News from June 2016
California attorney general comments on chemical safety bill in Congress
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) — California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris has released comments on the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act in the U.S. Congress, which provides reforms to the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (TSCA) in order to limit the number of dangerous chemicals in the environment.
Macy's, Bloomingdale's accused of falsely advertising sale prices
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) – Two individuals have filed a class-action lawsuit against several department stories alleging that they made false representations on the prices of their products.
California resident accuses BrandRep Inc. of invasion of privacy
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) – A Los Angeles man claims a nationwide online marketing company places nuisance phone calls.
Michigan files suit against Veolia, and LAN for alleged roles in the Flint water crisis
FLINT, Mich. (Legal Newsline) – The State of Michigan has filed a lawsuit against Veolia and Lockwood, Andrews & Newman (LAN), Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette stated recently in an announcement, joined by Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton, Special Assistant Attorney General Noah Hall, Special Counsel Todd Flood, Chief Investigator Andy Arena, Chief Deputy Investigator Ellis Stafford and the Flint Investigation Team.
Yuengling to settle in EPA case alleging Clean Water Act violations
HARRISBURG, Pa. (Legal Newsline) – D.G. Yuengling and Son Inc. agreed to settle in a case involving allegations of violating the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Department of Justice and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced.
Justice Department drops summons enforcement action against UBS
MIAMI (Legal Newsline) – The Justice Department announced that it has voluntarily dismissed its summons enforcement action against UBS AG.
Saratoga Springs Nissan settles for $101,986 in case involving alleged illegal fees
ALBANY, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) – Saratoga Springs Nissan LLC has agreed to settle for $101,986 after allegations of charging illegal fees, New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced.
FTC to mail $6.3 million to consumers allegedly victimized by Kevin Trudeau's book
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) – The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it will mail a total of $6.3 million in checks to consumers who purchased “The Weight Loss Cure 'They' Don’t Want You to Know About” by Kevin Trudeau.
FTC takes action against Florida man for allegedly swindling money from small businesses
MIAMI (Legal Newsline) – The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a lawsuit against a Florida man and his company after allegations he swindled at least $1.3 million from newly opened small businesses by pretending to be a federal government agency.
InMobi to pay $950,000 after allegations it deceptively tracked individuals via mobile devices
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced InMobi, a Singapore-based mobile advertising company, has agreed to pay $950,000 in civil penalties after allegations of deceptively tracking individuals via their mobile devices.
SEC announces $10 million penalty for Merrill Lynch after allegations it misled investors
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced Merrill Lynch will pay $10 million in penalties to settle allegations it misled customers in statements provided to retail investors for structured notes linked to a proprietary volatility index.
Analogic Corp., Danish subsidiary to pay $15 million after alleged FCPA violations
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — Analogic Corp., a Massachusetts-based medical device manufacturer, and its wholly owned Danish subsidiary will pay close to $15 million to settle allegations of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced.
SEC targets investment adviser who allegedly swindled money from pro athletes
DALLAS (Legal Newsline) — The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced it has received a court order to freeze Ash Narayan’s assets after allegations the investment adviser secretly defrauded professional athletes.
Homes Direct agrees to settle case involving Maryland rental agreements
BALTIMORE (Legal Newsline) — Homes Direct Inc. has agreed to settle a case involving allegations surrounding its rental practices, including its use of rental agreements with an option to purchase residential properties, Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh has announced.
TCPA violates First Amendment, political groups say
RALEIGH, N.C. — A lawsuit against U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch filed in May seeks to eliminate restrictions imposed by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) on political organizations using automatic telephone dialing systems to call cell phones, which the plaintiffs argue violates their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech.
Ruling in exotic dancers independent contractor's case could affect other industries
RICHMOND, Va. (Legal Newsline) —The Fourth Circuit Court upheld a ruling that two Maryland dance clubs had misclassified exotic dancers as independent contractors. One attorney believes the ruling is significant for all businesses who have agreements with independent contractors.
Employers need to be flexible when working out ADA accommodations, ALJ says
When an employee has a physical or mental impairment that’s protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act, the process for reaching an accommodation is supposed to be interactive and ongoing, according to an attorney.
Attorney: Doesn't 'make sense' to fight FTC claims, settlement a better option
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (Legal Newsline) —The decision by a company that marketed wristbands it claimed acted as mosquito repellents to settle with the Federal Trade Commission is one that many businesses make when faced with an FTC suit, according to a lawyer who has experience dealing with the agency.
Merrill Lynch to pay $415 million after allegations of violating SEC Customer Protection Rule
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — Merrill Lynch will pay $415 million after allegations it misused customer cash to generate profits and failed to protect customer securities from the claims of its creditors, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced.
Controversial body's glyphosate research isn't reliable, critics say
Pesticides’ association with neurotoxicity, cancer and birth defects over the years have led to rigorous testing before they’re deemed safe to use. So when a cancer-research agency unexpectedly declared that a popular herbicide probably causes cancer, the news had a major impact, with reactions ranging from confused to concerned.