November 4, 2022

Washington AG Prevails in Consumer Protection Act Lawsuits

Bernard Nash

Cozen O'Connor

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Cozen O'Connor

Washington AG Bob Ferguson announced that his office secured victory in two Consumer Protection Act (CPA) lawsuits against Florida-based companies CA Certificate Service (CCS) and Labor Poster Compliance (LPC), as well as their owners, following a King County Superior Court Judge’s granting of the AG’s motions for summary judgment in both cases.
AG Ferguson initially filed lawsuits against CCS and LPC in March 2022, alleging that CCS and LPC sent over 200 thousand deceptive letters to small businesses demanding payment for a “Certificate of Status” or a workplace poster that are available from the government free of charge or for a fraction of the monetary demand.
In granting summary judgment, Judge David Whedbee found that there was no dispute of material fact as to whether CCS and LPC’s “[were] deceptive and violate the CPA, that [the CCS’s and LPC’s owners] [were] personally liable, and that the State is entitled to civil penalties, restitution, including prejudgment interest, injunctive relief, and its fees and costs.” In addition to ordering a total of $24.8 million in monetary relief, Judge Whedbee further enjoined CCS and LPC from conduct that created the deceptive impression that solicitations they send out are from a government entity.

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DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.