A recent federal appeals court decision rejecting a business’s attempts at enforcing its online arbitration agreement offers lessons for businesses across the country on how to craft a valid agreement for your website. The...more
On October 15, a California federal court handed down a ruling that significantly undermines the so-called “gold standard” of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) testing relied upon by most plaintiffs in similar types...more
Kilpatrick partners Michele Floyd and Evan Nadel recently presented a webinar to the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Georgia Chapter on the topic of “Marketing and Advertising in California: Compliance with the 'Honest...more
California Senate Bill 478 (SB 478) will prohibit hidden fees for goods and services beginning July 1, 2024. The amendment to the California Legal Remedies Act (California Civil Code Section 1770(a)(29)) aims to eliminate...more
On June 14, the Governor of California approved SB 1096 (the “Act”) to amend the Consumers Legal Remedies Act and regulate mailed solicitations about consumer financial products. Subject to certain exceptions, the amendment...more
SHOOK SPOTLIGHTS - Shook Attorneys Discuss California ‘Junk Fee’ Amendment - On July 1, 2024, the “junk fee” amendment to the California Consumers Legal Remedies Act (CLRA) will take effect. Under this new provision, a...more
On July 1, 2024, the “junk fee” amendment to the California Consumers Legal Remedies Act (CLRA) will go into effect. Under this new provision, it will be a violation of the CLRA if a company advertises, displays, or offers...more
Takeaway: The Central District of California recently added class claims seeking to enjoin racial discrimination to the list of claims that fall outside the scope of “public injunctive relief” for purposes of the McGill...more
A new California law, Senate Bill No. 478, takes aim at “drip pricing,” the practice of advertising goods or services at one price and then adding mandatory charges or fees later in the sales transaction. While federal...more
On October 7, the California governor approved SB 478 (the “Act”), enacting amendments to the Consumers Legal Remedies Act designed to prohibit “drip pricing,” which involves advertising a price that is lower than the actual...more
Last month, a cardholder filed a class action lawsuit in California against a national bank alleging that the bank failed to inform the consumer that his automatic payment enrollment would be canceled after a period of credit...more
Our weekly roundup aims to keep our readers up to date on recent notable rulings in the food & consumer packaged goods space. - Makiko Fukaya v. Daiso California LLC et al., No. 3:23-cv-00099-JSC (N.D. Cal. – May 11, 2023):...more
Covered entities in California are reminded that Section 1770 of the Consumer Legal Remedies Act requires persons offering or providing a consumer financial service or product to include certain language when making...more
A trio of recent cases challenging disparate food and beverage labels offers a few common substantive and procedural lessons for companies. First, the back panels – when considered in light of U.S. Food and Drug...more
When companies make advertising claims (including websites, social media, print, and product labels) that a product is beneficial to or not harmful to the natural environment, California law requires those companies to...more
Key Takeaway: As consumer demand for “sustainable” products grows, so does the risk of litigation challenging sustainability claims on advertising and packaging. As one recent case shows, failure to plead actual reliance can...more
In Cabatit v Sunnova Energy Corporation, the Third Appellate District held that an arbitration clause in a solar power lease agreement was unenforceable because it was procedurally and substantively unconscionable....more
Tom’s of Maine (Tom’s) continues to make news as it litigates class actions regarding its “natural” products. In a recent motion to dismiss, Tom’s asserts that a multiplication of lawsuits on the same issues is neither in the...more
We previously blogged about the dismissal without prejudice of a putative consumer class action alleging that the well-known confectioner Ghirardelli misled consumers into believing its “Premium Baking Chips Classic White...more
The Ninth Circuit affirmed dismissal of a consumer fraud class action pursuing restitution under California’s Unfair Competition Law because the plaintiff failed to show she lacked an adequate legal remedy. Sonner v. Premier...more
The plaintiffs brought a class action suit against Extra Space Storage Inc. for false advertising, unfair competition, and violation of the California Consumers Legal Remedies Act. After the case was removed to the U.S....more
As we have reported in our previous blog posts (“Beware the “Influencer”” and “The Price of Natural Cosmetics”), courts continue to wrestle with challenges to manufacturers’ claims that their products are “all natural.”...more
Many companies, such as online retailers and social media websites, participate in “behavioral advertising.” To participate in the network, the company places code on its website that permits a third party (the behavioral...more
The Ninth Circuit’s recent decision in Sonner v. Schwabe N. Am., Inc. et al., resolves a split among district courts evaluating the standard that applies to false labeling claims brought under California’s Unfair Competition...more
In a recent decision, the California Court of Appeal reaffirmed and clarified how the “reasonable consumer” standard must be applied at the pleadings stage to mislabeling claims. In simplest terms, if the packaging makes a...more