Feeling the Heat: Strategies to Keep Cool Under California's Consumers Legal Remedies Act — The Consumer Finance Podcast
A federal jury in the Central District of California has awarded $2.36 million in damages to a consumer class, finding that R.C. Bigelow Inc. (“Bigelow”), without limitation, violated the Consumer Legal Remedies Act and...more
A jury in the Central District of California recently awarded $2.36 million in damages to a consumer class, finding that R.C. Bigelow Inc. (“Bigelow”) violated the Consumer Legal Remedies Act (CLRA), breached an express...more
A California federal court denied a Japanese convenience store chain’s motion to dismiss and to strike classwide allegations of food mislabeling, finding the named plaintiff had standing to assert claims for injunctive relief...more
Energizer False Advertising Suit Runs Out of Juice at 9th Circuit - The 9th Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a class action lawsuit alleging that Energizer falsely advertised its AA MAX batteries as "up to 50% longer...more
On May 28, 2024, Chief Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu, of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, certified a class of consumers in an action against Barilla Foods....more
Late last month, San Francisco resident Kirstin Cobbs initiated a class action lawsuit against poppi after purchasing its product, poppi prebiotic soda, believing the product to be “gut healthy.” Poppi sodas are packaged in...more
This week, the California AG’s office released a set of FAQs on California’s law addressing hidden fees. As a reminder, the law states that the following practices will be unlawful under the Consumer Legal Remedies Act...more
Huggies Diaper Evidence Not a Good "Fit" for #1 Claim, NAD Says - Huggies claimed its diapers were the #1 Best Fitting, a broad claim requiring broad evidence against the market—evidence that the National Advertising...more
On August 16, 2022, US Congress enacted Reese’s Law, which aims to protect children from ingestion hazards associated with certain lithium batteries found in consumer electronics. The law stems from the death of 18-month-old...more
In Short - The Situation: In the last month, two courts in the Ninth Circuit allowed human rights focused cases to proceed beyond the pleading stage. These cases seek to impose liability on U.S.-based companies for alleged...more
The National Advertising Division (NAD) referred the website Smarter-Reviews.com (Smarter Reviews) to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on suspicion of publishing advertising disguised as editorial content because it lacks...more
On June 9, 2023, the Ninth Circuit in McGinity v. The Procter & Gamble Company, No. 22-15080 (9th Cir. 2023) held that a food manufacturer could rely on an ingredients list panel located on the back of the challenged product...more
In 1970, California enacted the Consumer Legal Remedies Act (CLRA), creating what remains the most comprehensive state consumer protection statute in the country. Under the CLRA, consumers who bought goods or services that...more
On June 11, 2022, Plaintiffs Matthew Sinatro and Jessica Prost filed a class action lawsuit in the Northern District of California against the Barilla pasta company over alleged false advertising....more
What Does It Mean to "Buy" Digital Content? On August 13, 2020, David Andino sued Apple Inc. (Apple) in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California for violations of three California state laws: 1)...more
Takeaway: Context matters in false advertising class actions. Factors such as how an allegedly false representation is displayed, where it is displayed, and what else is disclosed on the label or advertisement all can...more
Following a three-day bench trial, Judge Jeffrey S. White of the Northern District of California recently held that Plaintiffs lack standing to pursue their false advertising claims against SeaWorld relating to its treatment...more
Conagra Brands recently emerged victorious when Judge William H. Orrick of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted summary judgment in its favor, tossing claims that the company disguises the...more
Takeaway: Federal courts sitting in diversity are supposed to apply state law. There is a critical distinction, however, between substantive rights created by state law, on the one hand, and remedies (especially equitable...more
Last month, a California court, for a second time, dismissed a class action complaint asserting that Ghirardelli’s advertising for its “Classic White” “Premium Baking Chips” created the false impression that the product...more
Any party to an action under California Unfair Competition Law (UCL) or False Advertising Law (FAL) should beware of the California Supreme Court’s recent decision in Nationwide Biweekly Administration Inc. v. Superior Court...more
Earlier this month, the Ninth Circuit held that state law cannot expand or confine a federal court’s power to issue equitable restitution because federal courts are bound by traditional equitable principles, which require,...more
Several months into the widespread business closures and event cancellations resulting from the COVID 19 pandemic, we have seen businesses adopt a range of strategies to respond. Those strategies, in addition to the closures...more
The Ninth Circuit affirmed dismissal of a consumer fraud class action pursuing restitution under California’s Unfair Competition Law (UCL) because the plaintiff failed to show she lacked an adequate legal remedy. Sonner v....more
On April 8, 2020, Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted Ghirardelli Chocolate’s motion to dismiss a putative nationwide class action brought by several consumers...more