Class Action Litigation in the Wake of COVID-19
- Class action claims have taken on a new twist in the wake of COVID-19. Already, the global pandemic has generated litigation across a broad swath of areas, including privacy, data security, and consumer, among others. To date, hundreds of business lawsuits related to the... ›
CPSC Will Sharpen Its Focus on IoT in Upcoming Public Hearing About Internet-Connected Devices
By: Julie Y. Park
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that on May 16, 2018, it will hold a public hearing on “potential safety issues and hazards associated with internet-connected consumer products.” [1] The Commission will hear testimony from interested stakeholders on potential safety hazards created... ›Connected Devices Bring New Product Liability Challenges
By: Erin M. Bosman and Julie Y. Park
“My Google Home Mini was inadvertently spying on me 24/7 due to a hardware flaw,” wrote a tech blogger who purchased Google Inc.’s latest internet of things (IoT) device. Following the incident, a pact of consumer advocacy groups insisted the U.S. Consumer Product Safety... ›Wheels Are Turning on Federal Self-Driving Policy
One year ago, the federal government test drove its first set of self-driving policies with a four-part announcement from the U.S. Department of Transportation. In twelve months, much has changed, but the wheels are still turning. The U.S. House of Representatives earlier this month... ›FCC issues NPRM on TCPA Exemption for U.S. Government Debt
By: Tiffany Cheung
In response to a provision in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (Pub. L. No. 114-74), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or the “Commission”) has promulgated a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the new exemption in the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) for... ›Diet Pill Company Sale Slash to Pay $43 Million in Settlement with FTC Over Spam Email and Fake Celebrity Endorsements
By: Claudia M. Vetesi
On February 2, 2016, the FTC settled claims against Sale Slash LLC regarding the marketing of its weight loss pills, including Premium Green Coffee, Pure Garcinia Cambogia, Premium White Kidney Bean Extract, Pure Forskolin Extract, and Pure Caralluma Fimbriata Extract. FTC v. Sale Slash,... ›New Settlement Highlights FDA’s Diminishing Power Over Off-Label Promotion
By: Erin M. Bosman, Julie Y. Park and Brittany Scheinok
In a surprising turn of events, Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that they have settled their dispute regarding the off-label promotion of Exparel, one of Pacira’s anesthetic drugs. This settlement represents the latest marker of the FDA’s diminishing... ›Consumer Products “Either/Or”: California Issues Guidance on Alternatives Analysis for Safer Products
By: William F. Tarantino
California’s Green Chemistry Initiative has taken another step forward with the issuance of guidance on the heart of the law, the analysis of safer substitutes for chemicals in consumer products. On September 24, 2015, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) released its... ›Pay Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain: DOJ Memorandum Adds Further Weight to CPSC Enforcement Efforts Against Corporate Officers
By: Erin M. Bosman and Julie Y. Park
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) recently issued a memorandum to various enforcement agencies. The memorandum, available here , focuses on holding individuals accountable for corporate fraud and misconduct. [1] The DOJ has already shown it means business. Just days after the memorandum... ›California Greenhouse Gas Mandates Keep Coming— Governor Orders 40 Percent Reductions Below 1990 Levels by 2030
On April 29, 2015, California’s Governor Jerry Brown issued an executive order to set a new interim target for reducing the state’s emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. In March 2015, we wrote about the current state... ›