In a resounding victory for public-private partnerships, the Fourth Circuit’s decision in Cunningham v. Lester, et al., No. 20-1086, — F.3d —- (4th Cir. Mar. 4, 2021) has affirmed federal employees’ immunity from the...more
The Supreme Court’s recent decision in Barr v. American Association of Political Consultants held the government-debt exception of the TCPA unconstitutional under the First Amendment’s Free Speech Clause. This means that...more
8/4/2020
/ ATDS ,
Auto-Dialed Calls ,
Barr v American Association of Political Consultants Inc ,
Cell Phones ,
Compelling Governmental Interest ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Content-Based Restrictions ,
Debt Collection ,
Exceptions ,
Federal Bans ,
First Amendment ,
Free Speech ,
Government Debt-Exception ,
Robocalling ,
SCOTUS ,
Severability Doctrine ,
Strict Scrutiny Standard ,
TCPA
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) generally prohibits automated calls, including text messages, to cell phones without sufficient prior express consent, and imposes a statutory penalty of $500 to $1,500 per...more
3/29/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Declaratory Rulings ,
Emergency Alerts ,
Exemptions ,
FCC ,
Hospitals ,
Public Safety ,
Robocalling ,
State of Emergency ,
TCPA ,
Text Messages
The Seventh Circuit has recently joined the Second, Third, Sixth and Eleventh Circuits in adopting a narrow interpretation of Automatic Telephone Dialing System (ATDS) under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”), one...more
3/3/2020
/ Appeals ,
AT&T ,
ATDS ,
Auto-Dialed Calls ,
FCC ,
Prior Express Consent ,
Robocalling ,
Split of Authority ,
TCPA ,
Telecommunications ,
Text Messages
In the recent case of Marks v. Crunch San Diego, LLC, 904 F.3d 1041 (9th Cir. 2018) the Ninth Circuit broadly interpreted the TCPA’s definition of automatic telephone dialing system (often referred to as ATDS) to include...more
Class action plaintiffs’ attorneys may argue that a recent ruling by the Ninth Circuit expands the scope of liability under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) to include calls or text messages sent on all modern...more
10/29/2018
/ Appeals ,
ATDS ,
Auto-Dialed Calls ,
Cell Phones ,
Class Action ,
FCC ,
Prior Express Consent ,
Robocalling ,
Smartphones ,
Statutory Penalties ,
Summary Judgment ,
TCPA ,
Telecommunications ,
Text Messages
Have the GOP’s Hopes for Enacting the Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act Been Dashed? – Passed in March 2017 by the U.S. House of Representatives, the Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act of 2017, H.R. 985, has...more
3/1/2018
/ Article III ,
Ascertainable Class ,
Attorney's Fees ,
Cell Phones ,
Class Action ,
Class Certification ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Credit Unions ,
Declaratory Rulings ,
Equitable Relief ,
FCC ,
Federal Rule 12(b)(1) ,
FRCP 23 ,
Motion to Dismiss ,
Petition for Writ of Certiorari ,
Predominance Requirement ,
Prior Express Consent ,
Putative Class Actions ,
Robocalling ,
Spokeo v Robins ,
Standing ,
Subject Matter Jurisdiction ,
Summary Judgment ,
Superiority Claims ,
TCPA ,
Text Messages ,
The Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act of 2015 ,
Vaccinations ,
Written Consent
As the Rolling Stones famously sing, “You can’t always get what you want.” And in the ever treacherous world of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”), 47 U.S.C. § 227, et seq., the Second Circuit has ruled that means...more
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act, 47 U.S.C. § 227, et seq. (“TCPA”), prohibits “robo-calls” to cell phones, text messages and “junk” faxes without prior consent. It imposes statutory penalties from $500 to $1,500 per...more