Insights

Washington – September 20, 2019: Super Lawyers has recognized 82 Crowell & Moring lawyers as leaders in their field in Southern California, Northern California, New York Metro, and Washington, D.C. The lawyers listed below were named in the corresponding issues of 2019 Super Lawyers Magazine, the Super Lawyers 2019 "Rising Stars" Edition, or the Super Lawyers 2019 Women’s Edition. Lawyers were identified through a peer nomination process and listed by respective practice areas for which they were selected.Los Angeles (Southern California)

Washington – October 15, 2018: Crowell & Moring LLP is pleased to announce that Super Lawyers has recognized 82 firm lawyers as leaders in their field in Southern California, Northern California, New York, and Washington, D.C. The firm’s lawyers listed below were named in Super Lawyers 2018, the Super Lawyers 2018 "Rising Stars" Edition, or the Super Lawyers 2018 Women’s Edition. Lawyers were identified through a peer nomination process and listed by respective practice areas for which they were selected.Los Angeles (Southern California):

Washington – October 31, 2017: Crowell & Moring LLP is pleased to announce that Super Lawyers has recognized 79 firm lawyers as leaders in their field in Southern California, Northern California, New York, and Washington, D.C. The firm’s lawyers listed below were named in Super Lawyers 2017, the Super Lawyers 2017 "Rising Stars" Edition or the Super Lawyers 2017 Women’s Edition. Lawyers were identified through a peer nomination process and listed by respective practice areas for which they were selected.

In one of the most significant developments in product safety law over the past decade, Gree Electric Appliances Inc. of Zhuhai, Hong Kong Gree Electric Appliances Sales Co. Ltd., and Gree USA Inc. (the “Gree Companies”), an appliance manufacturer and two of its subsidiaries, have pled guilty to willfully failing to report to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) under Section 15(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA). According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the CPSC, the Gree Companies knew their dehumidifiers were defective, failed to meet applicable safety standards, and could catch fire, but failed to timely report that information to the CPSC. Section 19 of the CPSA makes it unlawful to fail to furnish information required by Section 15(b), and such failures are subject to both civil and criminal penalties. While CPSC civil penalties have become fairly routine—the Gree Companies also paid a then-record $15.45 million civil penalty in 2016—this is the first corporate criminal enforcement action brought under the CPSA, according to the DOJ. 

 

Could the end of Section 6(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) actually be near?  Time will tell.  But last week’s development on Capitol Hill in the saga of “Section 6(b)” is noteworthy, and, one day in the not-so-distant future, may be recognized as the beginning of the end for this controversial provision of the law.   

The International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO) 2020 Annual Meeting and Symposium will be held February 18-21, 2020 at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, FL. Crowell & Moring is pleased to be a sponsor of the event, which provides an opportunity for global health and safety professionals to participate in discussions that further enhance the safety of consumer products throughout the world.

The International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO) will hold their annual Annual Meeting & Training Symposium.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) is in a state of transition. The Democrats will soon have a majority of commissioners. Acting Chairman Bob Adler has announced that he will not seek re-nomination when his current term ends later this year. The Division of Compliance and Field Operations has reorganized, and we have already seen two civil penalty matters announced in 2021, which is two more than the total number of civil penalties announced over the past two years. 

Aggressive enforcement, massive recalls and proactive safety agendas left an indelible impression on the product safety world under the Obama administration. Product safety is no longer a bipartisan affair. But what will the Trump administration mean for your regulatory compliance programs? What changes will we see and how will they affect your safety program?