Insights < BACK TO ALL INSIGHTS
Cal. High Court Softens Draconian Arbitration Fee Rule
FEATURED
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 time, to avoid preemption, the court offered businesses some relief from the unforgiving interpretation applied by many California courts. Section 1281.98 requires the party who drafts an arbitration agreement—in the consumer context, the company—to pay all required fees within thirty days of receiving the arbitration provider’s invoice.[2] If the company fails to pay the fees…
What are you looking for?
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…
Fame, FTC, and Fine Print: Navigating Advertising Rules in an Evolving Landscape
May 12, 2025
Fame, FTC, and Fine Print: Navigating Advertising Rules in an Evolving Landscape
By: Abbey Block
Ryan Seacrest is most well-known for his role as the charismatic host of popular television shows like American Idol and Wheel of Fortune. But more recently, Seacrest has taken on a new business venture, becoming the spokesperson for the social casino platform, Chumba Casino. Chumba Casino, launched in 2012, allows players to engage in online casino-style games. Seacrest began his partnership with the brand in…
Appeals Court Tells Elon Musk –A Deal Is A Deal: SEC Consent Decree Sticks
May 18, 2023
Appeals Court Tells Elon Musk –A Deal Is A Deal: SEC Consent Decree Sticks
By: Michelle Cohen
When faced with federal agency enforcement actions, companies frequently enter into consent decrees with the government to avoid the time, expense, and uncertainties of litigation. Consent decrees often involve the payment of settlement monies. They can also include lengthy commitments in furtherance of compliance, such as annual reporting and officer certifications. Consent decrees may also restrict certain practices, even over decades. Once a “deal” is…
For the Children!: Children’s Online Safety Becomes Focus of State and Federal Law
May 15, 2023
For the Children!: Children’s Online Safety Becomes Focus of State and Federal Law
By: Nicole Kardell
Have you seen the latest craze in babysitting? If you are ever out in public, you have. Think of the last time you were at a restaurant, stoplight, or airport, and noticed a child, aged between tot and tween, fixated on his or her device. That’s the craze: the cheapest, most available babysitting option these days is a device that can entertain children for hours,…
Artificial Intelligence Poses Threat to Business Data Privacy and Confidential Information
May 10, 2023
Artificial Intelligence Poses Threat to Business Data Privacy and Confidential Information
By: Jake Gray
Over the last year, an abundance of headlines detailing innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) technology have hit the news cycle. Beyond mere technical advancements, many reports have discussed AI’s potential to revolutionize innumerable industries and the workplace, whether for better or worse. The White House is accordingly delving into AI’s role in the workplace, recently announcing that the White House Office of Science and Technology…
A New Paradigm: Claimant Opposition to Mass Tort Bankruptcy and Needed Reform
May 3, 2023
A New Paradigm: Claimant Opposition to Mass Tort Bankruptcy and Needed Reform
By: George Calhoun
Congress enacted Section 524(g) of the Bankruptcy Code in 1994. That statute requires a 75% supermajority of claimants to approve a bankruptcy plan binding on future claimants and containing injunctions protecting the debtor and other third parties. The statute handed veto power to prominent plaintiff law firms. Companies facing mass tort liabilities, primarily asbestos, were forced into Faustian deals with plaintiffs groups in which trusts…
Basic Data Privacy Hygiene and AI: Do What You Say and Say What You Do
April 10, 2023
Basic Data Privacy Hygiene and AI: Do What You Say and Say What You Do
By: Nicole Kardell
Our Privacy Team has been saying this for years –Do What You Say and Say What You Do.[1] It’s an enduring maxim and an important basic step that companies need to embrace in their data collection practices. It also fits in neatly with the concepts of Notice and Consent, which are the hallmarks of almost all data privacy laws. Remarks made recently in a keynote…
