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Michael is a partner in the firm’s State Attorneys General and Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement (RISE) Practice Groups, nationwide teams that advise clients on consumer protection enforcement matters and other regulatory issues. Based in the firm’s Orange County office, Michael represents high-profile clients in regulatory enforcement investigations involving all facets of their business, including but not limited to, advertising and sales practices, monthly membership programs, auto renewal programs, telemarketing and telephone solicitations, door-to-door sales practices, and endorsements. Having begun his career as a commercial litigator, he also supports clients throughout litigation, should an investigation move in that direction.

Published in Law360 on January 22, 2025. © Copyright 2025, Portfolio Media, Inc., publisher of Law360. Reprinted here with permission.

In the first installment of this two-part article, state attorneys general across the U.S. took bold action in 2024 to address what they perceived as unlawful activities by corporations in several areas, including privacy and data security, financial transparency, children’s internet safety, and other overall consumer protection claims.

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 seventh episode of our 12 Days of Regulatory Insights podcast series, members of the firm’s Advertising + Marketing practice, Mike Yaghi and Natalia Jacobo, examine the evolving landscape of advertising and marketing regulations. The episode focuses on the impact of recent efforts to curb junk fees, state mandates for transparent pricing, and potential regulatory changes anticipated with the new administration in 2025.

In the sixth episode of our 12 Days of Regulatory Insights podcast series, Lane Page is joined by Mike Yaghi, a partner in the firm’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement (RISE) practice, and Chris Willis, co-leader of the firm’s Consumer Financial Services Regulatory practice, to discuss the anticipated changes in federal and state oversight and enforcement within the consumer financial services industry.

In the second episode of our special 12 Days of Regulatory Insights podcast series, Cole White, a member of Troutman Pepper’s Regulatory Investigation, Strategy, and Enforcement (RISE) practice group, is joined by colleagues Stephen Piepgrass and Mike Yaghi to analyze the rising regulatory scrutiny of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies by state attorneys general (AG).

In the first of a two-part series focused on the complexities of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards, Troutman Pepper Partner Mike Yaghi is joined by Brooke Hopkins and Rob Sayegh from Alvarez & Marsal. They dive into the growing importance of ESG, particularly in Europe, where stringent regulations like the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) are being implemented. The discussion contrasts this with the ongoing political debate in the U.S., highlighting the need for companies to prepare for upcoming ESG requirements by 2026.

As U.S. elections heat up, Republicans have put Democrats on the defense about the economy and the public’s perception of it. One talking point for Democrats in response, including in President Joe Biden’s last two State of the Union addresses, has been federal efforts to combat so-called junk fees.

Still, the strongest regulations are coming from states, and companies will need to keep an eye on all of these laws to comply.

On August 7, the U.S. Department of Treasury hosted a virtual briefing to discuss the steps that the Biden-Harris administration is taking to address perceived unfair and deceptive practices in the consumer solar energy industry. Deputy Secretary of Treasury Wally Adeyemo, along with Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Rohit Chopra, announced a new interagency consumer solar industry initiative directed at both sales and financing of residential systems. Each made statements about the unique effort to root out anti-competitive and sometimes-fraudulent activity by a handful of “bad actors” who are taking advantage of the burgeoning industry. The presenters also noted that they will be coordinating with state attorneys general (AG) and state financial regulators.