News:
Venable's Products Liability Team Earns Chambers Client Service Award
Last month Venable's national Product Liability and Mass Torts practice was singled out by Chambers and Partners, a leading publisher of legal rankings based on client and peer feedback, for its coveted Client Service Award. According to Chambers, this rare and prestigious award goes "to firms who have been consistently singled out by clients during the course of our research for the quality and range of their client service."
With one of the most active and respected product liability practices in the United States, Venable is well known for its defense of pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers in jurisdictions across the country. The group also represents clients in consumer class actions, congressional investigations, and the defense of mass tort claims. In addition to pharmaceutical and medical device cases, Venable has also represented clients in product liability matters involving asbestos, tobacco, automobiles, industrial chemicals, and consumer electronics.
The news comes on the heels of the full release of Chambers' annual rankings of attorneys and law firms across the country. Overall, 69 Venable attorneys achieved individual rankings, and a record 32 practices were ranked at the national and state levels.
Read the press release announcing the client service award to learn more about Venable's Product Liability and Mass Torts practice.
Read the press release announcing all of Venable's Chambers USA rankings.
Analysis:
Old Law Spawns New Class Action Headaches
An obscure, decades-old New Jersey law has found new life in the hands of plaintiffs' attorneys, and it is creating headaches for companies whose website terms and conditions are not in compliance, write Venable attorneys Jeffrey D. Knowles, Ari N. Rothman, and Shahin O. Rothermel in the June edition of the DRMA Voice.
Plaintiffs' attorneys are alleging violations of the New Jersey Truth in Consumer Contract, Warranty and Notice Act, which prohibits sellers, lenders, and others from presenting any contract, written notice, or sign to any consumer that eliminates any legal right a consumer would otherwise have, or that relieves any legal obligation imposed on a seller by law.
Read the full article to learn how class action attorneys are attacking website terms of use, how website owners are fighting the lawsuits, and how to mitigate the risk of your website becoming a target.
Understanding CFPB's Proposed Small-Dollar Loan Rule
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would regulate small-dollar lenders on the federal level and subject them to strict requirements that would require many lenders and their service providers to fundamentally alter their business models. Whether the proposed rule will create a better-functioning marketplace is debatable, write Venable attorneys Allyson B. Baker, Ellen Traupman Berge, Jonathan L. Pompan, R. Andrew Arculin, Samuel D. Boro, Peter S. Frechette, and summer associate Katherine Dearing*, in a recent client alert.
One thing is certain: the proposed rule could upend the market and place a host of new regulations on an industry that will need to adapt quickly or disappear. The proposed rule spans more than 1,300 pages. In the alert, the Venable team breaks down the proposed rule and provides answers to many frequently asked questions.
Read the client alert to learn how the proposed rule may affect your business, and how interested companies can respond to the proposed rule.
Read the CFPB's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.
Upcoming Events:
The CFPB's New Arbitration Clause Ban: How to Prepare Your Organization
June 15, 2016 | Webinar
Join Venable's CFPB team for a webinar offering practical discussion about what the CFPB's proposed arbitration clause ban means for companies and consumers. Venable attorneys Allyson B. Baker, John F. Cooney, Thomas E. Gilbertsen, Jonathan L. Pompan, and Peter S. Frechette will review the current state of the rulemaking process, share their take on the Bureau's proposal from regulatory and litigation perspectives, and outline what you and your company need to know about what's ahead.
Participants are encouraged to engage in the conversation by submitting questions throughout the live event and will receive a copy of the presentation and other materials following the webinar.
Food Marketing Institute 2016 Legal Conference
June 19-21 | Chicago, IL
Designed for the legal leadership of the retail and wholesale food industries, Food Marketing Institute's Legal Conference will bring together general counsel, corporate counsel, and other corporate executives involved with legal issues. Join Venable's Randal M. Shaheen as he discusses "Recent Trends in Food Litigation and Labeling" on June 20 at the Sofitel Chicago Water Tower.