland law aimed at cracking down on electricity suppliers' "greenwashing" claims, Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown argued in federal court.

  • October 30, 2024

    Class Members Can't Change Opt-Out Rules In Chevy EV Deal

    A Michigan federal judge won't grant a bid by individual class members to change the opt-out procedure in a $150 million settlement to resolve claims that General Motors sold Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles with defective batteries, calling the motion an improper late objection to the settlement's preliminary approval.

  • October 30, 2024

    FTX Witness Who Saw Bankman-Fried's 'Evil' Avoids Prison

    A Manhattan federal judge allowed FTX's former chief engineer to avoid prison Wednesday, crediting his trial testimony against the crypto exchange's founder Sam Bankman-Fried, his ongoing cooperation and his relatively small role in the $11.2 billion fraud.

  • October 30, 2024

    Hershey's Candy Wrappers Contain PFAS, Spooky Suit Says

    A chocolate lover has sued The Hershey Co. in Pennsylvania federal court just days before Halloween alleging the packaging of its milk chocolate bars and Kisses, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Reece's Pieces and KitKat Bars contain dangerous "forever chemicals."

  • October 30, 2024

    Connecticut Water Users Amend Utility PFAS Class Action

    A proposed class of Connecticut consumers filed an amended complaint for a suit alleging a water utility knowingly sold water containing unhealthy levels of "forever chemicals" without installing treatment equipment that could have prevented the contamination from reaching people.

  • October 30, 2024

    Gulfstream Arbitration Notice To Worker Adequate, Court Says

    Jet manufacturer Gulfstream Aerospace's use of a hyperlink to the terms of its arbitration requirement for employee disputes was adequate notice to a worker who later tried to sue, an intermediate Massachusetts appellate court said Wednesday.

  • October 29, 2024

    Monsanto PCBs 'Pervasive' At School, Scientist Tells Jury

    Monsanto-made PCBs were "pervasive" at a Washington school, an industrial hygienist testified Tuesday in the latest trial over illnesses there before being grilled by defense counsel about the integrity of his material samples.

  • October 29, 2024

    NY Judge Tosses $14B Decongestant MDL

    A New York federal judge threw out a streamlined complaint in a multidistrict litigation accusing companies such as Target and Bayer of making and selling ineffective over-the-counter decongestants, finding Tuesday the state claims are expressly preempted, and the proposed class lacks standing on a federal racketeering claim as indirect purchasers.

  • October 29, 2024

    NY Health Provider To Boost Data Security To End AG's Probe

    An Albany-based healthcare provider has agreed to pay $2.75 million in penalties and data security enhancements to resolve the New York attorney general's claims it failed to protect private medical data that was exposed in a pair of 2023 cyberattacks, the regulator said Tuesday. 

  • October 29, 2024

    DOJ Will Restrict Data Swapping With 'Countries Of Concern'

    The U.S. Department of Justice has proposed new rules that will make it the regulator of any type of transaction that would put certain kinds of sensitive privacy data in the hands of any "covered persons" or "country of concern."

  • October 29, 2024

    Wells Fargo Fights To Ax Suit Over Identify Fraud Accounts

    Wells Fargo urged a California federal judge Tuesday to toss a proposed class action accusing the bank of violating the Fair Credit Report Act by accessing consumers' credit reports after fraudsters applied to open accounts with stolen information, saying Wells Fargo followed industry standards and the alleged damages are "conclusory."

  • October 29, 2024

    BofA Faces Scrutiny Of AML Program, Zelle Payment Handling

    Bank of America Corp. disclosed Tuesday that its anti-money laundering program is a focus of ongoing "discussions" with federal regulators and said it is mulling litigation with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau over a potential enforcement action related to digital payment network Zelle.

  • October 29, 2024

    Retired Fed. Circ. Judge Backs Invisalign In Monopoly Cases

    Retired Federal Circuit Judge Paul R. Michel warned the Ninth Circuit on Tuesday that reversing a lower court's decision to toss a pair of class actions accusing Invisalign of monopolizing the clear braces and teeth scanners market by illegally refusing to deal with a rival would increase patent owners' legal uncertainties.

  • October 29, 2024

    Judge Extends Block On Florida's Threats Over Abortion Ad

    A Florida federal judge on Tuesday extended a temporary order blocking the state from threatening television stations with criminal prosecution if they did not pull a campaign ad promoting an abortion rights ballot initiative.

  • October 29, 2024

    Canadian Co. Owes $7.5M Default Judgment In Toxic Mud Suit

    A Georgia federal judge has awarded a nationwide class of customers more than $7.5 million in damages in litigation alleging Canadian company BlackOxygen sold them mud-based nutritional supplements containing harmful levels of toxic heavy metals after the company failed to respond to their claims.

  • October 29, 2024

    NY Judge Says Law Sealing Illicit Pot Shops Unconstitutional

    A New York state judge ruled Tuesday that a newly enacted New York City law empowering municipal officials to shut down stores selling unlicensed marijuana products is unconstitutional.

  • October 29, 2024

    FCC, Calif. Agency To Team Up To Protect Privacy

    The Federal Communications Commission is going to be teaming up with one of California's consumer protection agencies to enforce privacy rights in the Golden State, the pair announced Tuesday.

  • October 29, 2024

    Rumble Pushes To Join Google Ad Tech MDL

    Video-sharing site Rumble has told the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation that its case accusing Google of monopolizing key digital advertising technology should be included in the consolidated litigation pending against the tech giant in New York.

  • October 29, 2024

    Merger Guides In Fashion As Court Pauses Handbag Deal

    The Federal Trade Commission scored a major win last week with a court order pausing the planned $8.5 billion merger between the owners of Coach and Michael Kors, but the ruling stopped short of fully embracing enforcers' recent attempts to influence merger law.

  • October 29, 2024

    US Finalizes Investment Ban On Chinese Emerging Tech

    The Biden administration finalized plans to ban U.S. investors from funding emerging Chinese technology, saying the restrictions are necessary to prevent Beijing from advancing technologies critical to its military modernization campaign. 

  • October 29, 2024

    Epic Urges 9th Circ. Not To Pause Google Play Store Fixes

    Epic Games Inc. has fired back against Google's request the Ninth Circuit issue an emergency stay pausing a lower court's antitrust injunction that would require Google to open up its Play Store to competing app stores, slamming Google's arguments as "scattershot," misleading and legally unfounded.

Expert Analysis

  • A Preview Of AI Priorities Under The Next President

    Author Photo

    For the first time in a presidential election, both of the leading candidates and their parties have been vocal about artificial intelligence policy, offering clues on the future of regulation as AI continues to advance and congressional action continues to stall, say attorneys at Mintz.

  • Opinion

    Big Oil Climate Ruling Sets Dangerous Liability Precedent

    Author Photo

    The recent Maryland court dismissal of Baltimore's case seeking to hold BP responsible for climate damage mischaracterized the city's injuries as divorced from the conduct that caused them, and could allow companies that conceal the dangers of their products to escape liability, says Randall Abate at George Washington University Law School.

  • DOJ Must Overcome Hurdles In RealPage Antitrust Case

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Department of Justice's recent claims that RealPage's pricing software violates the Sherman Act mark a creative, and apparently contradictory, shift in the agency's approach to algorithmic price-fixing that will face several key challenges, say attorneys at Clifford Chance.

  • What To Know About CFPB Stance On Confidentiality Terms

    Author Photo

    A recent circular from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau represents a growing effort across government agencies to address overbroad confidentiality agreements, and gives employers insight into the bureau's perspective on the issue as it relates to the Consumer Financial Protection Act, say Holly Williamson and Elizabeth King at Hunton.

  • Opinion

    3rd. Circ. Got It Right On Cancer Warning Claims Preemption

    Author Photo

    The Third Circuit's recent, eminently sensible ruling in a failure-to-warn case against Roundup manufacturer Monsanto, holding that the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act preempts state law claims, provides a road map that other courts should adopt, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation.

  • How Methods Are Evolving In Textualist Interpretations

    Author Photo

    Textualists at the U.S. Supreme Court are increasingly considering new methods such as corpus linguistics and surveys to evaluate what a statute's text communicates to an ordinary reader, while lower courts even mull large language models like ChatGPT as supplements, says Kevin Tobia at Georgetown Law.

  • Finding Coverage For Online Retail Privacy Class Actions

    Author Photo

    Following recent court rulings interpreting state invasion of privacy and electronic surveillance statutes triggering a surge in the filing of privacy class actions against online retailers, companies should examine their various insurance policies, including E&O and D&O, for defense coverage of these claims, says Alison Gaske at Gilbert LLP.

  • 5 Ways To Confront Courtroom Technology Challenges

    Author Photo

    Recent cybersecurity incidents highlight the vulnerabilities of our reliance on digital infrastructure, meaning attorneys must be prepared to navigate technological obstacles inside the courtroom, including those related to data security, presentation hardware, video playback and more, says Adam Bloomberg at IMS Legal Strategies.

  • The State Law Landscape After Justices' Social Media Ruling

    Author Photo

    Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent NetChoice ruling on social media platforms’ First Amendment rights, it’s still unclear if state content moderation laws are constitutional, leaving online operators to face a patchwork of regulation, and the potential for the issue to return to the high court, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Navigating New Enforcement Scrutiny Of 'AI Washing'

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent lawsuit against Joonko Diversity, its first public AI-focused enforcement action against a private company, underscores the importance of applying the same internal legal and compliance rigor to AI-related claims as other market-facing statements, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • What's Next For Federal Preemption In Financial Services

    Author Photo

    The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's review of its preemption interpretations and growing pressure from state regulators signal potential changes ahead for preemption in U.S. financial services, and the path forward will likely involve a reevaluation of the entire framework, say attorneys at Clark Hill.

  • Employer Arbitration Lessons From Calif. Consumer Ruling

    Author Photo

    Although a California state appeals court’s recent arbitration ruling in Mahram v. Kroger involved a consumer transaction, the finding that the arbitration agreement at issue did not apply to a third-party beneficiary could influence how employment arbitration agreements are interpreted, says Sander van der Heide at CDF Labor Law.

  • Unpacking Jurisdiction Issues In 3rd Circ. Arbitration Ruling

    Author Photo

    The Third Circuit's recent ruling in George v. Rushmore Service Center could be interpreted to establish three principles regarding district courts' jurisdiction to enter arbitration-related orders under the Federal Arbitration Act, two of which may lead to confusion, says David Cinotti at Pashman Stein.

  • Why Attorneys Should Consider Community Leadership Roles

    Author Photo

    Volunteering and nonprofit board service are complementary to, but distinct from, traditional pro bono work, and taking on these community leadership roles can produce dividends for lawyers, their firms and the nonprofit causes they support, says Katie Beacham at Kilpatrick.

  • 'Pig Butchering': The Scam That Exploits Crypto Confusion

    Author Photo

    Certain red flags can tip off banks to possible "pig-butchering," and with the scam's increasing popularity, financial institutions need to take action to monitor entry points into the crypto space, detect suspicious activity and provide a necessary backstop to protect customers, say Brandon Essig and Mary Parrish McCracken at Lightfoot Franklin.

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!