For legal professionals across the globe, it’s imperative to stay updated with recent developments in legal news. One such noteworthy announcement is the suspension of the arbitration process for “Surprise Billing” put in place by the “No Surprises Act”. This marks the second time the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has opted to…
In our Weekly Notable Ruling Roundup, we strive to keep our professional legal audience informed on recent decisions in relevant sectors. Today, our focus is primarily on the food & consumer packaged goods space. Firstly, in Magdalena Bojko, et al. v. Pierre Fabre USA Inc., No. 22-cv-06728 (N.D. Ill. – June 27, 2023), the Northern…
The UK’s HM Treasury has initiated a Call for Input on The Future of Payments review, opening up an investigation into the prospective landscape of transactions. This review is primarily aligned with consumer needs, notably the needs of individuals and businesses engaged in retail payment processing. This strategic move adds to the wider global conversation…
In the realm of financial regulation, a significant legal development has emerged involving some of the largest trade associations for community banks and Texas First Bank. These entities are moving to intervene in a case that challenges the enforcement of a rule by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). As highlighted by JD Supra, this…
The Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) of the United States issued a report titled: The EPA Should Determine What Interim Actions Can Be Taken to Immediately Notify the Public When Lead in Drinking Water Exceeds the Agency’s Action Level. This was disseminated on July 20th, raising serious implications for public health…
The world of consumer finance has experienced notable tremors with the recent key departures from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a situation that has raised intriguing questions within the legal circles. In a significant shift within the FTC, Commissioner Christine Wilson has recently stepped down, hot on the heels of the resignation of Commissioner Noah…
In a recent episode of the Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast, noted academician and legal expert Arthur E. Wilmarth of George Washington University Law School, provides a comprehensive examination of the current state of the cryptocurrency sector, explicating the inherent challenges it poses to investors and the banking system at large. The conversation delves deep into…
Yet another slew of undisclosed gifts for Justice Clarence Thomas have been reported, racking up to several hundred thousand dollars in value. These dealings have raised serious ethical concerns over conflicts of interests within the judiciary. ProPublica delve further into the specifics. In efforts to diversify the legal field, the American Bar Association (ABA) is…
A Senate bill seeking crucial modifications to the operation of patent challenges at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), has come under fire from a consortium of ten think tanks and consumer groups. Their main concern? They believe the bill will perpetuate the status quo of Americans paying higher prices for prescription drugs than…
Despite the broader downturn experienced by the book publishing industry, Simon & Schuster seems to be defying the odds and remain a valuable asset. In November 2021, the Justice Department intervened to prevent publishing industry behemoth Penguin Random House from acquiring its competitor Simon & Schuster. Proving the claim of Attorney General Merrick Garland, a…
In an intriguing turn of events, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the New York Attorney General’s office have temporarily halted their joint legal action against Credit Acceptance Corporation, a major subprime indirect auto finance company. The case, originally filed on January 4 in the Southern District of New York, has been stayed pending…
In the wake of a recent court decision stalling the enforcement of regulations for the Consumer Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”), the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) has expressed its intent to carry on with privacy enforcement measures. These developments come amidst an extension of the enforcement block by a considerable nine months. While this may…
After seven protracted years of anticipation, the Bermuda Government has declared that the remaining sections of the Personal Information Protection Act 2016 (PIPA) are scheduled to be implemented in their entirety on January 1, 2025. Up to this point, only subset portions of PIPA, primarily those pertaining to the induction of the Office of the…
On August 8, 2023, a third-party data breach was reported by the Missouri Department of Social Services (“DSS”), which impacted the MOVEit server of IBM Consulting – one of its vendors. The incident was found after IBM identified unauthorized access into its system that eventually led to the compromise of consumers’ sensitive information, including protected…
In a recent development, Metrc LLC, a Florida-based cannabis inventory tracking vendor, has requested a Colorado state court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a local marijuana dispensary. In its defense, Metrc LLC argues that the dispensary’s allegation of its “support fees” violating state antitrust and consumer protection laws is without valid ground. The case…
Bank OZK, a reputable financial institution, recently announced a concerning data breach affecting an undisclosed number of its customers. The breach originated not from the bank itself, but one of its business partners, demonstrating that the security vulnerabilities extend far beyond a single organization’s control. The bank discovered the breach on August 7, 2023, and…
Consumer data privacy has taken center stage in recent years, particularly fueled by increasing oversight of tech companies and growing public concern. Yet, the landscape of federal policy-making in this area has been relatively sparse. As common ground emerges in the realm of bipartisan policymaking, significant developments are expected at the state level as it…
In a precedent-setting decision, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has granted permission to two American firms, Upside Foods and GOOD Meat, to market lab-grown chicken in the country. This move marks a significant development in the synthetic meat industry, particularly for poultry products. The review and approval process involved both the USDA’s Food…
In a recent move of significance within the legal world, a former attorney from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has transitioned for the second time in as many years. Having left Kirkland & Ellis LLP just the previous year to co-lead the antitrust and consumer protection practice at Sidley Austin LLP, the attorney now finds…
In a significant recent decision that has broad ramifications for personal bankruptcy cases in Connecticut, the Connecticut Supreme Court has made a pivotal ruling on the state’s new homestead law. This verdict will permit the protection of up to $250,000 in home equity against unsecured debts from before the time the law came into effect….
In an era increasingly dominated by digital transformation, the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the landscape across myriad sectors. Preeminent among these are the environmental and energy sectors, where the influence of generative AI is yielding significant results and driving innovative change. Instrumental to this revolution is the growth and development of…
In the closing installment of this three-part series, we cover the ongoing evolution around the management and defense of “junk fees” litigation under the purview of the Biden Administration’s cooperative efforts with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC). To recap the exposition we provided in our previous piece on this…
In an unpublished decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently held that a plaintiff did not have a cause of action under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) where the phone number used was the subject of twelve TCPA cases filed over a 12-month period. It was found that this phone…
In a recent encounter confronting the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Seventh Circuit Court has taken drastic actions. The FCC, frequently known for making declarations on the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), has been noted to make these statements in ways that are often unclear, ambiguous, or contradictory. This characteristic of the FCC recently did…
August has been a busy month in the legal landscape of the cannabis industry. One of the major highlights was the bipartisan effort in the United States Congress to address the legality and regulation of commercial hemp market. On July 20, the ‘Hemp Access and Consumer Safety Act’ was reintroduced in Congress. This bill garnered…