On May 8, 2024, the California Attorney General’s Office issued highly anticipated guidance on Senate Bill 478 (SB 478), also known as the “Hidden Fees Statute.” This law, set to go into effect on July 1, 2024, seeks to put...more
More aggressive enforcement actions and increased regulatory activities under the Biden Administration are here. In President Biden’s first weeks, he is making good on his promise to reverse course from the previous...more
A federal district court in Wisconsin recently hit Spectrum Brands Inc. (Spectrum) with civil penalties of $1.9 million for violations of the Consumer Products Safety Act (CPSA). The court’s 23-page opinion is a strong...more
Republican Ann Marie Buerkle was named Acting Chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on February 9, 2017, replacing former Chairman and Democrat Elliott Kaye. This transition has many wondering whether the...more
A federal district court in Wisconsin recently ruled against a product manufacturer, finding it liable for failing to report timely in a rare U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)-backed lawsuit. United States v....more
It is no secret that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is ramping up its efforts to enforce various aspects of the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA), especially the provisions about a company’s failure to...more
Earlier this month, CPSC Chair Elliot Kaye told regulators, industry, and lawyers about the CPSC’s priorities for the coming year. At the top of the list were increased civil penalties for failure to report potentially...more
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. The...more
10/5/2015
/ Civil Liability ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) ,
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) ,
Cooperation ,
Corporate Crimes ,
Corporate Fraud ,
Corporate Officers ,
Corporate Veil ,
Criminal Penalties ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Government Investigations ,
Individual Accountability ,
Internal Investigations ,
Personal Liability ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Self-Disclosure Requirements ,
White Collar Crimes ,
Yates Memorandum
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission continues to escalate its enforcement efforts. Recently, the U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the CPSC, filed suit against Spectrum Brands Inc. See United States v. Spectrum...more
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) continues to escalate its enforcement efforts. Last week, the United States Department of Justice, on behalf of CPSC, filed suit against Spectrum Brands, Inc....more
6/23/2015
/ Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) ,
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Manufacturers ,
Notice Requirements ,
Product Defects ,
Product Recalls ,
Spectrum
Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), filed suit against Michaels Stores, Inc. (“Michaels”) in the Northern District of Texas. United States of...more
At the end of last year, we reported that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued $12.2 million in civil penalties in 2014, more than double the amount issued in 2013. The number of companies fined increased as...more
At the end of last year, we reported that the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) issued $12.2 million in civil penalties in 2014, more than double the amount issued in 2013. The number of companies fined increased as...more