Benjamin Rattner
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It’s summertime, and for many of us that means buying and applying sunscreen. Lots of it. Indeed, when selecting sunscreen rated at, say, SPF 30, we rely on national standards promulgated by the FDA. It thus comes as no surprise that a California state appellate court recently rejected attempts by several plaintiffs to impose different … Continue Reading
StarKist Co. recently agreed in principle to a $12 million settlement with a putative class of plaintiffs concerning alleged under-filling of tuna fish cans. But agreeing on the dollar figure seems to have been the easy part; the parties in this bitterly-fought case have become embroiled in motion practice about the allocation of that $12 … Continue Reading
Assume the following: plaintiff brings a putative class action under state consumer protection laws alleging that he bought a product based on false claims on its packaging. He seeks monetary and injunctive relief. However, plaintiff vows never to buy the product displaying the allegedly false advertising again or cannot purchase the product so-labeled because the … Continue Reading
Class certification in false advertising cases often fails due to problems with the class itself such as ascertainability. But what happens when a class action plaintiff admits she didn’t rely upon the purportedly deceptive claims in making her purchasing decision? A recent decision in California’s “food court” may provide an answer. In Major v. Ocean … Continue Reading
A recent National Advertising Division (“NAD”) decision serves as a reminder that comparative taste preference claims can quickly sour without methodologically sound substantiation. Taste-testers (and advertisers) should take heed. In Mom Brands Co., breakfast cereal maker Post brought an NAD challenge against two categories of claims Malt-O-Meal Brand Cereals Co. (“MOM”) made comparing Post cereals to … Continue Reading
Two recent false advertising class action settlements illustrate some of the myriad ways to structure settlements, and also reflect the real risks of these lawsuits when early-stage efforts to dismiss them are unsuccessful. In Reid et al. v. Unilever United States, Inc., No. 12-C-06058 (E.D. Ill.), plaintiffs sought to recover from economic and personal injuries … Continue Reading
It appears that California’s consumer-friendly Unfair Competition Law, Cal. Bus & Prof. Code §17200 et seq. (“UCL”), encompasses claims made regarding website privacy policies. In In re LinkedIn User Privacy Litigation, No. 5:12-cv-0388-EJD, a Northern District of California court denied LinkedIn’s motion to dismiss a putative class action concerning LinkedIn’s allegedly misleading privacy policy statement … Continue Reading
Sun-Blocked: California Court Dismisses Sunscreen Labeling Case
By Lawrence Weinstein, Benjamin Rattner and Jeff Warshafsky on Posted in Deceptive Trade Practices, Labeling Claims, Regulatory
Catch of the Day: Tuna Fish Brand StarKist Swims into a Sea of Trouble After Agreeing to Settle Claims Against It
By Lawrence Weinstein and Benjamin Rattner on Posted in Class Actions, Labeling Claims
A Court in the Sunshine State Blocks Injunctive Relief against Neutrogena Sunscreen Claims; Meanwhile P&G Cannot Flush Charmin Claims for the Same Relief in New York
By Alexander Kaplan and Benjamin Rattner on Posted in Class Actions, Deceptive Trade Practices, Labeling Claims
Tripping the Light Cran-tastic: Ocean Spray Washes Away Attempted Class Certification
By Lawrence Weinstein and Benjamin Rattner on Posted in Class Actions, Deceptive Trade Practices, Labeling Claims
Cereal Killer: NAD Un-Sweetens Some of MOM’s Breakfast Cereal Claims
By Lawrence Weinstein and Benjamin Rattner on Posted in NAD/NARB/CARU/ERSP
Two Consumer Class Actions Settle for (Mostly) Nominal Amounts Per Plaintiff
By Benjamin Rattner on Posted in Class Actions, Deceptive Trade Practices, Labeling Claims
LinkedIn Consumer Class Action Survives Motion to Dismiss
By Benjamin Rattner and Alexander Kaplan on Posted in Class Actions, Deceptive Trade Practices, Social Media
