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In Wakefield v. ViSalus, Inc., the Ninth Circuit considered whether a jury verdict of $925,200,000 for cumulative statutory damages under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, 47 U.S.C. § 227 (“TCPA”) was constitutional in light of its harsh severity.  After a three-day trial, the jury delivered a verdict against ViSalus, finding that it sent over 1.8 million prerecorded calls to class members without prior express consent, in violation of the TCPA. … Continue Reading

Represented by a team of Ballard Spahr attorneys, a seller of consumer products recently defeated the plaintiffs’ motion to certify a class in their lawsuit filed in Utah federal district court alleging violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) by the seller and another defendant.  My fellow Ballard team members were Jenny Perkins, Will Reilly, and Ashley Waddoups.… Continue Reading

On May 20, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed into law House Bill No. 3168 which imposes new limits on the use of automated dialing systems.  The new law, titled the “Telephone Solicitation Act of 2022” (Act), takes effect on November 1, 2022.

The Act prohibits the use of an “automated system” to make a “commercial telephonic sales call” without the “prior express written consent” of the “called party.” … Continue Reading

Although the decision narrowed the technology covered by the TCPA’s automatic telephone dialing system definition, the TCPA continues to be very dangerous.  We first discuss the plaintiff bar’s case strategy in response to the decision and the decision’s implications for defendants’ case strategy.  We then look at the increasing volume of cases alleging violations of the TCPA provisions on calls using an artificial or prerecorded voice and do-not-call, identify the most significant remaining TCPA risks companies face, and offer thoughts on steps companies can take to reduce TCPA risk.… Continue Reading

Although several court decisions have held that ringless voicemails to a consumer’s cell phone constitute “calls” subject to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) autodialer prohibition, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)  has not yet officially weighed in on the question.  In 2017, a marketing company filed a petition with the FCC seeking a declaratory ruling that the technology was not subject to the TCPA but the petition was withdrawn.… Continue Reading

A bill was recently introduced in the Oklahoma legislature that would impose new limits on the use of automated dialing systems.  If enacted, the bill would become effective November 1, 2022.

Titled the “Telephone Solicitation Act of 2022,” the bill would prohibit the use of an “automated system” to make a “telephonic sales call” without the “prior express written consent” of the “called party.”… Continue Reading

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit recently ruled that the unconstitutionality of the 2015 TCPA amendment that created an exception to the robocall restriction for calls made to collect debts owed to the federal government did not invalidate the plaintiff’s claims for TCPA violations based on robocalls he received in 2019 and 2020 advertising utility services.… Continue Reading

After looking at how the decision narrows the technology covered by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act’s automatic telephone dialing system definition, we discuss its implications for TCPA litigation going forward, including do-not-call and prerecorded call claims and the intersection with debt collection claims, and for regulatory compliance when making calls for telemarketing or lead generation, as well as possible Congressional responses to the decision.… Continue Reading

Yesterday, in a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court limited the reach of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act by narrowing what technology qualifies as an Automatic Telephone Dialing System.  In the wake of this development, members of Ballard Spahr’s Consumer Financial Services Group recorded a conversation that breaks down and analyzes what the Court’s decision in Facebook v.… Continue Reading

Today, in a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court limited the reach of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) by narrowing what technology qualifies as an Automatic Telephone Dialing System (“ATDS”).  Among other restrictions, the TCPA prohibits calls to phone numbers using an ATDS without prior express consent.  The TCPA defines an ATDS as “equipment which has the capacity (A) to store or produce telephone numbers to be called, using a random or sequential number generator; and (B) to dial such numbers.”… Continue Reading