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Michael Yaghi

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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.

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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.

Join us for the first in a series of episodes covering artificial intelligence (AI). As technology continues to develop, more companies are using AI in their day-to-day business, and with increased use comes increased risk. In this episode, Stephen Piepgrass and colleagues Michael Yaghi and Trey Smith provide an overview of AI, including uses and risks, and the increased focus on AI by various regulators, including state attorneys general, federal agencies, and local governments.

The Department of Defense (DOD) wants to make it easier for companies with innovative solutions, such as startups, to bid on and receive federal government contracts. As such, DOD recently proposed a Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations (DFARS) amendment to implement provisions of the 2022 and 2023 National Defense Authorization Acts, which provide DOD with the authority to acquire “innovative commercial products and commercial services” under general solicitations using a new, more streamlined competitive selection process called a “commercial solution opening” (CSO). The amendment will add a new subpart to DFARs Part 212 at 212.7X. DOD expects the proposed process to reduce transaction costs for both private and public sectors, which it hopes will encourage smaller companies with innovative ideas and proven solutions to take part in the federal government contracting marketplace.

U.S.-based international trade group Cashmere and Camel Hair Manufacturers Institute (CCMI) recently filed a lawsuit against global online marketplace Etsy, Inc. in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts for allegedly advertising and marketing third-party counterfeit cashmere products through its platform. CCMI claimed Etsy violated the Lanham Act; Massachusetts’ false advertising law; common law prohibitions on unfair competition; and Massachusetts’ Anti-Dilution Statute. CCMI also brought a novel civil claim that Etsy conspired with the fake cashmere suppliers.

In a January 10 ruling, U.S. District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sided with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), finding that they may continue in their fight to show that the South Carolina state court system’s restriction on automated “scraping” of eviction-related case information violates their First Amendment right to access and record public court records. “Scraping,” an automated data collection technique, is currently prohibited by the terms of use of the state Public Index, and attorneys who violate these terms can face disciplinary action. South Carolina Court Administration also uses technical means to prevent scraping. The NAACP has argued there is no reason for the outright ban, and other court systems allow the practice without any adverse consequences.

In this episode of Regulatory Oversight, Stephen Piepgrass is joined by Nevada First Assistant Attorney General Kyle George and Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement attorneys Ketan Bhirud and Michael Yaghi to discuss the use of separate litigation and settlement counsel for AG investigations. Kyle also discusses the unique nature of attorney general investigations as compared to traditional litigation, and the benefits of having deep, meaningful relationships among the AG offices.

On November 17, 33 state attorneys general (AGs) submitted a comment letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), supporting its contemplated new efforts in the corporate surveillance and data security space. The AGs’ public support for the FTC’s anticipated rulemaking suggests the AGs will continue to focus on data security issues in the coming new…

A lawsuit stemming from the collapse of multibillion-dollar cryptocurrency exchange FTX seeks to recover a billion dollars from FTX’s founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, along with 11 paid endorsers, including Tom Brady, Naomi Osaka, Kevin O’Leary, Gisele Bündchen, Larry David, and Steph Curry. The plaintiffs allege the defendants were involved in a…

Updated November 11, 2022 at 11:29 AM ET

2022 State Attorneys General Election Re-Cap

On November 8, 30 states and the District of Columbia held elections for state attorneys general. Below are the current results of the elections for each of the 31 races. We will continue to update this blog post as results are verified.

*Results are listed alphabetically by state.