A coalition of industry associations and 22 state attorneys general (AGs), led by West Virginia AG JB McCuskey, filed a lawsuit against the State of New York in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York challenging the validity of the state’s recently enacted Climate Change Superfund Act. The complaint asserts that the act’s retroactive imposition of multibillion-dollar fines on fossil fuel companies is both preempted by federal law and violates several bedrock constitutional principles.

On February 4, the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General (AG) released its second Report on Emerging Technology and Its Effect on Youth Well-Being, outlining the effects young Minnesota residents allegedly experience from using social media and artificial intelligence (AI). The report highlights alleged adverse effects that technology platforms have on minors and claims that specific design choices exacerbate these issues.

In this episode of Regulatory Oversight, Clay Friedman, co-leader of the firm’s State Attorneys General (AGs) practice, welcomes back Brian Kane, executive director of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG). They discuss the significant transitions and reforms at NAAG over the past two years, including the implementation of a bipartisan leadership structure and a comprehensive management review.

RICHMOND – Ashley L. Taylor, Jr., co-leader of Troutman Pepper Locke’s nationally ranked State Attorneys General Practice, was named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly’s “Go To Lawyers” for business litigation. The program recognizes the top lawyers across the commonwealth in a given practice area based on nominations and an independent selection process.

The Virginia General Assembly has once again advanced legislation to establish a regulated market for recreational marijuana sales. Virginia is unique in that it allows personal possession of cannabis but bans retail sales outside of medical marijuana dispensaries. The legislation, HB 2485 sponsored by Delegate Paul Krizek, D-Fairfax County, and SB970 by Senator Aaron Rouse, D-Virginia Beach, passed the Democratic-controlled legislature on a party-line vote (53-46 in the House and 21-19 in the Senate). The bills now move on to Virginia’s Governor Glenn Youngkin.

In this special joint edition of the Consumer Finance Podcast and the Regulatory Oversight Podcast, host Chris Willis is joined by colleagues Stephen Piepgrass, James Kim, Jesse Silverman, and Lane Page to discuss the ongoing changes at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and predict how state regulators and legislatures will react to fill the void. This episode explores the anticipated responses from state attorneys general, financial service regulators, and legislatures, and offers strategic insights for industry players to navigate this complex regulatory environment. Tune in to understand the proactive measures your organization can take to stay compliant and ahead of potential state enforcement actions.

Stephen Piepgrass, co-leader of Troutman Pepper Locke’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement (RISE) Practice Group, was interviewed in the February 17, 2025 CasinoReviews.net article, “Sweepstakes Casinos: Thriving in an Ever-Changing Industry – Interview with Attorney Stephen C. Piepgrass.”

In the article, Stephen provides valuable insights into the legal hurdles sweepstakes casinos are up…

On February 4, a Vermont Superior Court judge entered a judgment of over $2.7 million against Phoenix Counseling & Wellness, PLC (Phoenix), and the company’s owner for alleged violations of the Vermont False Claims Act (VFCA). Vermont Attorney General (AG) Charity Clark and her office’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit (MFRAU) received complaints regarding the quality of care and maintenance of patient treatment records by Phoenix.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and 18 state attorneys general (AG) announced a settlement with Boston-based QOL Medical, LLC (QOL) and its CEO, Frederick Cooper, to resolve allegations that the company provided unlawful kickbacks to health care providers. Under the terms of the settlement, QOL and Cooper agreed to pay $47 million to resolve allegations that QOL manipulated health care providers into prescribing a drug called Sucraid — an FDA-approved therapy for a rare genetic disorder, Congenital Sucrase-Isomaltase Deficiency (CSID). Regulators alleged that QOL and Cooper violated the Anti-Kickback Statute and federal and state False Claims Acts.

Last year, we wrote about the former Missouri governor’s efforts to curb the availability of intoxicating hemp products to Missouri consumers by executive order. There are now several proposed bills in the Missouri legislature that seek to regulate hemp-derived consumable products in the state, a few of which we summarize below. In general, the proposed legislation addresses issues related to youth access, licensing, taxation, advertising and marketing, testing, and labeling. This type of proposed legislation is worth monitoring in Missouri, and other states, as states take more aggressive action to prohibit or regulate the availability of such products to consumers in the absence of a coherent, federal regulatory framework.