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Chris Carlson

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Chris Carlson represents clients in regulatory, civil and criminal investigations and litigation. In his practice, Chris regularly employs his prior regulatory experience to benefit clients who are interacting with and being investigated by state attorneys general.

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This article was originally published on September 7, 2023 in Reuters and is republished here with permission.

State Attorneys General (AGs) uniquely wield power to enforce the law, direct policy, and effectuate political goals. Exercising their civil prosecutorial authority, State AGs have redefined priorities of paramount concern to CEOs and in-house legal counsel that impact the corporate and commercial landscape.…

Continue Reading Making an Impact: State Attorneys General Races in 2023 and Beyond

Published in Law360 on June 27, 2023. © Copyright 2023, Portfolio Media, Inc., publisher of Law360. Reprinted here with permission.

On May 11, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. Inc. went on the offensive to keep its new line of nonmenthol cigarettes marketed with language like “crisp,” “smooth” and “mellow” on store shelves in California.[1]…

Continue Reading What RJ Reynolds’ Calif. Suit Means for Tobacco Regulation

Judy Jagdmann and Chris Carlson, a partner and an associate in Troutman Pepper’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement Practice Group, were quoted in the June 8, 2023 Corporate Counsel article, “State Attorneys General Flexing Muscles, Posing Growing Risk to Legal Departments.”…

Continue Reading State Attorneys General Flexing Muscles, Posing Growing Risk to Legal Departments

On June 7, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a request for information (RFI) to gain additional insight into how it can optimize joint enforcement with state attorneys general (state AGs) to protect consumers from fraud. The announcement signals a growing trend of cooperation between the FTC and state AGs, which we have also seen between the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the state regulators.…

Continue Reading FTC Comment Request Signals Joint Enforcement With State AGs Will Continue Increasing

On May 11, RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company, along with two convenience stores and the American Petroleum and Convenience Store Association, sued the California attorney general and district attorney for Fresno County in their official capacities, seeking declaratory relief that these California officials misinterpreted and misapplied California’s ban on flavored tobacco products and incorrectly concluded that RJ Reynolds’ new products violate this ban.…

Continue Reading RJ Reynolds Sues California AG Disputing Applicability of Flavor Ban

State authorities increasingly embrace role as consumer watchdogs

A version of this post was published in Corporate Compliance Insights on April 5, 2023. © Copyright 2023, Corporate Compliance Insights. Reprinted here with permission.

State attorneys general are increasingly taking offensive positions, bringing lawsuits against companies and executives they accuse of bad conduct. A team of attorneys from Troutman Pepper, led by Clayton Friedman and Trey Smith, explore recent cases and how executives can strengthen the corporate veil.…

Continue Reading It’s Not Just the Feds: State AGs Are Reaching Through Your Corporation

This article was originally published in Bloomberg Law. Reproduced with permission. Published February 2023. Copyright © 2023 The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.

The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that over 65% of US households own a pet. Puppies are a particularly popular choice. But sometimes, after a puppy comes home to its new family, it might appear lethargic or in pain, and stumble when walking.…

Continue Reading Attorneys General Enforce Lemon Laws and Penalize Puppy Mills

Published in Law360 on January 10, 2023. © Copyright 2022, Portfolio Media, Inc., publisher of Law360. Reprinted here with permission.

In late November, the New Mexico attorney general announced a lawsuit[1] in the Santa Fe County First Judicial District Court against Philip Morris USA Inc., R.J. Reynolds and other signatories to the tobacco master settlement agreement alleging their violation of the MSA and various state and common laws due to their withholding of payments to the state.…

Continue Reading Parsing the New Wave of State Tobacco Settlement Suits

The Federal Trade Commission seems poised to regulate hidden fees in services from a range of industries, joining state attorneys general and the CFPB to act on behalf of consumers, Troutman Pepper attorneys Clayton Friedman, Chris Carlson, and Namrata Kang say. They advise companies to take steps now to avoid regulatory scrutiny.

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