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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.

Published in Law360 on January 15, 2025. © Copyright 2025, Portfolio Media, Inc., publisher of Law360. Reprinted here with permission.

State attorneys general across the U.S. took bold steps in 2024 to address unlawful activities by corporations in several areas, including privacy and data security, financial transparency, children’s internet safety, and other overall consumer protection claims.

In the third episode of our special 12 Days of Regulatory Insights podcast series, Chris Carlson is joined by Barry Boise, a seasoned partner in Troutman Pepper’s Health Sciences Litigation practice group, to explore the increasing oversight of the health care industry by state attorneys generals (AGs) in 2024 and what to anticipate in 2025.

On October 29, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin and the state’s Division on Civil Rights (DCR) released a report detailing the findings of a multi-year investigation into Republic First Bank (Republic) and its alleged mortgage redlining practices. According to the report, the investigation revealed that Republic engaged in a pattern or practice of redlining against Black, Hispanic, and Asian communities in New Jersey, in violation of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination.

Published in Law360 on September 27, 2024. © Copyright 2024, Portfolio Media, Inc., publisher of Law360. Reprinted here with permission.

On Sept. 18, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a settlement with healthcare technology company Pieces Technology pursuant to the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act.

Earlier this month, 20 Democratic state attorneys general (AG) filed an amicus brief supporting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) marketing denial orders (MDOs) of premarket tobacco applications (PMTAs) for flavored electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS or e-cigarettes) currently under review by the U.S. Supreme Court. The brief not only demonstrates which side these states support, but also identifies specific enforcement priorities for these states.

In this episode, Chris Carlson, an associate in the Regulatory, Investigations, Strategy and Enforcement (RISE) practice, joins Brooke and Chris to discuss how federal and state regulators are collaborating on consumer protection investigations. The team discusses a recent order and action against an Arizona-based auto dealer for multiple Unfair or Deceptive Acts or Practices (UDAP) violations. While contemplating whether this is a growing trend, the trio meanders into discussions about the CARS Rule and the potential impact of November’s election on the industry.

On August 27, the New Jersey Attorney General (AG) and the Division of Consumer Affairs announced that the state had issued notices of violation and $4,500 civil penalty demands to 19 retailers across New Jersey for allegedly selling banned flavored vapor products. This is New Jersey’s first public enforcement of the state’s 2020 flavor ban, and New Jersey joins a number of other state AGs taking similar action across the U.S.

Concerns over consumer protection are mounting as the sales of intoxicating hemp products continue to rise. In response to a fragmented regulatory landscape that has led to inconsistent enforcement and compliance challenges, state attorneys general are stepping in to fill the void left by the absence of comprehensive federal regulations. These state-level actions aim to