Collection Law Firm Fires Employee Accused of Stealing $13K From Elderly Couple

A law firm has fired an employee accused of stealing a little over $13,000 from an elderly couple he apparently met while going door-to-door collecting past-due taxes for the city of Memphis, Tenn. The employee is accused of accepting $13,273 in checks written to him personally by the couple between…

Oct 17, 2011 9:13 PM CDT

ATM Trade Group Sues Visa and Mastercard, Alleging Price Fixing

The National ATM Council, a trade group, filed a federal lawsuit against Visa Inc. and Mastercard Inc. today alleging that the credit card companies engaged in price fixing. The action, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, maintains that the defendants established a uniform plan to…

Oct 12, 2011 9:25 PM CDT

Supreme Court Accepts Case Challenging Mortgage Fees Charged by Quicken Loans

Updated: The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether federal law bars mortgage lenders from charging “unearned fees” at closings if they aren’t part of a kickback or fee-sharing arrangement. The federal government supports the plaintiffs, who claim Quicken Loans Inc. charges unearned fees in violation of the Real…

Oct 12, 2011 11:00 AM CDT

UK Consumers Could Buy Legal Services With Bread, Milk and Eggs as Soon as January, Under New Law

A much-anticipated new law that will revolutionize the provision of legal services to consumers in the United Kingdom and allow non-attorneys to invest in and help run “alternative business structures” expected to operate much like law firms takes effect this month. But it will still be a while before the…

Oct 6, 2011 11:52 PM CDT

Lawyer Sues Facebook, Says Tracking Cookie Violates Wiretap Laws, Seeks Class Action Status

A lawyer and Facebook user has sued the social networking site in federal court in Kansas, contending that a tracking cookie violates wiretap laws. Lead plaintiff John Graham, a 42-year-old attorney in Leawood, Kan., also alleges in the suit that the cookie violates state consumer-protection law, reports the Associated Press.…

Oct 6, 2011 10:44 PM CDT

Law Firms Announce Plans to Sue 15 More Law Schools over Job Stats

Updated: The litigation against law schools over employment statistics may be expanding. Two law firms announced Wednesday that they plan to sue 15 more law schools in seven different states, according to Law School Transparency, which posted the press release. The suits will challenge the schools’ reported employment rates for…

Oct 5, 2011 4:37 PM CDT

Four Loko Settles FTC Complaint by Changing Can Disclosures, Using Resealable Containers

Updated: The maker of the fruity-tasting alcoholic drink Four Loco will settle a Federal Trade Commission allegation of false advertising by relabeling its cans to compare its alcohol content to regular beer. The FTC had alleged drink maker Phusion Projects falsely claimed that a 23.5-ounce can of Four Loko contained…

Oct 4, 2011 3:48 PM CDT

Consumer Advocate Wins Suit Against Walmart Store for Failing to Correct Two Penny Overcharge

A consumer advocate in Pennsylvania has been awarded $180 in damages and court costs in a suit targeting a Walmart in Delmont for a 2 cent overcharge. Mary Bach of Murrysville says she and her husband have sued the Walmart five times for charging more than the posted price, the…

Oct 3, 2011 3:43 PM CDT

Our Pleasure to Serve You: More Lawyers Look to Social Networking Sites to Notify Defendants

Oct 1, 2011 8:49 AM CDT

Attorney Owner Wins Condo Association Wastebasket War, Uses $201K Check to Pay Off Mortgage

A nuisance provision contained in many condominium association governing documents can be a tempting basis for litigation. But it backfired for one Florida condominium association that tried to utilize it to force an attorney owner out of her home, writes local lawyer Jean Winters on the Condos and HOAs page…

Sep 30, 2011 12:56 PM CDT

Birth Control Pills Are Recalled Over Packaging Error That Could Lead to Pregnancy

A pharmaceutical company is recalling certain lots of its birth control pills over a packaging error that leaves women at risk for unplanned pregnancies. The recall was announced last week after the company, Qualitest Pharmaceuticals, discovered that select blisters in some of its packaging were rotated 180 degrees, which had…

Sep 29, 2011 9:10 PM CDT

Net Neutrality Supporters Sue FCC Over Proposed Rules, Contending They’re Too Weak

Last week, after the Federal Communications Commission finalized “open Internet” rules for the sharing of broadband resources, observers began awaiting the expected lawsuits from wireless carriers. But now supporters of the so-called net neutrality that the FCC is establishing have filed suit, contending that the new rules, which are to…

Sep 29, 2011 1:24 PM CDT

Two Illinois Lawyers Have Similar Name and Practice Focus, But Only One Is Being Sued By State AG

Both Michael E. Fleck and Michael J. Fleck are Illinois lawyers who handle real estate matters. They are often mistaken for each other, Michael J. Fleck tells Chicago radio station WBBM. But that is now more of a problem for Michael J. Fleck now that Michael E. Fleck has been…

Sep 29, 2011 10:13 AM CDT

Lawyer Says Doll Says the B-Word, Offers Video Proof

An Arkansas lawyer says a doll carried by Toys R Us has a potty mouth. Lawyer Joey McCutchen of Fort Smith says the doll says “crazy b—-,” and he offers a YouTube video as proof, 4029TV.com reports. The profanity-speaking You & Me Interactive Triplet dolls were sold in Arkansas, Tennessee,…

Sep 28, 2011 11:51 AM CDT

‘Sleeper’ Supreme Court Case Asks Whether Constitution Bars Suits by Uninjured Consumers

A case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court considers whether consumers who suffer no financial injuries have standing to sue for statutory violations under Article III of the Constitution. The case before the court involves “the mundane business of title insurance,” Forbes reports. “But companies from Facebook to the automobile…

Sep 28, 2011 10:30 AM CDT