STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL DEFENSE LAWYER

State Attorney General (AG) Defense Attorney

State attorneys general are authorized to initiate actions that protect the public interest and cover a wide range of legal areas.  AGs are representatives of the state government and the general public and have broad powers with respect to consumer protection, including, but not limited to, deceptive advertising, telemarketing, data privacy and charitable donation fraud.

As a general rule, AGs protect consumers under their state’s unfair, deceptive, and abusive practices legal regulations that permit such agencies to investigate and take enforcement action with respect to advertising claims and other unfair or deceptive acts or practices.  Importantly, state AGs are also authorized to enforce various federal consumer protection laws.

How an Attorney General Lawyer Can Help You Avoid a Regulatory Inquiry

An experienced state AG defense attorney can assist you and your business with the design and implementation of strategies geared toward inquiry avoidance.

For example, a attorney general law firm can consult and educate clients on applicable legal regulations, as well as potential liability risks for failing to comply - which may differ from state-to-state.

Awareness of consumer complaints, including those publicly available online (e.g., BBB, news articles, social media and complaint fora) is of paramount importance.  Maintenance of ample documentation that demonstrates compliance with applicable legal regulations may also go a long way to resolve regulatory matters and consumer complaints.

Often, state attorneys general investigations are initiated as a result of consumer complaints or at the request of another regulatory body, such as the Federal Trade Commission.  Additionally, state attorneys general often collaborate with each other which can lead to multistate investigations and enforcement.

Qualified state AG defense counsel can assist with minimizing liability exposure, as well as responding aggressively and appropriately in the event of the receipt of a civil investigative demand (CID), subpoena or access letter.

What to do if you are Contacted by an Attorney General

Richard’s emphasis on and deep experience with advertising and marketing law distinguishes him from other lawyers.  State attorneys general are becoming more active in the regulation of business conduct and he is well-positioned to assist his clients with related challenges.

Richard is able to leverage his relationships with local and state regulatory agencies in order to secure the amicable closure of investigations.  He also engages with AGs on matters of policy and in furtherance of halting unlawful business activities, such as astroturfing, unlawful telemarketing, false origin claims and other forms of deceptive advertising.

In the event of an inquiry, an experienced AG lawyer can also assist with the implementation of a "litigation hold," narrowing the scope of applicable areas of inquiry, minimzing business disruption, and negotiating a confidentiality agreement in accordance with applicable state open record laws.

What a State AG Defense Lawyer Can Do for You

Today’s regulatory environment requires companies to employ a deliberate, proactive approach to advertising compliance and risk management.  Richard works at the forefront of emerging digital marketing state attorneys general issues in order to assist clients:

• Implement strategies designed to mitigate the potential for investigations and enforcement matters from arising
• Respond to consumer complaints that are issued via state AG offices
• Establish and maintain a productive dialogue with AGs when problems arise
• Educate AGs on the inner-workings of various online marketing ecosystems
• Provide factual/legal background designed to minimize the need for enforcement
• Amicably and efficiently resolve investigations, and multistate/federal co-enforcement actions
• Prepare deliberate responses to AG investigations
• Defend aggressively in the event that an investigation or litigation is unavoidable or has been previously commenced
• Report unlawful business activities of competitors

Richard has successfully handled state attorney general investigations and enforcement matters across a wide range of consumer-centric practice areas, including high-tech, digital marketing and advertising, financial services, insurance, dietary supplements, telemarketing, lead generation, state false claims, unfair trade practices and data privacy.

He also provides regular updates on developing state AG policy issues and trends that may potentially affect his clients.

If you have received a civil investigative demand, an informal request for information or are otherwise the subject of an AG investigation, Richard has a record of working hand-in-hand with clients in pursuit of winning strategies that amicably resolve investigations without the expense of protracted litigation.  If litigation is the only alternative, Richard will zealously represent your business interests and fight to protect your hard-earned reputation.

Industry-Specific Experience Leads to Positive Results

Richard is at the forefront of representing online advertisers in the defense of litigation and investigations brought by FTC attorneys and state Attorneys General.

He regularly engages with state and federal regulators on advertising, marketing and consumer protection-related issues.  He has successfully resolved investigations and enforcement actions involving numerous state AGs, who often partner with the Department of Justice, or regulatory agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

If you are the subject of a state Attorney General investigation or enforcement action, it is critical that your matter be navigated properly right from the start.  State Attorney General (AG) defense lawyers with specific industry experience like Richard possess a comprehensive understanding of successful strategies designed to achieve a favorable result, as well as the skill necessary to guide clients through the process.