Illinois Attorney General (AG) Kwame Raoul and Minnesota AG Keith Ellison have joined the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in a lawsuit to block the acquisition of Surmodics Inc. by GTCR BC Holdings LLC, two major manufacturers of critical medical device coatings. The regulators allege that the merger is anticompetitive, violating Section 7 of the Clayton Act and Section 5 of the FTC Act.
Join us for a special crossover episode of The Consumer Finance Podcast and Regulatory Oversight, where Chris Willis, Kim Phan, and Gene Fishel delve into the evolving world of state AI legislation. As AI becomes a pivotal tool in the financial services industry, understanding the implications of new laws is crucial. This episode focuses on Colorado’s comprehensive AI law and its potential influence on other states, exploring key issues such as algorithmic discrimination, privacy, and cybersecurity. Gain insights into best practices for compliance and learn how state attorneys general are stepping up enforcement in the absence of federal action. Don’t miss this informative discussion bridging consumer finance and regulatory oversight.
There are unprecedented risks and opportunities emerging for companies in the energy sector as the Trump administration’s priorities start to come into focus. Many of those are well-known to the industry. Here’s one that’s not: the Information and Communications Technology and Services (ICTS) rules, administered by the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).
On April 16, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a $12 million settlement through a consent decree with Direct Energy Services LLC (Direct Energy). Direct Energy is an alternative retail electric supplier (ARES) and an alternative retail gas supplier (ARGS). Companies like Direct Energy are certified by the Illinois Commerce Commission to sell electricity and gas to residential consumers. This settlement arises from Raoul’s allegations that Direct Energy misled consumers, causing them to pay substantially more for energy than they would have if they had remained with their default public utility company. Specifically, Raoul alleged that Direct Energy falsely promised lower rates, while actually charging energy rates more than 230% higher than the public utility.
In keeping with President Donald Trump’s affinity for issuing executive orders (EO) — 139 in total, Nos. 14147–14285, between Jan. 20, 2025, and April 24, 2025 — he recently issued EO 14265, “Modernizing Defense Acquisitions and Spurring Innovation in the Defense Industrial Base.” In a nutshell, the Department of Defense (DoD) is directed to take aggressive steps to deregulate the procurement process and to exploit existing reform initiatives to achieve a more efficient and nimble procurement process. The order focuses on four major deregulatory priorities, the collective effect of which will, in theory, constitute a “comprehensive overhaul” of the current defense acquisition system. In no particular order, the four priorities are:
On April 25, Attorney General (AG) Pam Bondi issued an internal memorandum to Department of Justice (DOJ) employees, changing the DOJ’s policy on obtaining information from, or records of, members of the news media. Under this new policy, the DOJ will again use compulsory legal process, such as subpoenas, court orders, and search warrants, to compel the production of information from the news media, including when investigating government leaks.
RICHMOND – Samuel E. “Gene” Fishel, a member of Troutman Pepper Locke’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy and Enforcement (RISE) Practice, was recently named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly’s “Go To Lawyers” 2025 list for cybersecurity litigation. The program recognizes top lawyers across the commonwealth in a given practice area based on nominations and an independent selection process.
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On Thursday, March 20, a federal judge in the Northern District of Illinois granted final approval to a settlement agreement under which Clearview AI (Clearview) agreed to pay an estimated $51.75 million to a nationwide class if one of several contingencies takes place. This approved settlement agreement resolves In Re: Clearview AI, Inc. Consumer Privacy Litigation, No. 1:21-cv-00135 (N.D. Ill.), a multidistrict suit alleging that the company’s automatic collection, storage, and use of biometric data violated various privacy laws, including Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). The unorthodox settlement not only preserves Clearview’s business model, but may also insulate Clearview from subsequent or parallel regulatory investigations without requiring the company to jeopardize the liquidity necessary for continued growth. Ultimately, this settlement seems to represent a good outcome for the company, especially in light of the fact that that it was achieved over the objections from 23 state attorneys general (AG). U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman stated that the settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate.
In this episode of our special Regulatory Oversight: Solicitors General Insights series, Jeff Johnson, a former deputy solicitor general in the Missouri Attorney General’s office, welcomes Scott Stewart, solicitor general of Mississippi, and Matt Rice, solicitor general of Tennessee. The episode uncovers the intricacies of being a state solicitor general and the impact of their work on state and national levels.
In mid-April, Rhode Island Attorney General (AG) Peter F. Neronha announced a settlement with A.R. Building Company, Inc. (ARBC), a national real estate management and development business with properties throughout Rhode Island. The settlement resolved allegations of unfair trade practices with respect to prospective tenants.