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In Greenwashing

United States: Navigating the new rise of greenwashing litigation

by , and 8 Mins Read

In brief It comes as no surprise that class actions targeting greenwashing claims — or green advertising — continue to rise in number and complexity. Although consumer demand and regulatory actions have increasingly motivated businesses to make public statements about their sustainability practices and commitments to climate change, now is the time to take a step back and reevaluate those sustainability claims and marketing. Vague, unverified and unsubstantiated claims can all too easily lead to…

In After-the-fact gratuities

United States: Tightening the reins – Supreme Court narrows scope of federal bribery statute in Snyder decision

by , , , and 5 Mins Read

In brief On June 26, 2024, in Snyder v. United States, the Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision authored by Justice Kavanaugh, significantly limited the federal statute criminalizing gratuities in state and local jurisdictions. Snyder, a mayor, awarded a USD 1.3 million contract and received a USD 13,000 payment from the benefiting company. The Supreme Court ruled that the relevant statute, Title 18 section 666, applies only to bribes paid or promised before an official act,…

In Healthcare

United States: Supreme Court Unanimously Rejects Challenge to FDA’s Approval of Mifepristone

by , and 5 Mins Read

In brief On June 13, 2024, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) unanimously held in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine that plaintiff physicians and pro-life medical associations lacked Article III standing to challenge the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) regulation of mifepristone, a prescription drug primarily used in terminating pregnancy. Following the ruling, mifepristone remains available and approved. Also importantly, SCOTUS reasoned that a desire to make a drug less available for others…

In Repatriation Tax

United States: Supreme Court upholds the constitutionality of the Section 965 Transition Tax

by and 6 Mins Read

In brief On 20 June 2024, the US Supreme Court ruled, in a 7-to-2 decision in favor of the government, to uphold the constitutionality of the section 965 transition tax in Moore v. United States. This case has been closely watched because it informs a potential future dispute concerning the legality of a wealth tax and significant longstanding portions of the US tax regime. The original question presented was whether, under the Sixteenth Amendment, income must…

In Individual Voluntary Self-Disclosure

United States of America: Come one, come all

by , , and 11 Mins Read

DOJ Extends Leniency Incentives to Corporate Wrongdoers Who Disclose Criminal Misconduct In brief On April 15, 2024, the DOJ launched the Individual Voluntary Self-Disclosures (VSD) Program, extending incentives for individual wrongdoers to self-report criminal activities. This follows similar initiatives in the SDNY and NDCA. Traditionally, the DOJ incentivized corporate self-disclosure of wrongdoing. The new program aims to encourage individuals to disclose their misconduct and cooperate fully in exchange for non-prosecution agreements, potentially heightening the pressure…

In Artificial Intelligence

Canada: Competition Bureau seeks comments on the effects of artificial intelligence on competitionAuto Draft

by , and 7 Mins Read

In brief The Canadian Competition Bureau (“Bureau”) has announced a significant initiative to explore the impacts of artificial intelligence (“AI”) on competition in Canada. On 20 March 2024, the Bureau published a discussion paper, entitled “Artificial intelligence and competition” (“Discussion Paper”), and has requested feedback from the public. The Bureau is seeking to better understand how AI can affect competition in Canada. It is also seeking to determine how it can better prepare to address…

In Privacy

United States: California Court decision a reminder to review website privacy practices

by , , and 7 Mins Read

In brief In Esparza v. Kohl’s, Inc., Plaintiff brought a putative class action accusing Kohl’s of allowing a third party to unlawfully eavesdrop on him while he had a brief conversation with an agent on a chat feature on Kohl’s website. Kohl’s moved to dismiss all claims, but the United States District Court for the Southern District of California granted the motion only as to the claims for violation of the California Constitution and intrusion upon…

In AI Washing

Recent SEC Actions Highlight Increased Regulatory Scrutiny over Artificial Intelligence and “AI Washing”

by , , , and 5 Mins Read

On March 18, 2024, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) announced that it settled charges against two investment advisers for making false and misleading statements about their purported use of artificial intelligence (AI). This SEC enforcement action marks the latest efforts by securities regulators to combat the adverse effects of “AI washing” and confirms that AI, and particularly “AI washing”, is at the forefront of securities regulators’ minds. What is “AI washing”?…

In Antitrust Consumer Protection

United States: FTC and DOJ prevail against healthcare company and its executives in parallel civil and criminal cases

by , , and 7 Mins Read

In brief In 2018, following an investigation, the FTC filed a complaint in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida against Simple Health Plans LLC and several related companies (collectively, “Simple Health”), as well as the companies’ then-CEO and founder. Then, in 2022, the DOJ indicted three former Simple Health executives — again the then-CEO, its VP of Sales, and its Chief Compliance Officer — in the Southern District of Illinois. The…

In Environment

United States: How the PFAS Litigation Landscape is Expanding

by , and 12 Mins Read

For nearly a decade, plaintiffs have been filing lawsuits over the alleged environmental and health consequences associated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — sometimes called forever chemicals. Initially, these lawsuits were largely against early manufacturers of Teflon and other common household products. But this landscape is rapidly changing. Recently, the range of lawsuits and companies targeted has expanded to include not only manufacturers but also other companies in the chain of commerce — including those…

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