Connecticut Attorney General William Tong filed a lawsuit against Michael D. Lansky, LLC (Avid Telecom) for allegedly initiating billions of illegal robocalls, including to numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry. The company is accused of violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and Telemarketing Sales Rule. This action is part of a multistate task force with nearly every state attorney general.
In-house legal teams should review all vendor and service provider agreements, particularly those involving telemarketing, call center services, or lead generation. Focus on clauses governing compliance with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR), including representations and warranties regarding lawful calling practices, use of autodialers or pre-recorded messages, and adherence to the National Do Not Call Registry. Also scrutinize data sharing provisions for call lists, audit rights, and indemnification terms. Required changes may include adding specific compliance certifications, mandatory call recording disclosures, stricter consent verification protocols, explicit prohibitions on calling numbers on do-not-call lists, and robust termination rights for violations.
Entity
Michael D. Lansky, LLC
Also known as: Avid Telecom
Industry
TelecommunicationsOfficial Press Release
https://portal.ct.gov/ag/press-releases/2023-press-releases/attorney-general-tong-sues-avid-telecom-over-illegal-robocalls
conformed complaint avid.pdf?rev=aa2593b4777f412bbd8d5a24282
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/ag/press_releases/2023/conformed-complaint_avid.pdf?rev=aa2593b4777f412bbd8d5a24282612dc&hash=894C203A1917F34358ED50EA536472F1
Connecticut Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://portal.ct.gov/AG/Privacy/Privacy-Resources
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin joined a multistate lawsuit against Avid Telecom for allegedly initiating and facilitating billions of illegal robocalls, including to numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry, in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and Telemarketing Sales Rule. The company is accused of transmitting scam calls and ignoring warnings from the Industry Traceback Group.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of states and local governments in filing suit against NHTSA over its rule weakening fuel economy standards for new passenger cars and light trucks. The lawsuit alleges the rule violates the agency’s statutory mandate and the Administrative Procedure Act; no penalty or final remedy is reported.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined a multistate coalition suing the EPA over its repeal of greenhouse gas pollution limits for power plants and separately filed a notice of intent to sue over regulation of existing gas plants. The coalition asks the court to overturn the repeal and restore the protections; the release reports no monetary penalty or final order.
$400.0M
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a $400 million settlement with Sandoz Inc. and Fougera Pharmaceuticals Inc. resolving allegations that the generic drug manufacturers conspired to inflate prices, limit competition, and restrain trade. The settlement includes consumer restitution and injunctive reforms; court approval was being sought.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter opposing a DHS rule that allows certain affirmative asylum applications to be referred to removal proceedings without an asylum officer interview. The coalition argues the rule violates federal law and harms asylum seekers, including unaccompanied children; this was a policy opposition letter, not a privacy enforcement action.
Connecticut and Massachusetts co-led a coalition protest urging FERC to reject the proposed NextEra Energy-Dominion Energy merger. The coalition argued that the merger could increase market power and threaten energy affordability, reliability, and competition; the release does not report a final enforcement decision or penalty.