Jennifer Yang
Partner
Jennifer Yang is a partner in the Litigation Department. She is a skilled commercial litigator specializing in false advertising and other intellectual property disputes, including Lanham Act and consumer class action false advertising litigation, advertising challenges before the National Advertising Division (NAD) and National Advertising Review Board (NARB) as well as trademark, trade secret and copyright litigation. Jen represents clients in a variety of industries, including medical device companies, consumer products companies, cosmetics companies, food and beverage companies, fashion retailers, sports, entertainment and art foundations.
Jen regularly defends clients in threatened and filed consumer class actions. She has successfully helped clients defend cases around the country involving core product performance claims, ingredient claims, slack fill allegations, environmental and other ESG-related claims, pricing disputes, health claims, and allegations of undisclosed PFAS and other contaminants. Jen has extensive experience litigating matters involving foods, drugs, medical devices, dietary supplements and cosmetics, and is proficient on the impact of the regulatory frameworks governing these products on consumer class action defense.
Jen also frequently represents both plaintiffs/challengers and defendants/advertisers in competitor Lanham Act cases and challenges before NAD and NARB. She brings her deep experience in litigation strategy and subject matter expertise to each case to achieve the best possible outcome for her clients.
A core part of Jen’s practice includes counseling clients on advertising and claim substantiation. She leverages her expertise in NAD, regulatory guidance (including the FTC Endorsement Guides, Green Guides and Negative Option Rule), state consumer protection statutes and consumer class action trends to work closely with clients and their marketers to help develop compelling marketing campaigns and messaging while minimizing legal risk. Jen also partners with clients’ R&D teams to help develop robust claim substantiation in accordance with best legal practices, including clinical studies, in vitro testing, sensory studies, home use tests, and consumer and expert surveys.
Jen is a regular speaker at ANA’s Masters of Advertising Law Conference, and is an author and editor of Proskauer’s advertising law blog, Proskauer on Advertising.
Subscribe to all posts by Jennifer Yang
Just days before it was set to take effect, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit struck down the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) much anticipated “Click-to-Cancel Rule” (the “Rule”), delivering regulatory whiplash to companies that had proactively geared up for the Rule’s arrival. As previously reported, the Rule sought to impose various requirements … Continue Reading
In October 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) updated its 1973 Negative Option Rule to address unfair and deceptive online subscription practices. See 16 C.F.R. § 425 (2024) (the “Negative Option Rule” or the “Rule”). The Rule sparked significant debate, with the original proposal garnering over 16,000 comments. Following some revisions based on this feedback, … Continue Reading
While class actions centered around “natural” claims remain popular with the plaintiffs’ bar, this past year has seen some growing skepticism from courts towards such lawsuits, particularly where plaintiffs fail to adequately explain what is deceptive about the term. In January, Judge Kimba M. Wood of the Southern District of New York granted summary judgment … Continue Reading
This past Friday, the Second Circuit reversed a lower court’s denial of a motion to compel arbitration in a putative consumer class action against fintech company Klarna. Edmundson v. Klarna, Inc., Case No. 22-557-cv (2d Cir. Nov. 3, 2023). The panel upheld the enforceability of Klarna’s “click-wrap” mandatory arbitration provision incorporated in Klarna’s terms and … Continue Reading
This week the FTC announced that it finalized its revisions to the Endorsement Guides, which give advertisers guidance on ensuring that their use of endorsements or testimonials complies with the FTC Act. At the same time, the FTC also announced an updated accompanying guidance document, “FTC’s Endorsement Guides: What People are Asking.” While the revised … Continue Reading
Judge Richard Seeborg of the Northern District of California recently dismissed a putative class action alleging that Sprout Foods’s nutritional claims on its baby and toddler food labels misled consumers into believing that the products provide physical health benefits. In their complaint, plaintiffs alleged that the products are “harmful both nutritionally and developmentally” due to … Continue Reading
Please join us on Tuesday, September 13, for a Proskauer panel at ANA covering the latest legal developments related to environmental advertising claims. Our panelists, Jeff Warshafsky, Jennifer Yang, and Nicole Sockett, will discuss carbon offsets and lifecycle assessments, recyclability and recycled content claims, general environmental benefit claims, and other key takeaways from the FTC … Continue Reading
Judge Cathy Seibel of the Southern District of New York recently dismissed a putative class action lawsuit challenging various environmental impact and animal welfare claims made by Allbirds in ads for its wool shoes. In doing so, the court determined that plaintiff’s allegations, which largely consisted of criticisms of the wool industry in general, did … Continue Reading
2021 saw well over 500 new class actions in the advertising space. With the number of these cases increasing, it is more important than ever for businesses to stay on top of the latest trends, including the types of products and claims that are being targeted. Our full report, available here, goes into detail on … Continue Reading
With more than 80 closed cases, 2021 was another unprecedented year at the National Advertising Division and National Advertising Review Board. Proskauer’s False Advertising Group closely tracks these decisions from the advertising industry’s self-regulation system to stay apprised of the latest developments and trends, and has compiled a guide providing case summaries, with our insights … Continue Reading
Continuing our “On Notice” series about the FTC’s Notice of Penalty Offenses Concerning Endorsements, we address the FTC’s prohibition against using testimonials to (1) make or imply unsubstantiated or otherwise deceptive performance claims even if such testimonials genuinely reflect the endorser’s own experience, and (2) misrepresent explicitly or implicitly that the experience described by endorsers … Continue Reading
Continuing our series on the FTC’s Notice of Penalty Offenses Concerning Endorsements, this post considers the FTC’s statement that it is unlawful under Section 5 of the FTC Act “for an advertiser to continue to advertise an endorsement unless the advertiser has good reason to believe that the endorser continues to subscribe to the views … Continue Reading
As discussed in our earlier post, on October 13, 2021, the FTC issued “Notice of Penalty Offenses” letters to more than 700 companies, placing them on notice of civil penalties up to $43,792 per violation if they use endorsements or testimonials in an unfair or deceptive manner. These letters are the first step for the … Continue Reading
A Third Circuit panel recently affirmed a Pennsylvania district court decision in favor of defendant Innovative Designs (“IDI”) in an advertising challenge by the FTC. We previously blogged about the district court decision, which found the FTC failed to present any credible expert testimony to support its claims. On appeal, the Third Circuit panel affirmed, … Continue Reading
We recently blogged about Champion Petfoods’ success in a Minnesota district court case alleging that it misrepresented the quality of its dog food and ingredients. Well, Champion Petfoods came back to defend its title in another case involving nearly identical allegations, this time in the Seventh Circuit. The Seventh Circuit recently affirmed a Wisconsin district … Continue Reading
Earlier this year, we blogged about the Supreme Court’s decision in AMG v. FTC, which significantly curtailed the FTC’s ability to seek monetary restitution under Section 13(b) of the FTC Act. One quick update there: The U.S. House of Representatives recently voted to restore the FTC’s Section 13(b) disgorgement powers. For now, though, in the … Continue Reading
In a unanimous precedential decision, a Ninth Circuit panel recently affirmed the dismissal of a putative class action against Trader Joe’s, which alleged that the statement “Up to 5% Retained Water” on Trader Joe’s poultry product labels was misleading. According to Plaintiff, her independent testing showed Trader Joe’s poultry products contained a higher percentage of … Continue Reading
The Eighth Circuit recently affirmed the dismissal of a class action alleging that Unilever’s differential pricing of men’s and women’s antiperspirants violated the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act (MMPA). In doing so, the Court found plaintiff’s claims wrongly equated marketing targeted to women with point-of-sale price discrimination by gender (i.e. charging a different price for the … Continue Reading
In a recent opinion out of the Southern District of New York, Judge William H. Pauley III certified three classes of plaintiffs in New York, California, and Florida who allege that KIND LLC, the manufacturer of KIND Bars, deceptively marketed several products as “all natural” and “non-GMO,” even though they purportedly contain synthetic and genetically … Continue Reading
The FTC recently held a workshop titled “Bringing Dark Patterns to Light,” a recording of which can be found at the following link. The workshop centered around exploring the effects of digital “dark patterns” on consumers and the marketplace. The term “dark patterns” refers to a range of potentially deceptive website design tactics that can … Continue Reading
The Fourth Circuit recently overturned a district court’s decision to apply an analogous state law statute of limitations to bar a claim for false advertising under § 43(a) of the Lanham Act. In doing so, the Court held that because § 43(a) claims are “equitable in nature,” laches is the applicable timeliness rule, rather than … Continue Reading
With more than 100 closed cases, 2020 was another busy year at the National Advertising Division and National Advertising Review Board. Proskauer’s False Advertising Group closely tracks these decisions from the advertising industry’s self-regulation system to stay apprised of the latest developments and trends, and has compiled a guide providing case summaries, with our insights … Continue Reading
Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California recently dismissed with prejudice a putative class action alleging that the Omni luxury hotel chain deceptively advertised its hotel room rates on Expedia. In doing so, the Court found plaintiff failed to adequately allege that reasonable consumers would be deceived … Continue Reading
While 2020 was an eventful year in the world of advertising law, it feels wrong to begin any type of “year in review” without acknowledging the global events of this year, and the challenges they have brought to every individual in one way or another. In our role, we are often in a position of … Continue Reading
Canceled Before It Clicked: Eighth Circuit Strikes Down FTC’s Click-to-Cancel Rule
By Baldassare Vinti, Jennifer Yang and Alyson Tocicki on Posted in Class Actions, FTC, Regulatory
Subscription Shake-Up: Navigating the FTC’s Click-to-Cancel Rule
By Baldassare Vinti, Jennifer Yang, Alyson Tocicki and Naomi Caldwell on Posted in Class Actions, FTC, Regulatory
What’s in a Word? The Legal Battle over “Natural” in False Advertising
By Baldassare Vinti, Jennifer Yang and Evelyn Blanco on Posted in Class Actions, Deceptive Trade Practices, Labeling Claims
That’s a “Wrap”: Second Circuit Upholds Click-Wrap Mandatory Arbitration Provision
By Baldassare Vinti, Jeff Warshafsky, Jennifer Yang, Anisha Shenai-Khatkhate and Jana R. Ruthberg on Posted in Arbitration Clause, Class Actions
FTC Finalizes Updates to Endorsement Guides, Reflecting Increased Focus on Online Reviews and Social Media Marketing
Sweet (But Not Too Sugary) Victory: Court Dismisses Lawsuit Over Sprout Foods Baby Food Labeling
By Baldassare Vinti, Jennifer Yang and Isaiah D. Anderson on Posted in Class Actions, Deceptive Trade Practices, Labeling Claims
Proskauer Panel on Environmental Advertising Claims at ANA
By Jeff Warshafsky, Nicole Sockett and Jennifer Yang on Posted in Events and Announcements, NAD/NARB/CARU/ERSP
Sheep’s Clothing: Court Dismisses Lawsuit Over Allbirds’ Carbon Footprint and Animal Welfare Claims
By Baldassare Vinti, Jennifer Yang and Amy Gordon on Posted in Class Actions, Deceptive Trade Practices, Labeling Claims
Advertising Class Action Trends in 2021
Key 2021 Decisions from the NAD and NARB
By Baldassare Vinti, Jeff Warshafsky, Jennifer Yang and Anisha Shenai-Khatkhate on Posted in Announcements, NAD/NARB/CARU/ERSP
On Notice: Unsubstantiated or Unrepresentative Testimonials
By Baldassare Vinti, Jennifer Yang and Amy Gordon on Posted in Deceptive Trade Practices, FTC
On Notice: Continued Use of Endorsements
By Baldassare Vinti, Jennifer Yang and Anisha Shenai-Khatkhate on Posted in Deceptive Trade Practices, FTC
On Notice: Procedural Overview of the FTC’s Section 5 Penalty Offense Authority
By Lawrence Weinstein, Jennifer Yang and Timothy E. Burroughs on Posted in FTC, Regulatory
Third Circuit Affirms Decision to Reject FTC’s False Advertising Claims Against Housing Insulation Company
By Lawrence Weinstein, Jennifer Yang and Anisha Shenai-Khatkhate on Posted in Deceptive Trade Practices, Regulatory
“Champion” Petfoods: Seventh Circuit Affirms Dismissal of False Advertising Suit Against Pet Food Company
By Lawrence Weinstein, Jennifer Yang and Omobolaji Oluwasola on Posted in Class Actions, Deceptive Trade Practices, Labeling Claims
Court Considers FTC’s Ability to Seek Monetary Relief Post-AMG
By Lawrence Weinstein, Jennifer Yang and Amy Gordon on Posted in Deceptive Trade Practices, Regulatory
The Legal “Pecking Order”: Ninth Circuit Finds Poultry Labeling Claims Preempted
By Lawrence Weinstein, Jennifer Yang and Anisha Shenai-Khatkhate on Posted in Class Actions, Deceptive Trade Practices, Labeling Claims, Primary Jurisdiction/Preemption
Don’t Sweat It: 8th Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Deodorant Class Action
By Lawrence Weinstein, Jennifer Yang and Anisha Shenai-Khatkhate on Posted in Class Actions, Deceptive Trade Practices
Judge Looks “Kind”ly Upon Certifying Class in Snack Bar Advertising Suit
By Lawrence Weinstein, Jennifer Yang and Alyson Tocicki on Posted in Class Actions, Commonality Requirement, Deceptive Trade Practices, Labeling Claims, Regulatory
FTC Workshop: “Bringing Dark Patterns to Light”
By Lawrence Weinstein, Baldassare Vinti, Jennifer Yang, Nicole Sockett and Jessica Griffith on Posted in Deceptive Trade Practices, Regulatory
Fourth Circuit La(t)ches On to Timeliness of § 43(a) Lanham Act Claims
By Lawrence Weinstein, Jennifer Yang and Nicole Sockett on Posted in Lanham Act
Key 2020 Decisions from the NAD and NARB
By Lawrence Weinstein, Baldassare Vinti, Jeff Warshafsky, Jennifer Yang and Anisha Shenai-Khatkhate on Posted in Announcements, NAD/NARB/CARU/ERSP
Judge Has No “Reservations” Dismissing Advertising Suit Against Omni Hotels
By Lawrence Weinstein, Jennifer Yang and Brooke Gottlieb on Posted in Class Actions, Deceptive Trade Practices
2020 Advertising Law Year in Review
By Lawrence Weinstein, Baldassare Vinti, Jeff Warshafsky, Jennifer Yang and Anisha Shenai-Khatkhate on Posted in Class Actions, Deceptive Trade Practices, Labeling Claims, Lanham Act, NAD/NARB/CARU/ERSP, Regulatory
