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In Wiretapping

United States: Third Circuit decision increases risk of wiretapping liability for website operators

by , and 6 Mins Read

In brief In Ashley Popa v. Harriet Carter Gifts, Inc., the Third Circuit reversed a Pennsylvania district court’s grant of summary judgment for defendants on claims that a shopping website and a marketing service violated Pennsylvania anti-wiretapping law by collecting and sharing records of the plaintiff’s digital activities without her consent. This decision is significant because it increases the risk that sharing of electronic data with third-party entities without the consent of the website visitor could…

In False Claims Act

United States: Recent settlement by GCI signals expanded use of False Claims Act

by and 8 Mins Read

In brief On 11 May 2023, GCI Communications Corp. (GCI) agreed to pay more than USD 40 million to the US government to settle allegations that it submitted false claims to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) by knowingly inflating its prices in a competitive bidding program regulated by the FCC. The investigation began when a former GCI employee, Robert Taylor, filed a qui tam action against the company under the False Claims Act (FCA) after…

In Antitrust

United States: Antitrust Division agrees to mid-trial settlement to resolve merger challenge

by , , and 4 Mins Read

In brief The Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it reached a settlement in its litigation challenge against ASSA ABLOY AB’s (“Assa Abloy”) proposed USD 4.3 billion acquisition of Spectrum Brand Holding Inc.’s Hardware and Home Improvement division (“Spectrum”). [1] The settlement, which came in the middle of trial and is now subject to court approval, is the first negotiated settlement under DOJ Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter. Notably, comments from the…

In FTC

United States: FTC puts companies on notice that failure to provide support for their product claims could result in civil penalties

by , , and 3 Mins Read

In brief On 13 April 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a letter containing a Notice of Penalty Offenses Concerning Substantiation of Product Claims to approximately 670 advertisers, putting each company on notice that deceiving consumers with advertisements that make unsubstantiated product claims could subject the company to civil penalties of up to USD 50,120 per violation under 15 U.S.C. § 45(m)(1)(B). The FTC noted that, while the initial distribution of the Notice was specific to those making…

In SEC

United States: SCOTUS upholds district court’s jurisdiction over challenges to SEC and FTC actions

by and 4 Mins Read

In brief On 14 April 2023, the United States Supreme Court issued its opinion in Axon Enterprise, Inc. v. Federal Trade Commission et al., and unanimously held that a litigant challenging the constitutionality of an agency administrative enforcement action need not await the outcome of that action before bringing their constitutionality challenge in federal district court. In depth The Court in Axon Enterprise, Inc. considered two separate matters based on administrative enforcement proceedings: one from the…

In Attorney-Client Privilege

United States: In re Grand Jury

by , and 4 Mins Read

In brief After initially granting certiorari and hearing oral arguments in In re Grand Jury ─ a matter concerning the application of the attorney-client privilege to dual-purpose communications ─ the United States Supreme Court “dismissed as improvidently granted” the case. Tax practitioners had hoped that a ruling by the Supreme Court would resolve a circuit split regarding the extent to which such communications fall within the ambit of the privilege. Background As a general rule, a lawyer’s…

In Corporate Enforcement Policy

United States: Department of Justice tweaks Criminal Division Corporate Enforcement Policy

by 6 Mins Read

On January 17, 2023, the US Department of Justice (DOJ or the “Department”) issued a revised version of its Corporate Enforcement Policy (CEP). The CEP sets out the Department’s approach to resolving criminal cases with corporations. In particular, it addresses how the Department will credit companies which voluntarily disclose criminal conduct and cooperate with the Department’s investigation and resolution of the matter. The latest revisions to the CEP are an evolution of existing Department policy…

In False Claims Act

United States: Washington, DC Circuit’s ruling in Honeywell reins in large false claims act damages

by and 7 Mins Read

In brief On 30 August 2022, the DC Circuit ruled in United States v. Honeywell International, Inc. that the pro tanto rule applies to damages in cases under the False Claims Act (FCA). This means that, at least in the DC Circuit, damages in FCA cases will be subject to dollar-for-dollar reduction by other settlement offsets in cases involving multiple jointly and severally liable defendants. The ruling clarifies the settlement offset rule applied to FCA cases and…

In ESG

Plastic and Recyclability Litigation: Best Practices to Minimize Risk

by and 4 Mins Read

With a growing trend toward taking more ESG measures, some companies are at risk of lawsuits from consumers involving plastic packaging. Here are some best practices boards should know about to mitigate the risk of litigation. In a recent trend, citizen advocates and environmental groups have been filing lawsuits asserting novel theories against major companies that use or rely on plastic, even if the companies do not produce plastic products or are not involved in…

In Litigation Preparedness

Litigation Preparedness for Directors

by and 6 Mins Read

Outside counsel are often called in to help with a bet-the-company lawsuit, only to find out that the company is unprepared for litigation—employees not trained on how to preserve attorney-client privilege or properly escalate a dispute, litigation hold notices not issued and company data not preserved, and the location of key documents uncertain. Preparing for the proverbial rainy day is critical, and corporate directors play an important role in ensuring their company is ready for…

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