Analysis

FCC Staff Are Making Big Decisions, But The Tactic Isn't New

By Christopher Cole

When an arm of the Federal Communications Commission that deals with broadcast competition waived one of the country's signature media ownership rules without a full FCC vote this year, it wasn't the first time agency staff had been entrusted with a major decision by the FCC's politically appointed chair.

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AT&T Asks To Cut Copper-Based VoIP Service In 20 States

By Nadia Dreid

AT&T is continuing with its plans to end its legacy copper-line telephone service across the United States, asking the Federal Communications Commission for permission to cut services that rely on copper wires in certain areas in 20 states.

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Linqto Founder Engineered $450M 'Pre-IPO' Fraud, Feds Say

By Pete Brush

The founder of Linqto, a bankrupt platform that allows investors to buy shares before their initial public offerings, was arrested in California Wednesday and charged in New York federal court with a $450 million price markup scheme.

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Thomson Reuters Cyberattack Hits North American Courts

By Bonnie Eslinger

A recent cyberattack on Thomson Reuters' court management software affected files associated with court systems in 11 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada, and may have exposed sealed documents and individuals' personal information, according to a Wednesday announcement from the technology and information services company.

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GOP Bill Would Alter CFPB Funding, Curb Enforcement

By Sarah Jarvis

Two high-ranking Republican U.S. representatives have formally introduced legislation that would put the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau through the regular congressional appropriations process and establish a dedicated inspector general, among other changes.

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GAO Says FCC Needs To Ease Broadband Map Issues

By Aneeta Mathur-Ashton

A U.S. Government Accountability Office report to congressional committees is recommending that the Federal Communications Commission work with smaller communities and providers in completing the challenge process to determine the accuracy of its mapping data.

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FCC Backs Alaska Telecom GCI's Plan To Serve 10K More

By Nadia Dreid

Improvements in broadband infrastructure mean that Alaskan telecom GCI Holdings will be able to provide hybrid fiber-cellular service to 10,000 more people in the state, the telecom has told the Federal Communications Commission.

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FCC Floats 'Scorecard' To Deal With Robocall Deluge

By Christopher Cole

As the flood of robocalls continues, Federal Communications Commission leaders are considering a "scorecard" to let consumers rate their voice service providers as to how effectively they are blocking unwanted calls.

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Brief

Trading Firm To Seek Justices' Input On Arbitration Questions

By Lauraann Wood

The Seventh Circuit said Wednesday that it will wait to make its arbitration rejection official so a Chicago trading firm can ask the U.S. Supreme Court to determine whether it was correctly ordered to litigate proposed class securities manipulation accusations.

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Banks Can Discuss Fraud Without Disclosing SARs

By Sarah Jarvis

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's financial crimes unit and other financial regulators said Wednesday that banks can communicate with customers who are the subject of suspicious activity reports about potential underlying fraud so long as they don't reveal the existence of the report.

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Kroger, Costco, Major Grocers Added To DOJ Beef Price Probe

By Lauren Berg

The U.S. Department of Justice expanded its investigation into potential anticompetitive conduct in the American beef industry to include The Kroger Co., Walmart, Costco Wholesale Corp. and five other major grocers.

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Wireless Provider Claims Utility Slowing Idaho Projects

By Christopher Cole

A wireless services provider claims a Washington-based public utility is slowing down its Idaho broadband deployments and charging excessive fees, asking the Federal Communications Commission to step in.

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Brief

14 Cos. Banned From US Networks Over Robocall Violations

By Nadia Dreid

More than a dozen voice service providers have been booted from U.S. networks after failing to follow Federal Communications Commission rules aimed at staunching the barrage of robocalls that assault Americans' phones every day.

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Hess, Pioneer, Others Can't Duck Shale Oil Price-Fix Claims

By Bryan Koenig

A New Mexico federal judge preserved the core of a consolidated proposed class action from consumers, businesses and local governments accusing Hess, Pioneer, Continental and other fossil fuel giants of conspiring to slow down shale oil production to drive up prices, tossing only a handful of state law claims.  

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Baby Formula Machine Makes Infants Lose Weight, Suit Says

By Jonathan Capriel

The makers of the Baby Brezza formula mixing machine are facing a proposed class action in New York federal court from a group of parents who say the $200 device dispenses dangerously diluted formula, even when properly used, causing infant weight loss and hospitalizations.

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'Astonished' Homebuyer Says Atty Email Lapse Caused Hack

By Pete Brush

A New York City law firm has been ordered to provide internet security and login information to a homebuyer who claims she was left in "shock" when an impostor with access to her lawyer's email tricked her into wiring away over $730,000.

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10th Circ. Says Vape Shops Fumbled Utah Flavor Ban Appeal

By Jonathan Capriel

The Tenth Circuit dismissed an appeal brought by vape businesses challenging Utah's flavored e-cigarette ban, ruling that the companies picked the wrong order to bring to it on appeal.

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PayPal Lets Tech 'Invisibly' Track Venmo Users, Suit Says

By Katryna Perera

PayPal misled users about third-party tracking technologies embedded in its payment platform Venmo and how their personal information was disclosed to third parties, according to a new suit filed in California federal court.

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DOJ Ad Tech Judge Won't Break Up Google's Biz

By Bryan Koenig

A Virginia federal judge on Wednesday refused to break up Google's advertising placement technology business, opting instead to grant the U.S. Department of Justice a litany of behavioral fixes aimed at limiting the search giant's ability to boost itself and the ads running through its own servers over ads from rival ad tech providers.

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Ohio Court Rejects Class Bid In State Farm Vehicle Value Row

By Danielle Ferguson

An Ohio federal judge Tuesday rejected a driver's attempt to certify a class of policyholders in a case alleging State Farm underpaid the cash value of totaled vehicles, finding class treatment would be "inappropriate" because each vehicle would need individual assessment.

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DC Says AC Outage Among 'Shocking' Conditions At Complex

By Nate Beck

Washington, D.C., said Wednesday that it has sued the landlord of an affordable housing complex where residents have dealt with "shocking" conditions such as a summertime air conditioning outage, unrepaired fire damage and pest infestations.

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Mich. Judge Cites Risk To Public In Ban On Kalshi Sports Bets

By Alex Lawson

A Michigan judge bolstered the statewide ban on Kalshi's sports offerings Wednesday, ruling that the state's residents are still at risk of exploitation by the prediction market platform.

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NJ Urges Justices To Resolve Kalshi Sports Betting Split

By Aislinn Keely

New Jersey regulators on Wednesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to address the newly emerged circuit split around prediction market regulation, filing a long-awaited petition that challenged a Third Circuit decision blocking the state from pursuing Kalshi's sports event contracts as unlicensed bets.

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Unilever, Gruns Sued Over Gummies Marketed As 'Sugar-Free'

By Carla Baranauckas

Unilever United States Inc. and Gruns Nutrition Inc. have been hit with class claims in New Jersey federal court alleging that they falsely labeled a line of gummies as "sugar-free" even though the nutritional supplements are sweetened with allulose, which the four suing consumers say is a sugar under federal regulations.

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Cruise Says GM Investors Can't Pursue Robotaxi Fraud Suit

By Linda Chiem

Cruise LLC told a Michigan federal judge Tuesday that lead plaintiffs lack standing to pursue their securities fraud class action alleging General Motors Co.'s self-driving car unit misrepresented the technological capabilities and commercial readiness of its robotaxis, and that their class certification bid should be rejected.

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Colo. Says Semiautomatic Gun Law Is Constitutional

By Rachel Konieczny

Colorado officials urged a federal judge to not block the enforcement of a new state law restricting ownership of certain semiautomatic firearms, contending the law is constitutional and complies with recent Supreme Court precedent.

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Akerman Hires Consumer Protection Law Ace From Steptoe

By Gina Kim

Akerman LLP announced on Monday it has welcomed a former Steptoe LLP attorney who brings vast experience helping clients navigate a unique, complicated landscape involving Golden State consumer protection laws and regulations, including matters related to Proposition 65.

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Illinois BNPL Law Casts Wide Net Over Loan Providers

A new Illinois law's broad definition of buy now, pay later providers under its new dedicated licensing and supervisory regime notably imposes conduct standards similar to other consumer credit regimes and aggressively looks through a wide range of business activities and arrangements, say attorneys at Ashurst Perkins.

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Calif. Bill Regulating Atty AI Use Heads To Newsom's Desk

By Emily Sawicki

A bill regulating attorneys' and arbitrators' use of generative artificial intelligence has unanimously passed the California State Legislature and is headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk.

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House Rejects Amendment To Fix Court At 9 Justices

By Courtney Bublé

The House failed to pass a proposed constitutional amendment on Wednesday that would keep the number of U.S. Supreme Court justices at nine.

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Dems Call Subpoenas' Secrecy Request 'Abuse Of Authority'

By Aneeta Mathur-Ashton

Democratic lawmakers Sen. Ron Wyden, Ore., and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Wash., have called for an investigation into subpoenas issued from federal law enforcement to private companies that contain nondisclosure provisions and carry threats of legal consequences for noncompliance.

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Tyson's Price-Fixing Deal Merits $27.5M Atty Fees, Buyers Say

By Dorothy Atkins

Beef direct purchasers asked a Minnesota federal judge Tuesday to award class counsel $27.5 million in fees, or one-third of Tyson's $82.5 million price-fixing settlement, arguing that the deal was reached after six years of hard-fought antitrust litigation and adds to another settlement, bringing the total recovery to $135 million.

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JPMorgan Seeks Stay Of $20M Javice, Amar Fee Order

By Jarek Rutz

JPMorgan Chase & Co. urged the Delaware Chancery Court on Wednesday to pause enforcement of an order requiring it to advance more than $20 million in disputed legal fees to convicted Frank founder Charlie Javice and former executive Olivier Amar, arguing the bank could permanently lose the money before it gets a chance to challenge the ruling.

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ABA Outlines Attys' Duties To Clients With Intellectual Limits

By Jack Karp

Attorneys have the same obligations to clients with decision-making limitations, should abide by those clients' decisions regarding their representation and must work to maintain an ordinary client-lawyer relationship as much as possible, the American Bar Association said in an opinion released Wednesday.

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