Price gouging enforcement and litigation is front and center for company counsel and business managers nationwide. Our weekly round up highlights some of the most relevant news and information to our clients and friends. ...more
Class actions plaintiffs and state enforcers have tried to use state price gouging laws to hold online retailers accountable for prices set by third parties. It remains unclear, however, whether platforms will—or can, under...more
Price gouging enforcement and litigation is front and center for company counsel and business managers nationwide. Our weekly round up highlights some of the most relevant news and information to our clients and friends....more
Price gouging enforcement and litigation is front and center for company counsel and business managers nationwide. Our weekly round up highlights some of the most relevant news and information for our clients and friends....more
Price gouging enforcement and litigation is front and center for company counsel and business managers nationwide. Our weekly round up highlights some of the most relevant news and information for our clients and friends. ...more
If there is a silver lining to the extended application of most state price gouging laws, it is that we now know more about their ramifications. State attorneys general have launched numerous investigations and brought many...more
Since the beginning of the pandemic, many governors have issued executive orders targeted at combating price gouging. However, one California state senator, Senator Thomas Umberg, proposed going a step further. In April 2020,...more
Six months into the states of emergencies triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a sizeable amount of data on how prices have actually moved, potentially leading to more private actions as plaintiffs’ now have the...more
Price gouging enforcement and litigation is front and center for company counsel and business managers nationwide. Our weekly round up highlights some of the most relevant news and information to our clients and...more
9/3/2020
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Goods or Services ,
Market Manipulation ,
Masks ,
Natural Disasters ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Price Gouging ,
Price-Fixing ,
State Attorneys General ,
State of Emergency ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
Price gouging enforcement is at an all-time high, but many ambiguities about the application of these state laws remain. Among the many questions left unanswered: what does a statute mean when it says “trade area” or “market...more
Much of the discussion to date regarding price gouging laws has rightly focused on the two core elements of a price gouging lawsuit: what constitutes a violation and what are the defenses? And while these defenses are valid,...more
Businesses may be wondering whether there is increased risk of price gouging liability when they impose higher penalty terms, ask for higher up-front payments, raise rates, or otherwise seek terms that may be more burdensome....more
8/17/2020
/ Bargaining Power ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Goods or Services ,
Natural Disasters ,
Penal Code ,
Price Gouging ,
Price-Fixing ,
Question of Law ,
Retailers ,
State Attorneys General ,
Unfair Advantage ,
Wholesale
Private plaintiffs and state enforcers have been targeting businesses up and down the supply chain for price gouging violations. Some of these actions have been over the price of goods long associated with the COVID-19...more
8/17/2020
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Class Action ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Food Supply ,
Goods or Services ,
Price Gouging ,
Price-Fixing ,
Public Health Emergency ,
State Attorneys General ,
State of Emergency ,
Statute of Limitations ,
Supply Chain ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
Price gouging enforcement and litigation is front and center for company counsel and business managers nationwide. Our weekly round up highlights some of the most relevant news and information to our clients and...more
8/12/2020
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Defense Production Act ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Goods or Services ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Price Gouging ,
Price-Fixing ,
State of Emergency ,
Unfair Competition
In response to the public health crisis caused by COVID-19, states of emergencies were declared across the nation in order to implement emergency response plans and halt the spread of the virus. Generally, state governors...more
State price gouging laws do not typically address product improvements or reformulations. Still, businesses should consider price gouging restrictions when releasing “new and improved” products, as the same pricing...more
Price gouging enforcement and litigation is front and center for company counsel and business managers nationwide. Our weekly round up highlights some of the most relevant news and information to our clients and...more
7/14/2020
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Goods or Services ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Local Ordinance ,
Masks ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Price Gouging ,
Price-Fixing ,
Public Health Emergency ,
State Attorneys General
The pandemic has demonstrated that price gouging laws are not only written in an ambiguous manner, but are ambiguous as to whether they are in effect or not. A recurring problem faced by businesses is that some states are not...more
7/10/2020
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Executive Orders ,
Goods or Services ,
Price Gouging ,
Price Inflation ,
Price-Fixing ,
State Attorneys General ,
State of Emergency ,
Supply Chain ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
As businesses figure out how to be creative and continue to operate during the pandemic, some have turned to “Covid surcharges” to account for new or increased costs. “Surcharges” may seem more benign than direct price...more
Despite the continued implementation of state price gouging laws, many companies have been able to legally raise their prices by relying on exceptions related to cost increases. Many have asked whether the exception...more
As new restrictions addressing the economic impacts of COVID-19 continue to be proposed, some are targeting price increases for services. Businesses may want to re-familiarize themselves with the “services” covered by...more
6/19/2020
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Class Action ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
FTC Act ,
Goods or Services ,
Price Gouging ,
Price-Fixing ,
Public Health Emergency ,
State Attorneys General ,
State of Emergency ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
Price gouging enforcement and litigation is front and center for company counsel and business managers nationwide. Our weekly round up highlights some of the most relevant news and information to our clients and friends....more
States around the country have activated their price gouging statutes due to the COVID 19 pandemic. These temporary restrictions typically go into effect upon the declaration of a local, state or national emergency. However,...more