Consumer Protection

  • July 08, 2026

    Meta Nears Ax Of Suits Over Pump-And-Dump Facebook Ads

    A California federal judge said Wednesday he's inclined to toss two proposed class actions alleging that Meta's AI tools enabled investment schemes advertised on Facebook, saying the litigation appears to be "on all fours" with a recent ruling in the same district finding such state claims are barred under federal securities law.

  • July 08, 2026

    Citi Should Be Shrinking, Not Shopping, Sen. Warren Says

    If Citigroup thinks now is a good time to expand its "financial empire" with a major acquisition, its already-mammoth size and past compliance troubles should make it think again, the top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Banking Committee told the bank on Wednesday.

  • July 08, 2026

    Google Slips Suit Over Alleged AI Spying On Users, For Now

    A California federal judge has tossed, with permission to amend, a putative class action accusing Google of secretly tracking its email, chat and videoconferencing users' private communications through its Gemini AI assistant, finding that the plaintiffs had failed to provide enough specifics about what data Google accessed or any future harms they may face.

  • July 08, 2026

    9th Circ. Revives Whirlpool Dishwasher Warranty Class Action

    The Ninth Circuit has revived a Washington retiree's lawsuit accusing Whirlpool Corp. and an insurer of deceptively marketing a service plan as providing repairs or replacements for her dishwasher when the fine print allowed them to instead buy the appliance at a depreciated price, leaving her without enough money to replace it.

  • July 08, 2026

    Meta's Zuckerberg Ordered Back For 2nd LA Social Media Trial

    A Los Angeles judge Wednesday ruled that Mark Zuckerberg must testify at an upcoming bellwether trial over claims his social media company harms young users' mental health after she previously compelled the Meta CEO to testify in February at the first bellwether trial.

  • July 08, 2026

    FCC Says OK To New Foreign Investors In IHeart Radio

    The Federal Communications Commission has already given auto industry bigwig iHeartMedia Inc. permission to be partially owned by some foreign investors, but the company is looking to increase that number, and the agency has just given it the green light.

  • July 08, 2026

    Amazon Ordered To Give FTC Docs It Claimed Were Privileged

    A Washington federal judge ordered Amazon to give the Federal Trade Commission several documents sought in the agency's antitrust case and said a "re-review" of the online retailer's discovery is needed to ensure the company "does not continue to withhold documents based on an improper application of the attorney-client privilege."

  • July 08, 2026

    Snack Cos. Say DOJ Deal Demands Price-Fix Verdict Revisit

    Kraft, Kellogg, Nestle and General Mills want an Illinois federal judge to schedule a status conference "imminently" in their long-running antitrust suit to ask Cal-Maine Foods Inc. about a deal it recently reached with the government over claims it inflated the price of eggs and how it affects their $53 million jury verdict.

  • July 08, 2026

    Comcast Says Power Co. Still Flouts FCC Pole Upgrade Order

    Comcast says it's time for the Federal Communications Commission to step in and force Appalachian Power Co. to follow the agency's orders when it comes to covering the cost of fixing utility poles for broadband upgrades.

  • July 08, 2026

    Butterball, 2 More Head For Ill. Turkey Price-Fix Trials

    An Illinois federal judge handling consolidated turkey price-fixing litigation has teed up two trials against Butterball and two other major producers as he works through a pile of summary judgment challenges from defendants looking to avoid jury trials.

  • July 08, 2026

    Costco Sued Over Reports Of Heavy Metals In Protein Powder

    Costco was hit with a proposed class action in Washington federal court Tuesday alleging the wholesale retailer knew the Orgain protein powders it sold at its warehouses and online risked containing dangerous levels of toxic heavy metals, but marketed them as providing "good, clean nutrition" and having "quality ingredients."

  • July 08, 2026

    Guild Mortgage Unit Reaches Deal To End Data Breach Suit

    A proposed class has decided to settle its data breach claims against mortgage lender and Guild Mortgage subsidiary Academy Mortgage Corp., according to a joint settlement notice filed in Utah federal court on Wednesday.

  • July 08, 2026

    NC Biz Court Told Insurers Owe Coverage To E-Commerce Co.

    Insurers under Nationwide and Lloyd's of London are facing a suit in the North Carolina Business Court from a digital marketing company alleging the insurers owe it for costs it incurred defending itself from claims it invaded users' privacy.

  • July 08, 2026

    USTelecom Backs AT&T Bid To Escape Calif. Carrier Rules

    USTelecom is urging the Federal Communications Commission to grant AT&T's petition to preempt California's "carrier of last resort" rules that the company says are delaying its rollout of all-IP phone networks.

  • July 08, 2026

    FCC Using AI To Modernize Operations, Says Top Legal Aide

    While the Federal Communications Commission is emerging as a key federal agency tackling artificial intelligence policy, the FCC itself is taking advantage of the technology to make its operations run more smoothly, a top official says.

  • July 08, 2026

    Archer Looks To Toss Remainder Of Joby's Trade Secret Suit

    Archer Aviation has asked a California federal judge to throw out what's left of rival electric air taxi-maker Joby Aviation's trade secret suit, saying Joby had ignored the court's instructions to proceed with narrowed claims and instead tried to expand its allegations without adding more substance.

  • July 08, 2026

    Tesla Auto Insurer Gets Ariz. Underpayment Class Action Axed

    An Arizona federal court tossed a proposed class action accusing Tesla's auto insurance subsidiary of underpaying claims for uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, finding that the court's lack of subject matter jurisdiction cannot be cured by the addition of two new carrier defendants.

  • July 08, 2026

    CFPB Calls For Input On Mortgage Rule Changes To Cut Costs

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is kicking off a broad review of its mortgage disclosure rules that is aimed at identifying ways to ease compliance costs for lenders and expand credit access for borrowers, according to a new regulatory notice.

  • July 08, 2026

    NC Realty Co. And Mortgage Lender Must Face Kickback Suit

    A realty company and a mortgage lender accused of running an unlawful kickback scheme couldn't secure a pretrial win after a North Carolina federal judge found a homebuyer alleged enough to confer standing under federal consumer protection law.

  • July 08, 2026

    Formula-Maker Sued After Recall And Reports Of Sick Infants

    Infant formula manufacturer Nara Organics Inc. sold milk-based powder that had to be recalled after federal regulators learned that multiple infants who had consumed the product were hospitalized with life-threatening botulism, according to a proposed class action filed Wednesday in New York federal court.

  • July 08, 2026

    FTC Can't Get Zillow-Redfin Deal Held Illegal Before Trial

    A Virginia federal judge refused in a bench ruling Wednesday to limit Zillow and Redfin's ability to defend a rental listings syndication deal the Federal Trade Commission says was a $100 million payoff for Redfin to exit the market, teeing up "multiple" factual disputes for trial next month.

  • July 08, 2026

    PBMs Fight Bid To Add Pharmacy Group To Price-Fixing Suit

    Two pharmacy benefit managers have told a Michigan federal judge that a trade association for small pharmacies should not be allowed to intervene in a price-fixing lawsuit brought by the state's attorney general.

  • July 08, 2026

    FCC Cuts Space License Backlog In Half, Bureau Chief Says

    The Federal Communications Commission has cut a backlog of applications for space-based industry licenses by more than half since adopting an "assembly line" approach to clearing paperwork, the agency's top official on space policy said Wednesday.

  • July 08, 2026

    5th Circ. Says Green Groups Lack Standing In LNG Fight

    A new Fifth Circuit ruling declining to review a case brought by environmental groups for lack of standing has paved the way for a deepwater liquefied natural gas project, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Wednesday.

  • July 08, 2026

    FTC, States Settle John Deere Right-To-Repair Case

    The Federal Trade Commission and state enforcers reached a deal Wednesday to settle an antitrust case accusing John Deere of restricting equipment repairs, after the company agreed to give farmers and independent technicians the resources it provides to authorized dealers.

Expert Analysis

  • Fighting The Evidentiary Risks Of Deepfakes In Court

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    Though courts and federal rules are only slowly developing frameworks for assessing digital evidence that could have been created or generated by artificial intelligence, litigators should understand what steps they'll likely need to take to successfully challenge potentially deepfaked exhibits — and fight questions about the authenticity of their own, say attorneys at MoFo.

  • What Durnell Ruling Means For Mo. Roundup Settlement

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    While the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Monsanto v. Durnell forecloses the failure-to-warn theory that carried most of the claims against Monsanto in a pending class action in Missouri state court, it leaves untouched the question of whether the class was assembled merely to contain the defendant's liability, says attorney Gregg Goldfarb.

  • Series

    Calif. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2

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    The year's second quarter brought several noteworthy financial services developments to California, including activity around a commercial finance oversight bill, the former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau head's appointment to lead a new consumer agency, and a ruling reinforcing viable bank-fintech partnerships, say attorneys at Manatt.

  • Quantum Readiness May Paradoxically Raise Contractor Risk

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    The organizations best positioned for the cryptographic system migration deadlines and other requirements under President Donald Trump’s recent quantum executive orders will be those able to inventory their cryptographic dependencies while protecting their vulnerability road map from adversaries, says Jesse Lemon at The Beckage Firm.

  • What Ex-CFPB Head's Calif. Role May Foretell For Oversight

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    California Gov. Gavin Newsom's selection of former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra to lead a new consumer agency signals tougher state financial services oversight, especially for fintechs, as well as heightened enforcement activity and larger penalties, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • New Va. Finance Laws Signal Consumer Protection Push

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    Virginia's 2026 legislative session produced several noteworthy developments for financial institutions, including garnishment reforms, mortgage assumption requirements and debt collection reforms, signaling broader trends toward increased consumer protection, enhanced fraud prevention obligations and greater accountability in financial services operations, says Jay Spruill at Woods Rogers.

  • How Montgomery Ruling Will Affect Cos. Across Supply Chain

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    Since the U.S. Supreme Court's May 14 decision in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, the immediate focus has been on freight brokers and negligent carrier-selection claims, but the ripple effects may extend to shippers, logistics providers, insurers, transportation managers and other participants in the supply chain, say attorneys at Quintairos Prieto.

  • High Court's FCC Fine Ruling Reframes Agency Enforcement

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Federal Communications Commission v. AT&T sweeps aside uncertainty about what kinds of regulatory enforcement trigger a Seventh Amendment right, say attorneys at Squire Patton.

  • After Durnell, Connecting Science And Causation Will Be Key

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's June 25 decision in Monsanto v. Durnell narrowed label-based failure-to-warn claims — meaning that going forward, viable theories will depend even more on whether experts can reliably connect scientific evidence to the causal proposition the law requires, says Alex Smolak at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar.

  • Series

    Choral Singing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Singing in the New York City Bar Chorus — a hobby partly inspired by the late U.S. District Judge Richard Owen, who infused my clerkship year with opera music — has improved my legal career by refining my abilities to listen, exude confidence and develop emotional intelligence, says Bonnie Baker at Friedman Kaplan.

  • What Ratings Overhaul May Mean For Banking Industry

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    Proposed revisions to the bank rating system commonly known as CAMELS could constrain examiner discretion and tie supervisory outcomes more closely to measurable financial risk, potentially saving compliance costs, reducing the frequency of ratings downgrades and spurring a more growth-oriented banking system, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Series

    Illinois Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2

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    The last three months were particularly consequential for Illinois banking law, with a federal court ruling reshaping the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act, the state filling enforcement gaps, significant legislative activity and a revision to the community bank leverage ratio, say attorneys at Riley Safer.

  • Attorney Mental Health Is An Ethical Obligation In The AI Era

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    As attorneys cope with the increasing unpredictability that artificial intelligence and constant policy changes have created, particularly in practice areas where they carry the emotional weight of clients’ most consequential life events, otherwise soft discussions about self-care are a matter of professional competence, says attorney Jack Jrada.

  • GM Privacy Penalty Signals A Change In Calif. Enforcement

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    General Motors' $12.75 million settlement with the California attorney general over its sale of driving behavior and geolocation data to brokers shows that disclosures and user choice may no longer be enough to define permissible data use, says Sonja Arndt-Johnson at Buchalter.

  • 3 Litigation Strategies To Stay Ahead Of Bad Facts

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    A case with damaging facts can still be won if, instead of avoiding the facts, attorneys proactively address them by carefully selecting a strategy of confronting, containing or reframing, says Allison Rocker at Baker McKenzie.

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