On August 20, New Hampshire Attorney General (AG) John Formella announced the arrest of Ricky Southers, the owner of Southers Construction, Inc., for allegedly violating the terms of an injunction issued under the state’s...more
On July 29, the attorney general (AG) for Washington, D.C. sued StubHub, Inc. (StubHub) for violations of the district’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act. The complaint accuses StubHub of employing “dark patterns,”...more
The Circuit Court of Cleburne County, Arkansas, denied TikTok and its parent company ByteDance’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin. In the complaint, the AG alleges that TikTok...more
5/31/2024
/ Communications Decency Act ,
Data Collection ,
Data Privacy ,
Minors ,
Mobile Apps ,
Motion to Dismiss ,
Section 230 ,
Social Media ,
State Attorneys General ,
TikTok ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
A new Connecticut law expands the authority of the state’s attorney general to enforce certain provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Act)....more
Washington Attorney General (AG) Bob Ferguson prevailed in his lawsuit against a plastic surgery practice, Allure Esthetic, and its owner, Dr. Javad A. Sajan (collectively, the company), alleging violations of the federal...more
New York Attorney General (AG) Letitia James is suing JBS USA Food Company and JBS USA Food Company Holdings under New York’s consumer protection laws for allegedly attempting to boost consumer sales by making sustainability...more
3/19/2024
/ Climate Change ,
False Advertising ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Greenwashing ,
Meat Processing Plants ,
NAD ,
Net Zero ,
New York ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
State and Local Government ,
State Attorneys General ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
New York Attorney General (AG) Letitia James filed a lawsuit on March 5 against Yellowstone Capital, its founder David Glass, and a network of 30 other affiliated companies and individuals. James alleges that Yellowstone...more
3/15/2024
/ Consumer Financial Products ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Fraud ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Loans ,
Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) ,
New York ,
Predatory Lending ,
Restitution ,
Settlement ,
Small Business Loans ,
State and Local Government ,
State Attorneys General ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
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
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
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
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
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
On November 20, Delaware Attorney General (AG) Kathy Jennings, along with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and 11 other states, announced a settlement in excess of $30 million with Prehired LLC and affiliated...more
11/30/2023
/ Chapter 11 ,
Consumer Bankruptcy ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Debt Collection ,
Delaware ,
FDCPA ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Income Share Agreements ,
Regulation Z ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Settlement ,
State Attorneys General ,
Statutory Violations ,
Stipulated Judgment ,
Student Loans ,
Truth in Lending Act (TILA) ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
Last week, Michigan Attorney General (AG) Dana Nessel formally launched an investigation under the Michigan Consumer Protection Act (MCPA) into the marketing and business practices of a group of interconnected pest control...more
11/15/2023
/ Consumer Protection Act ,
Deceptive Intent ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Investigations ,
Marketing ,
Pest Infestation ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Violations ,
Scams ,
State Attorneys General ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices ,
Warranties
On October 17, following Washington Attorney General (AG) Bob Ferguson’s unsuccessful consumer protection action against thrift store chain, Savers Value Village Inc. (Savers), the Washington Superior Court of King County...more
On October 5, Arkansas Attorney General (AG) Tim Griffin issued an enforcement advisory to Arkansas solar installation companies. The letter outlines solar installation companies’ legal obligations under the Arkansas...more
10/16/2023
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Clean Energy ,
Enforcement Guidance ,
Green Infrastructure ,
Installation Services ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Renewable Energy ,
Solar Energy ,
Solar Farm ,
Solar Panels ,
State Attorneys General ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
Four state attorneys general (state AGs) — Colorado, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Texas — have announced resolutions with Choice Hotels International, Inc. (Choice Hotels), a prominent hotel conglomerate known for operating...more
10/2/2023
/ Disclosure Requirements ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Hidden Fees ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Hotels ,
Online Platforms ,
Resorts & Restaurants ,
Settlement ,
State Attorneys General ,
Travelers ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
A bipartisan coalition of 23 state attorney generals led by Virginia AG Jason Miyares recently went up in arms about a products liability ruling they believe will threaten state consumer protection laws. On May 30, the...more
6/16/2023
/ Life Sciences ,
Merck ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Preemption ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Product Defects ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
State Attorneys General ,
State Sovereignty ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
On May 10, SoLo Funds, Inc. (Solo), one of the largest community lending platforms in the United States, entered into a settlement with the District of Columbia attorney general (OAG). The settlement resolves claims that the...more
6/5/2023
/ Attorney General ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Protection Act ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Lenders ,
Loans ,
Online Marketplace Lending ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices ,
Usury
Pennsylvania AG Michelle Henry announced a settlement with New York-based Fluent LLC and its subsidiaries over allegations that they engaged in deceptive and misleading business practices by placing millions of unwanted...more