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Consumer Protection

  • June 17, 2025

    Democrats Probe Palantir About IRS Taxpayer Database

    Ten Democratic lawmakers demanded information Tuesday from the head of Palantir Technologies Inc. about media reports that the software company is working with the IRS to create a searchable database containing sensitive taxpayer information — claims the company denied almost immediately.

  • June 17, 2025

    Drivers Can't Get Class Cert. For Undervaluation Claims

    A Massachusetts state court justice on Tuesday declined to certify a class of drivers who say they were underpaid for the value of their "totaled" vehicles, saying the case against The Commerce Insurance Co. requires individualized inquiry.

  • June 17, 2025

    Packaging Co. Ex-Worker's Genetic Privacy Suit Dropped

    A former employee claiming a food packaging company unlawfully asked her and other prospective workers about their family medical history have agreed to drop a lawsuit alleging her ex-employer violated Illinois' privacy law, according to a joint filing in Illinois federal court.

  • June 17, 2025

    Four More Women Appeal NIL Deal Over Title IX Objections

    Four additional former and current women college athletes, including one of the most decorated lacrosse players of all time, have filed notice of their intent to appeal the NCAA's $2.78 billion name, image and likeness compensation settlement to the Ninth Circuit, objecting to the deal's disproportionately low allocation of money to women.

  • June 17, 2025

    Senate Bill Could Hike Taxes On Litigation Funding Profits

    Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, released the committee's budget reconciliation proposal Monday evening, which includes proposed reforms to third-party litigation funding.

  • June 17, 2025

    Firms Fight To Rep End Users In PVC Pipe Antitrust Row

    Several law firms are duking it out for a lead counsel appointment representing a new class of end-user plaintiffs in consolidated litigation accusing PVC pipe companies of using a commodity pricing service to exchange information and illegally fix prices, with Pearson Warshaw LLP, Kirby McInerney LLP, Fegan Scott LLC and Levin Sedran & Berman LLP making bids.

  • June 17, 2025

    Google Opposes Advertisers' Ad Tech Class Cert Bid

    Google told a New York federal court that the advertiser seeking to represent a class of more than 2 million members in multidistrict litigation accusing the tech giant of monopolizing key digital ad technology spent less than $500 on Google Ads during the class period.

  • June 17, 2025

    Squire Patton Hires TikTok Product Privacy Pro In Sydney

    Squire Patton Boggs has added a data protection and regulatory attorney in Sydney, Australia, who previously served as TikTok's product privacy lead in the Asia Pacific region and in emerging markets, the firm has announced.

  • June 17, 2025

    Gemini Says CFTC Enforcement Went 'Trophy-Hunting' In Suit

    The crypto exchange Gemini on Tuesday slammed the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's Enforcement Division and the attorneys who pursued a now-settled case against the firm, calling the division "out of control" and accusing its attorneys of engaging in "trophy-hunting lawfare."

  • June 17, 2025

    Meta Can't Nix FTC's Lead Econ Expert From Antitrust Trial

    A D.C. federal judge on Tuesday refused to exclude testimony by the Federal Trade Commission's lead economics expert during an antitrust trial over Meta's acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram, finding Meta already had the chance to question if he was biased and that it wouldn't improperly influence a jury since it's a bench trial.

  • June 17, 2025

    Burford Blasts Interference Claim In Chicken Price-Fix Case

    The Illinois federal judge handling consolidated price-fixing litigation against the nation's largest chicken producers should throw out the settlement interference counterclaim Tyson lodged alongside its answer in the case because it is no more than a speculation-based "fishing expedition," litigation funder Burford Capital argued.

  • June 17, 2025

    Comerica Says Cardholders Get No Interest On Benefit Cards

    Comerica Bank is not permitted to pay interest to recipients of a federal assistance program it helps administer, the bank argued in a bid to toss class claims from enrollees of the benefits card program who allege that the bank improperly kept interest earned on their accounts.  

  • June 17, 2025

    BowFlex Recall Burdens Buyers Of 3.7M Dumbbells, Suit Says

    A BowFlex buyer is suing the brand's new owner in California federal court, alleging that a recall of defective adjustable dumbbells wrongly leaves out the vast majority of the product's buyers, covering only about 100,000 of the 3.8 million products sold.

  • June 17, 2025

    Former Antitrust Enforcers Launching New Firm

    Former enforcers from the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice launched a new law firm on Tuesday, Simonsen Sussman LLP, to bring cases on behalf of entrepreneurs, small businesses, workers and other victims of anticompetitive practices.

  • June 16, 2025

    Monsanto Fights Plaintiffs' Billion-Dollar Ask In PCB Tort Trial

    Nearly two dozen people who say they were poisoned by Monsanto-made chemicals asked a Washington state jury on Monday for a damages award of $1.1 billion to $3.3 billion, as the company's counsel countered the plaintiffs lack blood testing results and other key evidence to back their "extraordinary" request.

  • June 16, 2025

    DVD Buyers Must Arbitrate Video Privacy Claims, Judge Says

    A California federal judge has found that a putative class action accusing a pair of DVD and video game sellers of unlawfully disclosing online buyers' personal information to Meta belongs in arbitration, finding that while the dispute presents a "close call," the defendants haven't waived their right to compel arbitration. 

  • June 16, 2025

    Paddle.com To Pay FTC $5M Over Tech Support Scam Claims

    Payment processing company Paddle.com Market Ltd. agreed on Monday to pay $5 million to settle a suit brought by the Federal Trade Commission accusing it of assisting and processing payments for tech support scams.

  • June 16, 2025

    Ex-Gree Execs Get 3 Yrs. In Landmark Product Safety Case

    Two former Gree USA Inc. executives were sentenced to approximately three years in prison each by a California federal judge on Monday, after being found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission by failing to report defective humidifiers in landmark criminal convictions under the Consumer Product Safety Act.

  • June 16, 2025

    Bank Groups Will Join In On Fed's Debit-Card Swipe Fee Fight

    Two banking industry groups received a North Dakota federal judge's permission Monday to present the perspective of banks when he holds a key hearing next month to mull a retailer-backed legal challenge to the Federal Reserve's limits on debit-card swipe fees.

  • June 16, 2025

    Maryland, Kalshi Clash Over Sports Contract Oversight

    Maryland regulators and KalshiEx are dueling over whether the trading platform's past battle with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission to list its election contracts complicates its current bid to block Maryland regulators from taking action over contracts that allow traders to wager on the outcome of sporting events.

  • June 16, 2025

    Consolidated SVB Class Action Survives 3 Dismissal Bids

    A California federal judge has rejected three bids to dismiss a proposed shareholder class action against Silicon Valley Bank's brass, underwriters and auditor stemming from the bank's 2023 failure, finding the plaintiffs' "well-pleaded" allegations can continue.

  • June 16, 2025

    FCC Defends Prison Phone Rate Caps At 1st Circ.

    The Federal Communications Commission has agreed to push the deadline for its prison phone rate caps back by one year for a company that has argued it needs more time, but it's still standing by the need for those caps at the First Circuit.

  • June 16, 2025

    VPN Co. Charges Monthly Fee Without Consent, Suit Says

    A company that sells virtual private networks and is owned by an Israeli billionaire has been slapped with a lawsuit accusing it of enrolling customers in automatic subscriptions without their permission.

  • June 16, 2025

    VoIP Providers Want FCC To Preempt Calif. 'Overreach'

    Internet voice call providers are asking the Federal Communications Commission to preempt California from enforcing new rules that the providers consider "overreach" in regulating the businesses.

  • June 16, 2025

    Apple Can't Duck Renewed ICloud Monopoly Suit

    A California federal judge refused Monday to dismiss a proposed class action accusing Apple of maintaining a monopoly by keeping "full-service" cloud storage functionality limited to its own iCloud service while barring third-party cloud storage from accessing all files on iPhones and iPads.

Expert Analysis

  • Robinson-Patman Enforcement May Fizzle Out After PepsiCo

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    After securing an early Robinson-Patman Act victory against the largest wine and spirits distributor in the U.S., the Federal Trade commission's voluntary dismissal of its own enforcement action against PepsiCo throws into doubt the future of the federal statute that prohibits price discrimination and other anticompetitive practices, say attorneys at V&E.

  • Series

    Running Marathons Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    After almost five years of running marathons, I’ve learned that both the race itself and the training process sharpen skills that directly translate to the practice of law, including discipline, dedication, endurance, problem-solving and mental toughness, says Lauren Meadows at Swift Currie.

  • 3 Takeaways From Recent Cyberattacks On Healthcare Cos.

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    For the healthcare industry, the upward trend in styles of cyberattacks, costs, and entities targeted highlights the critical importance of proactive planning to help withstand the operational, legal and reputational turmoil that can follow a data breach, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Tips To Avoid Consumer Tracking Tech Class Actions

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    Recent class actions alleging Trade Desk illegally tracked millions of consumers through its advertising platform highlight growing data privacy compliance concerns over digital tracking practices, but there are disclosure best practices businesses can take to reduce litigation risk, says David Wheeler at Neal Gerber.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Supporting A Trial Team

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    While students often practice as lead trial attorneys in law school, such an opportunity likely won’t arise until a few years into practice, so junior associates should focus on honing skills that are essential to supporting a trial team, including organization, adaptability and humility, says Lucy Zelina at Tucker Ellis.

  • Opinion

    Address Nationwide Injunction Issues With Random Venues

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    Many of the qualms about individual district court judges' authority to issue nationwide injunctions could be solved with a simple legislative solution: handling multiple complaints about the same agency action filed in different district courts by assigning a venue via random selection, says Harvey Reiter at Stinson.

  • CFPB Industry Impact Uncertain Amid Priority Shift, Staff Cuts

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    A recent enforcement memo outlines how the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's regulatory agenda diverges from that of the previous administration, but, given the bureau's planned reduction in force, it is uncertain whether the agency will be able to enforce these new priorities, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Lessons From FTC Action On Dark Patterns In User Interfaces

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent complaint against Uber for its billing and cancellation practices comes amid other actions addressing consumer confusion and deception, so it is paramount to deploy tools that assess customers' cognitive states of mind to separate lawful marketing from misconduct, says Ceren Canal Aruoba at Berkeley Research Group.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From US Attorney To BigLaw

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    When I transitioned to private practice after government service — most recently as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia — I learned there are more similarities between the two jobs than many realize, with both disciplines requiring resourcefulness, zealous advocacy and foresight, says Zach Terwilliger at V&E.

  • 11th Circ. Ruling Warns Parties To Follow Arbitral Rules

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    The Eleventh Circuit's recent decision in Merritt Island Woodwerx v. Space Coast is important for companies utilizing arbitration clauses because it clearly demonstrates the court's intent to hold noncompliant parties responsible in federal court — regardless of subsequent efforts to cure, says Ed Mullins at Reed Smith.

  • How The DOJ Is Redesigning Its Approach To Digital Assets

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    Two key digital asset enforcement policy pronouncements narrow the Justice Department's focus on threats like fraud, terrorism, trafficking and sanctions evasion and dial back so-called regulation by prosecution, but institutions prioritizing compliance must remember that the underlying statutory framework hasn't changed, say attorneys at Blank Rome.

  • 2nd Circ. Limits VPPA Liability, But Caveats Remain

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    The Second Circuit's narrowed scope of the Video Privacy Protection Act in Solomon v. Flipps Media, in which the court adopted the ordinary person standard, will help shield businesses from VPPA liability, but the decision hardly provides a free pass to streamers and digital media companies utilizing website pixels, say attorneys at Frankfurt Kurnit.

  • Measuring The Impact Of Attorney Gender On Trial Outcomes

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    Preliminary findings from our recent study on how attorney gender might affect case outcomes support the conclusion that there is little in the way of a clear, universal bias against attorneys of a given gender, say Jill Leibold, Olivia Goodman and Alexa Hiley at IMS Legal Strategies.

  • The Ins And Outs Of Consensual Judicial References

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    As parties consider the possibility of judicial reference to resolve complex disputes, it is critical to understand how the process works, why it's gaining traction, and why carefully crafted agreements make all the difference, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • Opinion

    The BigLaw Settlements Are About Risk, Not Profit

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    The nine Am Law 100 firms that settled with the Trump administration likely did so because of the personal risk faced by equity partners in today's billion‑dollar national practices, enabled by an ethics rule primed for modernization, says Adam Forest at Scale.

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