Consumer Protection

  • September 13, 2024

    Wells Fargo Unit To Pay $3M Over Unsuitable Trading Claims

    The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has ordered Wells Fargo Clearing Services to pay roughly $3 million to settle allegations that the firm failed to adequately supervise how its registered representatives were selling certain securities that are subject to potential abuse because of the concessions they pay.

  • September 13, 2024

    23andMe Inks $30M Data Breach Deal With 6.4M Users In MDL

    Personal genomics company 23andMe has reached a $30 million settlement to resolve multidistrict class action litigation on behalf of more than 6 million customers whose personal data was stolen and in some cases leaked onto the dark web, according to a California federal court filing Thursday.

  • September 13, 2024

    What To Know About The Google AdTech Trial

    Google is set to resume its battle with the Department of Justice in a courtroom in Alexandria, Virginia, in one of the year's most high-profile lawsuits. The central question: Did the Californian search giant illegally monopolize the advertising technology space? Here, Law360 looks at takeaways from the first week's action.

  • September 13, 2024

    NJ Gov. Signs Law To Limit Sale Of 'Intoxicating Hemp'

    New Jersey Governor Philip Murphy on Thursday signed a bill into law aimed at regulating the sale and distribution of intoxicating hemp products in the state, particularly those sold by unauthorized sellers and those sold to people under 21.

  • September 13, 2024

    SEC Inks $100M Deal With FirstEnergy, Sues Ex-CEO

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission reached a $100 million settlement with FirstEnergy Corp. over its role in a $60 million corruption scandal Thursday, the same day the agency sued a former executive who collected tens of millions of dollars in executive perks while the wrongdoing unfolded.

  • September 13, 2024

    Conn. Panel Spurns Atty's Bid For More ID Theft Damages

    An attorney whose professional credentials were stolen by scammers can get triple damages under Connecticut's identity theft protection statute but can't simultaneously fetch compensation under the state's unfair trade practices law, the state appeals court ruled Friday.

  • September 13, 2024

    Trio Of BigLaw Mergers Expected To Drive More Deal Talks

    After months of a relatively steady pace of law firm mergers and acquisitions, the trio of proposed BigLaw tie-ups announced in recent days will likely spur more firms toward entertaining similar deal talks, experts say. Here, Law360 offers a snapshot of the proposed deals.

  • September 13, 2024

    Monster Tears Into Supplements Co. For Using 'Beast' Marks

    Monster Energy Co. has launched a suit in California federal court that accuses a Miami-based company of marketing and selling supplements that infringe Monster's "Beast"-related trademarks.

  • September 13, 2024

    Philly's Defunct University Of The Arts Files For Ch. 7

    Philadelphia's University of the Arts, which abruptly closed in June, filed for Chapter 7 liquidation Friday in Delaware bankruptcy court, roughly two weeks after nearby Temple University said it would not move forward with a potential merger.

  • September 13, 2024

    Makers Of Paragard Say Time Ran Out On Claims In 236 Suits

    Teva Pharmaceuticals and The Cooper Cos. pressed an Atlanta federal judge to pare back multidistrict litigation over alleged defects in the Paragard IUD by dismissing untimely claims across 236 complaints.

  • September 13, 2024

    Ex-DOJ Deputy In TikTok, Twitter Cases Joins Mayer Brown

    A former leader of the U.S. Department of Justice's consumer protection arm who helped bring landmark privacy cases against TikTok and Twitter is jumping to Mayer Brown LLP, where he will focus on government investigations and enforcement actions.

  • September 13, 2024

    FuboTV Antitrust Trial Against Disney Set For Fall 2025

    FuboTV's antitrust trial against the launch of a new sports streaming service by The Walt Disney Co., Fox Corp. and Warner Bros. Discovery is set to begin Oct. 6 next year, according to a court filing Thursday.

  • September 13, 2024

    Sky Can't Force Ofcom To Revisit End-Of-Contract Decision

    Sky UK lost its attempt on Friday to force Ofcom to reconsider whether the media company broke consumer protection rules, even though Britain's competition tribunal has found that the telecommunications regulator had made mistakes in its original decision.

  • September 13, 2024

    Nestlé Can't Ax Danone's Whey Protein Patent At EPO

    Danone has rebuffed a bid by food and drink giant Nestlé to scrap its European patent for a whey protein composition, as it proved that using gum arabic as a sugar substitute was a new invention.

  • September 13, 2024

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    This past week in London has seen a football agent sue Chelsea FC after being cleared of allegations he threatened the club’s former director, an ongoing patent dispute between Amgen and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and a private school in Edinburgh suing Riverstone Insurance over compensation claims tied to historical abuse allegations made by former pupils. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • September 13, 2024

    FCA Faces Pressure Over Pricey Monthly Insurance Premiums

    A consumer advocacy group urged the British financial regulator on Friday to step in after it found that insurers were still charging up to 45% in interest for consumers who choose monthly payment plans for their annual premiums.

  • September 13, 2024

    UK Consumer Credit Firms Face New Reporting Requirements

    The Financial Conduct Authority has proposed issuing a new reporting obligation for consumer credit firms as it seeks to prevent harm to consumers earlier and avoid another scandal such as the collapse of London Capital & Finance.

  • September 13, 2024

    Brokers Seek Insurance Tax Cut In Budget For At-Risk Housing

    A trade body for insurance brokers has urged the U.K. government to exempt policyholders in apartment buildings with flammable cladding from a tax on premiums, as it seeks to avoid a jump in the price of cover.

  • September 13, 2024

    Vodafone-Three Deal Could Boost Users' Costs, UK Warns

    A proposed £16.5 billion ($21.7 billion) merger between Vodafone Group PLC and the telecommunications networks of Three UK could raise tens of millions of mobile customers' bills, Britain's antitrust authority warned Friday.

  • September 12, 2024

    8th Circ. Nixes $563M Verdict Against BMO Harris Over Ponzi

    The Eighth Circuit on Thursday struck down a $563 million verdict against BMO Harris NA over claims that a bank it acquired had aided and abetted Thomas J. Petters' multibillion dollar Ponzi scheme, ruling that the bank should have been allowed to raise a defense that would have barred the suit in the first place.

  • September 12, 2024

    Wells Fargo Ordered To Overhaul Sanctions, AML Compliance

    Wells Fargo faces fresh restrictions on launching new products and entering new markets, and must beef up its compliance and monitoring efforts around sanctions, anti-money laundering and other international business risks, under an enforcement action announced Thursday by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. 

  • September 12, 2024

    FCC Tells 6th Circ To Affirm Net Neutrality

    The Federal Communications Commission told the Sixth Circuit the agency acted well within the law when it reimposed net neutrality limits on broadband providers and urged the court to reject industry claims that the commission's authority to regulate high-speed internet service is a "major question" that only Congress may address.

  • September 12, 2024

    Crypto Wallet Co. Beats Colo. Class Action Over $100M Hack

    The developers and owners of cryptocurrency application Atomic Wallet have beaten a proposed class action over a hack last year that stole roughly $100 million in customers' assets, with a Colorado federal judge saying the suit doesn't have a strong enough connection to the Centennial State to proceed there.

  • September 12, 2024

    US Sanctions Cambodian Tycoon For Forced Labor Scam

    A prominent Cambodian businessman and his business entities were hit with sanctions from the Treasury Department for their role in human rights abuses related to forced labor and human trafficking, the department announced Thursday.

  • September 12, 2024

    Trading Firm EToro To Limit Crypto Sales, Pay $1.5M SEC Fine

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday ordered trading platform eToro USA LLC to pay a $1.5 million fine and stop U.S. customers from trading in all but the three largest crypto assets to settle the regulator's allegations that the firm operated as an unregistered broker and clearing agency.

Expert Analysis

  • 3 Ways To Limit Risks Of Black-Box AI In Financial Services

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    As regulators increasingly highlight the potential for artificial intelligence to make unfair consumer credit decisions, and require financial institutions to explain how these so-called black-box algorithms arrive at conclusions, companies should consider three key questions to reduce their regulatory risks from these tools, say Jeffrey Naimon and Caroline Stapleton at Orrick.

  • Takeaways From EU's 'Pay Or Consent' Advertising Probe

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    Anne-Gabrielle Haie and Charles Whiddington at Steptoe examine key points from the European Commission's recent investigation into Big Tech's use of "pay or consent" advertising models, as well as the European Data Protection Board’s opinion on how such models can comply with EU competition and data protection laws.

  • When Banks Unknowingly Become HIPAA Biz Associates

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    There appears to be significant confusion regarding the application of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act to financial institutions when serving healthcare-related clients, so these institutions should consider undertaking several steps as a starting point in the effort to achieve compliance, say attorneys at Vorys.

  • From Muppet Heads To OJ's Glove: How To Use Props At Trial

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    Demonstrative graphics have become so commonplace in the courtroom that jurors may start to find them boring, but attorneys can keep jurors engaged and improve their recall by effectively using physical props at trial, says Clint Townson at Townson Consulting.

  • Opinion

    The Big Issues A BigLaw Associates' Union Could Address

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    A BigLaw associates’ union could address a number of issues that have the potential to meaningfully improve working conditions, diversity and attorney well-being — from restructured billable hour requirements to origination credit allocation, return-to-office mandates and more, says Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea.

  • Opting In To CIPA Risk Mitigation After New Precedent

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    A recent California federal court decision, adopting a new, broad interpretation of the California Invasion of Privacy Act, will likely increase the volume of CIPA claims and should prompt businesses to undertake certain preventative measures, including adopting an opt-in approach to using third-party website advertising technologies, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • Opinion

    It's Time For A BigLaw Associates' Union

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    As BigLaw faces a steady stream of criticism about its employment policies and practices, an associates union could effect real change — and it could start with law students organizing around opposition to recent recruiting trends, says Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea.

  • CFPB's Earned Wage Access Rule Marks Regulatory Shift

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    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's newly issued interpretive rule on earned wage access products, classifying them as extensions of credit, marks a significant shift in their regulatory landscape and raises some important questions regarding potential fringe cases and legal challenges, say Erin Bryan and Courina Yulisa at Dorsey & Whitney.

  • What 7th Circ. Samsung Decision Means For Mass Arbitration

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    The Seventh Circuit's recent decision in Wallrich v. Samsung highlights the dilemma faced by mass arbitration filers in the face of nonpayment of arbitration fees by the defending party — but also suggests that there are risks for defendants in pursuing such a strategy, says Daniel Campbell at McDermott.

  • How Justices Upended The Administrative Procedure Act

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    In its recent Loper Bright, Corner Post and Jarkesy decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court fundamentally changed the Administrative Procedure Act in ways that undermine Congress and the executive branch, shift power to the judiciary, curtail public and business input, and create great uncertainty, say Alene Taber and Beth Hummer at Hanson Bridgett.

  • FTC Drives Crackdown On Connected Cars' Data Privacy Risk

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    After the Federal Trade Commission's warning to automakers about data privacy, which continues to emerge as a national concern, automakers must carefully examine their data collection, use and retention practices, say Catherine Castaldo and Michael Rubayo at Reed Smith.

  • Jarkesy May Thwart Consumer Agencies' Civil Penalty Power

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy not only implicates future SEC administrative adjudications, but those of other agencies that operate similarly — and may stymie regulators' efforts to levy civil monetary penalties in a range of consumer protection enforcement actions, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • How Courts Split On Damages Analysis In Automotive Suits

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    As high-profile vehicle recalls and lawsuits alleging vehicle defects surge, many plaintiffs are turning to choice-based conjoint analysis to calculate damages, but a review of federal district court decisions reveals a range of views on the validity of this methodology, say Joshua Hochberg and Shireen Meer at Berkeley Research.

  • Considerations As State AGs Step Up Privacy Enforcement

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    As new state privacy laws take effect, businesses are facing an increasingly complex patchwork of compliance obligations and risk of scrutiny by attorneys general, but companies can gain a competitive edge by building consumer trust and staying ahead of regulatory trends, say Ann-Marie Luciano and Meghan Stoppel at Cozen O’Connor.

  • 2 Vital Trial Principles Endure Amid Tech Advances

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    Progress in trial technologies in the last 10 years has been transformative for courtroom presentations, but two core communication axioms are still relevant in today's world of drone footage evidence and 3D animations, say Adam Bloomberg and Lisa Walters at IMS Legal Strategies.

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