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The SEC Signs on to Arbitration
FEATURED
September 29, 2025
The SEC Signs on to Arbitration
By: George Calhoun
Early last week, on September 17, 2025, the SEC announced that it will no longer consider the presence of a mandatory arbitration provision in a company’s charter or bylaws when deciding whether to accelerate the effectiveness of a registration statement. This policy shift will permit companies to include arbitration clauses in their governing documents to require securities litigants (including class action plaintiffs) to pursue their claims in arbitration proceedings rather than court cases. The decision leaves open how arbitration provisions might apply in direct actions versus derivative actions. Nonetheless, this could result in a significant reduction in private securities litigation. The SEC focused its decision on the recent trend in U.S. Supreme Court precedent concerning the Federal Arbitration Act and…
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Cal. High Court Softens Draconian Arbitration Fee Rule
August 19, 2025
Cal. High Court Softens Draconian Arbitration Fee Rule
By: Robert Ward
California law has often tested just how much room the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) leaves for states to regulate consumer arbitration agreements. Last week, in Hohenshelt v. Superior Court,[1] the California Supreme Court determined that at least one claimant-favoring provision of the California Arbitration Act (CAA), California Code of Civil Procedure § 1281.98 comes close to, but does not cross, that line. At the same…
Ready, Set, Go: More States Adopt Privacy Laws
July 30, 2025
Ready, Set, Go: More States Adopt Privacy Laws
By: Nicole Kardell
Note the below chart was updated on July 24, 2025 to reflect recent developments. The number of U.S. states that have adopted privacy laws grows regularly. Fortunately, there seems to be quite a bit of crossover, at least when it comes to thresholds that companies must meet in order to trigger compliance requirements. We provide below a chart that summarizes these thresholds by state, including…
Telemarketing Restrictions During State of Emergency
April 7, 2020
Telemarketing Restrictions During State of Emergency
By: Nicole Kardell
If part of your marketing plan involves calls to consumers, please be aware of additional telemarketing restrictions in some states (presently New York and Louisiana) during a state of emergency. New York New York recently enacted a law to prohibit unsolicited telemarketing calls during a state of emergency. Since New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has declared a state of emergency (on March 7, and…
TCPA Prior Express Consent Via Business Card? Third Circuit Says “Yes, It Counts”
April 1, 2020
TCPA Prior Express Consent Via Business Card? Third Circuit Says “Yes, It Counts”
By: Ifrah Law
As businesses that make telemarketing or automated/prerecorded phone calls and send text messages and telemarketing faxes are well aware, the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) imposes certain restrictions on communications sent without the recipient’s express consent or permission. Many courts view the “prior express consent” or permission requirement quite broadly. And just this week, the broad interpretation of “prior express consent” was reaffirmed and…
Privacy Pointers for Employees of the Teleworking World
March 26, 2020
Privacy Pointers for Employees of the Teleworking World
By: Nicole Kardell
Work got a lot more personal when it moved in with my family. For people used to keeping a healthy divide between their business and personal lives, the new telework dynamic can be particularly stressful. That “healthy divide” can crumble under the weight of quarantine as tiny voices (kids and pets) infiltrate teleconference and video conference calls – “I didn’t know Joe had kids!” “Who’s…
Telework: Businesses Need Smart Practices ASAP to Reduce the Threat of Data Security Incidents. Here’s the Quick and Dirty of Smart Practices
March 25, 2020
Telework: Businesses Need Smart Practices ASAP to Reduce the Threat of Data Security Incidents. Here’s the Quick and Dirty of Smart Practices
By: Nicole Kardell
COVID19 is not the only viral threat we face these days. Malware is a very real vulnerability for businesses large and small, among a host of other data security threats. We have rapidly transitioned to telework. For many (perhaps most) businesses, that transition took place without a clear inventory of hardware leaving the office and without a clear telework policy for employees. As a business,…
Allowances Made for COVID-19 Don’t Mean Telehealth Providers and Employers Can Share Protected Information Without Consequences
March 23, 2020
Allowances Made for COVID-19 Don’t Mean Telehealth Providers and Employers Can Share Protected Information Without Consequences
By: Drew Barnholtz
COVID-19 has become a pervasive concern for everyone. Older Americans are particularly susceptible to contracting COVID-19. On March 17th, the Trump Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the expansion of Medicare beneficiaries’ access to telehealth services during the COVID-19 outbreak. Importantly, the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced it will waive potential HIPAA penalties for good faith use of…
