With one eye on the U.S. Supreme Court, which is being asked to confirm that the FTC has authority to seek monetary relief under Section 13(b) in AMG Capital Management, LLC v. Federal Trade Commission, and the other eye on...more
The FTC today announced four new enforcement actions and one new settlement alleging deceptive income claims in violation of the FTC Act. The FTC noted that these actions are part of a broader initiative branded as...more
Earlier this week, the Federal Trade Commission re-stated its position to the Supreme Court, arguing that there is no “clear legislative command” to restrict the traditional powers of equity. In other words, courts of equity...more
Now that Joe Biden has been declared the winner of this year’s presidential election, many practitioners are beginning to turn their focus to how a Biden Administration will reshape federal agencies. This post takes a look at...more
This morning, in a brief line order, the Supreme Court vacated its prior grant of the Federal Trade Commission’s petition for certiorari in Federal Trade Commission v. Credit Bureau Center, LLC (“Credit Bureau”). Justice...more
Late last week (Oct. 29), FTC Commissioner Rohit Chopra (D) and his Attorney Advisor Samuel Levine released a paper entitled “The Case for Resurrecting the FTC Act’s Penalty Offense Authority.” In it, Commissioner Chopra and...more
Last week, all five FTC Commissioners – Chairman Joseph Simons (R), and Commissioners Christine Wilson (R), Noah Phillips (R), Rebecca Slaughter (D), and Rohit Chopra (D) – sent a letter to the Chairs and Ranking Minority...more
The Supreme Court’s new term began last Monday. This new term has taken on heightened significance with President Trump’s nomination of current Seventh Circuit Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the High Court. President Trump and...more
Late last week, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS), along with Senators John Thune (R-SD), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), introduced S. 4626, the Setting an American Framework to Ensure...more
Turns out the best defense may not be a good offense, at least when litigating against the FTC. The Northern District of Illinois yesterday rejected an attempt by multi-level marketer Neora, LLC (formerly Nerium) to obtain a...more
On August 20, a Northern District of California court stayed the trial of an action the FTC brought against Lending Club in 2018 pending a Supreme Court ruling on the FTC’s authority to seek monetary restitution under Section...more
On January 30th, 24 State Attorneys General*, led by Kwame Raoul (D) of Illinois, submitted an amici curiae brief in support of the Federal Trade Commission’s position in FTC v. Credit Bureau Center LLC....more
The year ended with a flurry of activity related to the FTC’s ability to obtain permanent injunctions and restitution under Section 13(b) of the FTC Act. As we head into 2020, a level-set is in order....more
The continuing questions over the extent of the FTC’s enforcement authority to obtain monetary relief under Section 13(b) did not stop the Commission from filing a lawsuit on November 1 against multi-level marketer Neora, LLC...more
Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit cannonballed directly into the roiling waters of debate over the Federal Trade Commission’s enforcement powers, when it determined in a closely-watched appeal that...more
Yesterday, Commissioner Christine Wilson testified before the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, and asked Congress to clarify the extent of the FTC’s authority to...more
Last month, we wrote about the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in FTC v. Shire Viropharma Inc., holding that the FTC may only bring a case under Section 13(b) of the FTC Act when the FTC can...more
In a decision that will limit the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) ability in both consumer protection and antitrust matters to bring certain claims in federal court, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals held in FTC v. Shire...more
This morning, the FDA announced its intention to engage in greater oversight of the dietary supplement industry. The announcement also conveyed that the Agency had sent 12 warning letters and five advisory letters to...more
Earlier this week, the Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (DS-SRC) opened its doors for business. Its objective is to provide independent, impartial, and comprehensive monitoring of direct selling companies on an...more
Last week, Gonzalo wrote about the letter Truth in Advertising sent to the FTC, urging the Commission to investigate Diageo’s use of influencers to market Ciroc vodka on Instagram. And earlier this week, we learned that the...more
The FTC announced that it will accept comments and hold a series of public hearings on consumer protection, privacy, and competition policy and enforcement. The hearings will take place during fall and winter of this year...more
The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee held confirmation hearings yesterday for the four nominees to the Federal Trade Commission: Joseph Simons (nominated as Chair), Rohit Chopra, Noah Phillips, and...more
The FTC released today Business Guidance Concerning Multi-Level Marketing, which offers answers to frequently asked questions to assist multi-level marketers in evaluating their business practices for compliance with the FTC...more
After months of speculation among the consumer protection and antitrust bars, Trump announced today his intention to nominate former Director of the Bureau of Competition and current Paul Weiss partner Joseph Simons as...more