An Illinois federal district court has ruled that Section 19 of the FTC Act provided an alternate route for the FTC to obtain restitution after its prior restitution award under Section 13(b) of the FTC Act was vacated by the Fifth Circuit because it concluded that monetary relief is not available under Section 13(b).… Continue Reading

In a decision issued earlier this summer, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit vacated the district court’s order awarding restitution, mandating civil penalties, and issuing an injunction in an action brought by the CFPB against two mortgage-assistance relief companies and four lawyers associated with the companies.  The decision imposes significant limitations on the Bureau’s ability to recover both monetary and injunctive relief in enforcement actions.… Continue Reading

Despite the pendency in the Tenth Circuit of a constitutional challenge to a CFPB administrative order that requires a lender and its CEO to pay restitution and civil money penalties, a Kansas federal district court recently refused to stay enforcement of the order.

In CFPB v. Integrity Advance, LLC and James R.Continue Reading

Earlier this week, FTC Acting Chairwoman Rebecca Kelly Slaughter sent a letter to the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Commerce Committee responding to a letter sent to the lawmakers by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce regarding the legislation that has been introduced to amend Section 13(b) of the FTC Act. … Continue Reading

The Federal Trade Commission recently announced that it has settled the lawsuit it filed against Yellowstone Capital LLC, a provider of merchant cash advances, and its chief executive officer and president for alleged unfair and deceptive conduct in violation of section 5 of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. § 45.

In its Complaint, the FTC alleged that the defendants engaged in deceptive acts or practices by (1) representing that they did not require collateral or personal guarantees from business owners when, in reality, they did require business owners to grant a purported security interest or lien on all business property they owned, and (2) representing that the defendants would provide the business owners a certain amount of funding when, in reality, the amount provided was substantially less as a result of withholding fees that were not clearly and conspicuously disclosed. … Continue Reading

On April 20, 2021, in anticipation of an adverse Supreme Court ruling, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a hearing titled, “Strengthening the Federal Trade Commission’s Authority to Protect Consumers.”  Two days after the hearing, on April 22, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Section 13(b) of the Federal Trade Commission Act (the “Act”) does not authorize the FTC to seek, or a court to award, equitable monetary relief such as restitution or disgorgement.… Continue Reading

In a unanimous decision, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled today that Section 13(b) of the Federal Trade Commission Act (Act) does not authorize the FTC to seek, and a court to award, monetary relief such as restitution or disgorgement.

In AMG Capital Management, LLC v. FTC, the FTC filed a lawsuit in federal district court against several payday lenders and their owner for engaging in alleged unfair or deceptive acts or practices in violation of Section 5 of the Act. … Continue Reading

Last Thursday, in addition to agreeing to decide an issue of major significance under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to decide whether Section 13(b) of the Federal Trade Commission Act, which expressly gives the FTC authority to seek injunctive relief, also authorizes the FTC to seek monetary relief, such as restitution.… Continue Reading

A letter recently sent by House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters to CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger will undoubtedly be followed in the coming months by many similar letters to the CFPB from the Committee’s new Democratic leadership.

In the letter, Chairwoman Waters raises concerns “about how the Consumer Bureau is exercising its enforcement activity, especially how it is determining whether to require companies to pay redress to consumers that have been harmed.”  … Continue Reading