On February 6, a bipartisan group of 51 attorney general (AG) sent a warning letter to Life Corporation (Life Corp.) for allegedly engaging in an illegal robocall campaign that they claim was intended to deter New Hampshire...more
2/16/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Auto-Dialed Calls ,
Do Not Call List ,
Enforcement Actions ,
FCC ,
Political Campaigns ,
Political Candidates ,
Political Corruption ,
Primary Elections ,
Regulatory Violations ,
Robocalling ,
State Attorneys General ,
TCPA ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices ,
Warning Letters
On February 8, New York attorney general (AG) Letisha James announced a $77 million judgment with three merchant cash advance (MCA) companies, Richmond Capital Group, Ram Capital Funding, and Viceroy Capital Funding, and...more
On February 7, a coalition of 19 state attorneys general (AG) filed a comment letter supporting the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) proposed Trade Regulation Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees (Rule). The state AGs echoed the...more
On January 26, a Massachusetts Superior Court rejected an effort by the Massachusetts Attorney General (AG) to vacate an order that cast doubt on the constitutionality of a new Massachusetts liquor law....more
Pennsylvania Attorney General (AG) Michelle Henry reached a settlement with attorney Erik Helbing and his business, Helbing Law Group, LLC, resolving allegations of deceptive advertising practices and failure to effectively...more
2/8/2024
/ Consumer Protection Laws ,
Debt Settlement Services ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Advertising ,
Pennsylvania ,
Settlement ,
State and Local Government ,
State Attorneys General ,
Statutory Violations ,
Telemarketing Sales Rule ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
Michigan Attorney General (AG) Dana Nessel filed a lawsuit seeking injunctive relief and dissolution of several limited liability companies owned by John and Michele Church. The Churches’ companies have allegedly violated the...more
2/1/2024
/ Consumer Complaint Management ,
Consumer Contracts ,
Consumer Protection Act ,
Consumer Review Fairness Act (CRFA) ,
Dissolution ,
Goods or Services ,
Injunctive Relief ,
Limited Liability Company (LLC) ,
State Attorneys General ,
Statutory Violations ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices ,
Voluntary Compliance
Vermont Attorney General (AG) Charity Clark recently announced the resolution of an investigation into the withholding of security deposits across five motels that were participating in the state’s Transitional Housing...more
2/1/2024
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Children and Families (DCF) ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Injunctive Relief ,
Relief Measures ,
Security Deposits ,
Settlement ,
State and Local Government ,
State Attorneys General ,
Transitional Arrangements ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices ,
Vermont
On January 23, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed a district court ruling that Martin Shkreli, CEO of Vyera Pharmaceuticals (Vyera), violated federal and state laws by engaging in illegal and...more
1/31/2024
/ Anti-Competitive ,
Drug Pricing ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Healthcare ,
Martin Shkreli ,
Monopolization ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
State Attorneys General
On January 11, Massachusetts Attorney General (AG) Andrea Joy Campbell announced a $1.8 million settlement with Nelnet, Inc. (Nelnet), one of the largest federal student loan servicers in the U.S., for allegedly sending...more
State attorneys general (AGs) continue their role as innovators, shaping the regulatory environment by utilizing their expertise and resources to influence policy and practice. The public-facing nature of the AGs' office...more
On January 12, Massachusetts Attorney General (AG) Andrea Joy Campbell announced a settlement with Grubhub Holdings Inc. and Grubhub, Inc., (Grubhub) for repeatedly violating a statutory limit on the fees that third-party...more
1/25/2024
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Delivery Drivers ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fees ,
GrubHub ,
Hidden Fees ,
Price Gouging ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Settlement ,
State Attorneys General ,
Summary Judgment
North Carolina Attorney General (AG) Josh Stein led a bipartisan effort urging the federal government to impose stricter regulations on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in telemarketing. The collective push involved 26...more
1/25/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
FCC ,
Machine Learning ,
Notice of Inquiry ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Robocalling ,
State Attorneys General ,
TCPA ,
Telemarketing ,
Text Messages ,
Written Consent
On January 15, Washington Attorney General (AG) Bob Ferguson filed a complaint in King County Superior Court, seeking to block the merger of The Kroger Co. (Kroger) with its supermarket competitor, Albertsons Companies, Inc....more
1/24/2024
/ Anti-Competitive ,
Anti-Monopoly ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Blocked Mergers ,
Competition ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Injunctions ,
Kroger ,
Merger Controls ,
Monopolization ,
Permanent Injunctions ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State and Local Government ,
State Attorneys General ,
Supermarkets ,
Washington
Washington Attorney General (AG) Bob Ferguson announced that he has proposed legislation — H.B. 2072/S.B. 5994 — to enhance the state’s maximum penalty for antitrust violations like price fixing and collusion....more
Illinois Attorney General (AG) Kwame Raoul recently issued a consumer alert to Illinois consumers regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by phone scammers. According to the alert, phone scammers are regularly...more
While the federal government’s campaign against hidden “junk” fees intensifies, state attorneys general (AGs) have long been contesting concealed costs as unfair or deceptive — especially in the absence of sufficient...more
12/29/2023
/ Consumer Financial Products ,
Convenience Fees ,
False Advertising ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Goods or Services ,
Misleading Impressions ,
Processing Fees ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State Attorneys General ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On November 28, Massachusetts Attorney General (AG) Campbell reached an $8.75 million settlement with Rent-A-Center (RAC), the nation’s largest rent-to-own company specializing in consumer goods leases. The settlement aimed...more
Oregon Attorney General (AG) Ellen Rosenblum is taking over the helm of a crucial national organization that supports the important work of AGs across America. Rosenblum was recently elected president of the National...more
On the heels of its recent lawsuit filed against MC Solar, Florida Attorney General (AG) Ashley Moody filed two additional lawsuits against Vision Solar and SetUp My Solar for allegedly deceiving Floridians in violation of...more
12/14/2023
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Clean Energy ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Enforcement Guidance ,
Florida ,
Green Infrastructure ,
Installation Services ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Renewable Energy ,
Solar Energy ,
Solar Farm ,
Solar Panels ,
State Attorneys General ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On November 29, Ohio Attorney General (AG) Dave Yost and Governor Mark DeWine announced a proposed $110 million settlement with Du Pont De Nemours and Co. and The Chemours Company over alleged chemical contamination from...more
12/14/2023
/ Air Pollution ,
Chemical Spills ,
Chemicals ,
Contamination ,
Drinking Water ,
DuPont ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Violations ,
Groundwater ,
Hazardous Substances ,
PFAS ,
Pollution Control ,
Public Health ,
Public Safety ,
Settlement ,
State Attorneys General ,
Water Pollution
It is indeed a tangled regulatory web woven to potentially trap an organization in the wake of a data incident. Navigating this web can involve significant resources, time, and stress. As we discussed in part two of this...more
12/13/2023
/ Consumer Privacy Rights ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Collection ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Data Security ,
Personal Data ,
Personally Identifiable Information ,
Privacy Laws ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
State Attorneys General
The principle of open government is foundational to a healthy democracy, and the availability of government records upon request from the public is one of its chief cornerstones. In the U.S., the primary mechanism by which...more
12/13/2023
/ Attorney-Client Privilege ,
Cannabis Products ,
Controlled Substances ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
DEA ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
FOIA ,
Government Agencies ,
Legalization ,
Marijuana ,
Motion for Summary Judgment ,
Public Interest ,
Public Records ,
Regulatory Reform ,
State Attorneys General ,
Transparency
A federal judge has denied the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority‘s attempt to move an environmental lawsuit to federal court to be filed by Michigan Attorney General (AG) Dana Nessel, alleging that per- and...more
12/12/2023
/ Airlines ,
Airports ,
Aviation Industry ,
Contamination ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ,
Forum ,
Natural Resources ,
PFAS ,
State and Local Government ,
State Attorneys General
Rhode Island Attorney General (AG) Peter F. Neronha and his office filed a motion on November 30, to amend and supplement their complaint against Smart Green Solar, LLC (Smart Green) and its CEO, Jasjit Gotra, for allegedly...more
Republican attorneys general (AGs) from 19 states, led by Utah AG Sean D. Reyes, filed an amicus brief urging the Fifth Circuit to rehear a case after a panel of judges declined to entertain a lawsuit challenging diversity...more
12/7/2023
/ Amicus Briefs ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Discrimination ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Equal Protection ,
Minorities ,
Nasdaq ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
State Attorneys General ,
Unconstitutional Condition