Morrison Foerster’s Class Dismissed blog provides insights, recommendations, and timely reports on the latest defense news, developments, and trends in the most current class actions lawsuits and product liability issues that affect consumer-facing companies. Through Class Dismissed, attorneys from our nationally recognized Consumer Class Action and Products Liability practices offer a real-time assessment of the developments in matters that are shaping the industry. This blog examines the full spectrum of consumer-related class action and product liability lawsuits ranging from false advertising, privacy, consumer product safety, ADA, food misbranding, TCPA, environment, retail, and government actions as well as nationwide and multidistrict litigation class actions.<h2>ABOUT MORRISON FOERSTER</h2>Morrison Foerster is a leading global law firm that transforms complexity into advantage for its clients. Our clients include some of the largest financial institutions, banks, consulting and accounting firms, and Fortune 100, technology, and life sciences companies. Highlighting the firm’s commitment to client service, leadership in market-changing deals and impact litigation, and values-based culture, Morrison Foerster has been repeatedly recognized as one of the top 10 firms on The American Lawyer’s A-List. Year after year, the firm receives significant recognition from Chambers and The Legal 500 across their various guides, including Global, USA, Asia‑Pacific, Europe, UK, Latin America, and FinTech Legal. Our lawyers passionately care about delivering legal excellence while living our values. Morrison Foerster has a long-standing commitment to creating a culture that respects and celebrates differences, while providing an inclusive environment. The firm has achieved Mansfield Certification Plus since 2018 as a result of successfully reaching at least 30 percent women, communities of color, and LGBTQ+ lawyer representation in a notable number of current leadership roles and committees. The firm also has a long history of commitment to the community and society through providing pro bono legal services, including litigating for civil rights and civil liberties, improving public education and fostering the wellbeing of children, advocating for veterans, promoting international human rights, enforcing the right to asylum, and safeguarding the environment.

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Partner

Adam Hunt is a partner in the Litigation Department of Morrison Foerster’s New York office. His practice focuses on complex litigation, with an emphasis on class action and commercial litigation.

Adam Hunt

Alexandra Barlow is a partner in the Litigation Department of Morrison Foerster’s San Diego office.Alexandra litigates product liability matters involving medical devices, pharmaceuticals, consumer products, automobiles, and AI. Alexandra's litigation expertise spans the entire case life cycle in both state and federal courts. She handles all phases of discovery, including fact investigation and expert discovery. Alexandra has taken over twenty-five depositions, including experts, plaintiffs, treating physicians, and third-party witnesses. She drafts and argues motions of all types, including motions for summary judgment, motions to quash, and motions for preliminary injunction.Alexandra has significant trial experience. She has first-chaired a one-week jury trial and second-chaired a five‑week jury trial, both involving multiple claims and witnesses. She also has extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution, representing clients at mediations, mandatory settlement conferences, and early neutral evaluations.Alexandra enjoys tracking developments and keeping her clients updated on product liability and personal injury claims, frequently writing or presenting on emerging areas such as autonomous vehicles and smart devices. Alexandra’s experience also extends to professional liability, warranty claims, eminent domain, and construction law.Alexandra earned her J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law. While in law school, the San Diego Law Review published her comment on the recovery of damages by plaintiffs in a persistent vegetative state, and she also served as a comment editor. She received her B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she majored in Political Science and minored in Spanish. A San Diego native, she attended a Spanish immersion school through the eighth grade. Alexandra is active in the San Diego community, advising students at a local college. She is also a member of several legal organizations in San Diego, including Lawyer’s Club, the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, and Wallace Inn of Court.

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Alexandra Barlow is a partner in the Litigation Department of Morrison Foerster’s San Diego office. Alexandra litigates product liability matters involving medical devices, pharmaceuticals, consumer products, automobiles, and AI. Alexandra’s litigation expertise spans the entire case life cycle in both state and federal courts. She handles all phases of discovery, including fact investigation and expert discovery. Alexandra has taken over twenty-five depositions, including experts, plaintiffs, treating physicians, and third-party witnesses. She drafts and argues motions of all types, including motions for summary judgment, motions to quash, and motions for preliminary injunction.

Alexandra Barlow is a partner in the Litigation Department of Morrison Foerster’s San Diego office. Alexandra litigates product liability matters involving medical devices, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, AI, and robotics. Alexandra's litigation expertise spans the entire case life cycle in both state and federal courts. She handles all phases of discovery, including fact investigation and expert discovery. Alexandra has taken over twenty-five depositions, including experts, plaintiffs, treating physicians, and third-party witnesses. She drafts and argues motions of all types, including motions for summary judgment, motions to quash, and motions for preliminary injunction.

Alexandra Barlow

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe frameborder="0" class="sticky-video" allowfullscreen="1" title="Meet Penny Preovolos, Litigation Partner" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/hv7hYn-Bl7c?rel=0&showinfo=0;vq=hd1080" title="iframe"></iframe></div>Penelope has served as lead counsel in major consumer class actions and antitrust cases for more than 35 years, successfully representing high-profile defendants in antitrust, consumer fraud, and product defect matters. Her clients span a range of industries, including consumer electronics, technology, retail, publishing, food and beverage, cosmetics, and household products. According to Chambers USA, Penelope has a “great reputation for antitrust and product liability work” and is a “superb all-around antitrust lawyer.”Penelope was named the 2019 Antitrust Lawyer of the Year by the Antitrust, UCL, and Privacy Section of the California Lawyers Association. She was co-chair of MoFo’s antitrust practice for 14 years. She has served as chair of the Antitrust and Trade Regulation Section of the State Bar of California and as a member of the Ninth Circuit Advisory Committee on Local Rules and Operations. She is an editor of and frequent contributor to Morrison & Foerster’s <a href="https://classdismissed.mofo.com/">Class Dismissed blog</a>, as well as a frequent speaker about class action and antitrust issues.More About PenelopePenelope clerked for the Honorable Charles M. Merrill, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School, where she was executive editor of the Harvard Civil Rights – Civil Liberties Law Review. Penelope was a member of Phi Beta Kappa at the University of California, Berkeley. She was awarded the University Medal, the highest undergraduate honor at the university, as well as the English Departmental Citation (awarded to the outstanding graduate in that department).

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Senior Counsel

Penelope has served as lead counsel in major consumer class actions and antitrust cases for more than 35 years, successfully representing high-profile defendants in antitrust, consumer fraud, and product defect matters. Her clients span a range of industries, including consumer electronics, technology, retail, publishing, food and beverage, cosmetics, and household products.

Penelope A. Preovolos

Zak is an associate in the Litigation Department in Morrison Foerster’s New York office.Zak’s practice focuses on class actions, commercial litigation, white collar defense, government investigations, and antitrust litigation and counseling. He has represented clients before federal and state courts in complex commercial matters, as well as in arbitration tribunals.Zak received his J.D. from New York University School of Law in 2018, where he was inducted into the Order of the Barristers. During law school, Zak also served as the Marden executive editor for the NYU Law Moot Court Board. In 2013, Zak received his B.A. and M.A. in political science from Yale University, receiving honors in his major and the Ellsworth Prize for Best Senior Essay in the Social Sciences.

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Associate

Zak Newman

Mitchell A. Hokanson is an associate in the Litigation Department of Morrison Foerster’s San Diego office.Mitchell’s practice focuses on commercial litigation and consumer class actions. He has extensive experience with civil litigation, including managing day-to-day strategy, propounding and responding to discovery, taking and defending depositions, and engaging in motion practice. He also has experience providing regulatory advice to clients, including pro bono partners and multinational corporations. Mitchell maintains an active pro bono practice.After law school, Mitchell worked as a judicial clerk for Justice Susan M. Carney of the Alaska Supreme Court, where he drafted bench memoranda and opinions on a wide range of state and federal law topics. Prior to joining MoFo, Mitchell worked for another international law firm, where he was a member of the Complex Civil Litigation practice group, in Los Angeles, California.Mitchell received his J.D. from Columbia Law School, where he was honored as a James Kent Scholar and Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. While in law school he was the senior executive editor of the Columbia Journal of Environmental Law and worked as a judicial intern for Judge Sandra S. Ikuta of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Judge George B. Daniels of the United States District Court, Southern District of New York. Prior to that, Mitchell earned his B.A. from Stanford University.

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Mitchell Hokanson

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Software Gains New Status as a Product Under Strict Liability Law

MAHA Commission Publishes Report to Highlight Childhood Chronic Disease Drivers

Tenth Circuit Denies Challenge to CPSC Rule Regulating High-Powered Magnets

Ousted CPSC Democrats Fight Back Against President Trump

Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act

LinkedIN

Starting next month, businesses in New York City that collect biometric identifier information may be required to provide individuals with notice and be prohibited from selling or profiting from such information. New York City’s biometric privacy law (2021 NYC Local Law No. 3, NYC Admin. Code §§ 22-1201–22-1205) takes effect on July 9, 2021 and regulates the “collection, use, and retention” of biometric identifier information.  To avoid potential liability, businesses should evaluate both whether they are “commercial establishments” subject to the law and if any technology they use collects biometric identifier information. Read our <a href="https://www.mofo.com/resources/insights/210623-biometric-identifier-information-law.html?utm_source=publication&utm_medium=email">client alert here</a>.

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Marian Waldmann Agarwal is a partner in the Privacy + Data Security Group at Morrison Foerster. She also co-leads the firm’s Artificial Intelligence Group and is a member of the global Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Steering Committee.

Marian Waldmann Agarwal

Marian A. Waldmann Agarwal

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Open for Business: Are You Prepared for New York City’s Biometric Identifier Information Law?

Open for Business: Are You Prepared for New York City’s Biometric Identifier Information Law?

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Starting next month, businesses in New York City that collect biometric identifier information may be required to provide individuals with notice and be prohibi

Privacy

Retail

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is laying the groundwork to test the scope of its rulemaking authority. On March 25, 2021, FTC Acting Chairwoman Rebecca Slaughter (D) formed a group within the agency’s Office of the General Counsel to centralize FTC rulemakings. In announcing the change, Slaughter said that it was “time for the Commission to activate its unfair methods of competition rulemaking authority” and that she is “excited for this new rulemaking group to explore all the possibilities.”<a name="_ftnref1" id="_ftnref1" href="https://www.mofo.com/resources/insights/210512-ftc-privacy-rulemaking.html#_ftn1" style="box-sizing: border-box;color: rgb(3, 65, 147);text-decoration-line: none;transition-duration: 0.2s;transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;transition-delay: 0s;transition-property: color;font-size: 16px;">[1]</a>Read our <a href="https://www.mofo.com/resources/insights/210512-ftc-privacy-rulemaking.html">client alert</a>.  <a href="https://www.mofo.com/resources/insights/210512-ftc-privacy-rulemaking.html#_ftnref1" id="_ftn1" name="_ftn1" style="box-sizing: border-box;color: rgb(3, 65, 147);text-decoration-line: none;background-color: transparent;transition-duration: 0.2s;transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;transition-delay: 0s;transition-property: color;">[1]</a> Press Release, Fed. Trade Comm’n, “FTC Acting Chairwoman Slaughter Announces New Rulemaking Group” (March 25, 2021), <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/03/ftc-acting-chairwoman-slaughter-announces-new-rulemaking-group" style="box-sizing: border-box;color: rgb(3, 65, 147);text-decoration-line: none;background-color: transparent;transition-duration: 0.2s;transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;transition-delay: 0s;transition-property: color;">https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/03/ftc-acting-chairwoman-slaughter-announces-new-rulemaking-group</a>.

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Clients seek out Julie because of her practical advice on cutting-edge issues at the intersection of privacy and consumer protection laws. She provides clients with practical solutions to compliance c

Julie O'Neill

Clients seek out Julie because of her practical advice on cutting-edge issues at the intersection of privacy and consumer protection laws. She provides clients with practical solutions to compliance challenges around a wide variety of both online and offline privacy issues, including tracking, interest-based advertising, geo-targeting and other mobile tracking, personalization, and cross-device tracking. Recognized in The Legal 500 US 2014, 2016, 2019, and 2020 and Chambers USA 2021 for her exceptional legal work, her clients praise her saying, “She is really good at giving practical, targeted advice and taking stock of what the risk profile of the client is, so that the advice is holistic.” (Chambers USA 2021).

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FTC & Privacy: Will the FTC's Rulemaking Push Result in New Privacy Rules?

FTC & Privacy: Will the FTC's Rulemaking Push Result in New Privacy Rules?

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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is laying the groundwork to test the scope of its rulemaking authority. On March 25, 2021, FTC Acting Chairwoman Rebecca Slau

Appellate & Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has issued its much-anticipated ruling in Facebook v. Duguid, impacting many pending TCPA cases nationwide and providing guidance to the many businesses that engage in calling and texting campaigns. The TCPA generally requires an individual’s prior consent to use an automatic telephone dialing system (an “autodialer”) to call or text his or her mobile phone, including for non-marketing purposes. The definition of an autodialer is thus crucial to whether and when a business may call or text its customers, prospects, or even employees. Read our <a href="https://www.mofo.com/resources/insights/210405-supreme-court-ruling-limits.html?utm_source=publication&utm_medium=email">client alert</a>.

Wiretap Act Class Action for Technology Company

BIPA Class Action for Social Media App

RICO and Fraud Class Action for Waste Management Company 

Copyright Class Action for AI Company

CCPA and Data Breach Class Action for Leading Software Company

TCPA and Other Class Actions for Major Technology Company

Wiretap Act Action Against a Major Consumer Electronics Manufacturer

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Clients seek out Tiffany for her successful track record in defending class action claims on behalf of clients in a broad range of industries, including technology, healthcare, and consumer product companies. She represents numerous Fortune 500 companies in high-stakes litigation involving privacy and marketing claims in courts throughout the United States.

Tiffany Cheung

Clients seek out Tiffany for her successful track record in defending class action claims on behalf of clients in a broad range of industries, including technology, healthcare, and consumer product companies. She represents numerous Fortune 500 companies in high-stakes litigation involving privacy and marketing claims in courts throughout the United States.

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Much-Anticipated Supreme Court Ruling Limits the TCPA’s Definition of an Autodialer

Much-Anticipated Supreme Court Ruling Limits the TCPA’s Definition of an Autodialer

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The Supreme Court has issued its much-anticipated ruling in Facebook v. Duguid, impacting many pending TCPA cases nationwide and providing guidance to the many 

Consumer Products

Mass Torts

AI and machine-learning advances have made it possible to produce fake videos and photos that seem real, commonly known as “deepfakes.” Deepfake content is exploding in popularity. In this article, we explore deepfake technology and the legal risks it presents to companies while providing practical tips to manage these risks.  Read our <a href="https://www.mofo.com/resources/insights/210210-ai-machine-learning-manipulation.html">client alert</a>.

Fertility Center Litigation

Fitbit

MicroPort

Leading Healthcare, Pharmaceutical, and Medical Device Company

Lethal Injection Matters – Major Pharmaceutical Company

Pain Pump Matters – Large Pharmaceutical Company

Major Technology Company

Leading Chemical Company

Security Device Company

In re Air Crash Near Peixoto de Azevedo, Brazil

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Co-Chair, Litigation Department

Erin Bosman is the global co-chair of Morrison Foerster’s litigation department. Erin is also the founder and co-head of the Artificial Intelligence group and former chair of the Complex Litigation + Advisement practice group. Clients value her business strategy, seeking her comprehensive counsel throughout the product life cycle, especially in high-stakes litigation and product recalls.

Erin M. Bosman

Erin Bosman is the Global Co-Chair of Morrison Foerster’s Litigation Department. Erin is also the founder and co-head of the Artificial Intelligence Group and former chair of the Complex Litigation + Advisement Practice Group. Clients value her business strategy, seeking her comprehensive counsel throughout the product life cycle, especially in high-stakes litigation and product recalls.

Erin Bosman

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Deepfake Litigation Risks: The Collision of AI’s Machine Learning and Manipulation

Digital Single Market Update: Technology Standardization in the EU

AI and machine-learning advances have made it possible to produce fake videos and photos that seem real, commonly known as “deepfakes.” Deepfake content is expl

Deepfake Litigation Risks: The Collision of AI’s Machine Learning and Manipulation

Product Liability

In the final installment of our four-part Privacy Litigation Year in Review series, we focus on important developments in TCPA litigation. The Supreme Court struck down the TCPA’s government-backed debt exemption, leaving district courts to address five years of enforcement and liability under the provision that may now be reversible. Meanwhile, the courts’ understanding of auto-dialers (ATDS) continued to evolve, with the Supreme Court poised to provide clarity on whether ATDS includes any device that can “store” and “automatically dial” telephone numbers — a decision that will either broaden or significantly curtail the reach of the TCPA.

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Privacy Litigation 2020 Year in Review: TCPA Litigation

Privacy Litigation 2020 Year in Review: Data Breach Litigation

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In the final installment of our four-part Privacy Litigation Year in Review series, we focus on important developments in TCPA litigation. The Supreme Court str

Privacy Litigation 2020 Year in Review: TCPA Litigation

Third in our Privacy Litigation Year in Review series is an overview of cases under the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). 2020 was a busy year for BIPA litigants. Defendants in the flood of BIPA cases ranged from technology companies developing novel biometric products to amusement parks and health care organizations leveraging biometric tools for employee and customer authentication. Yet despite the healthy clip of litigation in the years since BIPA’s passage, open questions remain about the law’s scope and reach. These questions — involving standing, settlement value, and more — have been hotly contested in 2020 with no signs of letting up this year.Read our <a href="https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/LNI4CzpxQAS5XxwwUXhDTK?domain=www2.mofo.com">client alert</a>.

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Camille Framroze is an associate in the Litigation Department of Morrison Foerster’s San Francisco office. Her practice encompasses a broad range of complex litigation, with a focus on commercial li