Alexandra B. Cunningham

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On April 25, 2022, the United States Supreme Court agreed to hear the plaintiff’s appeal in Mallory v. Norfolk Southern Railway Company, 266 A.3d 542 (Pa. 2021), in which the Pennsylvania Supreme Court struck down the increasingly contentious “consent-by-registration” theory of personal jurisdiction. The theory deems corporate defendants to have consented to general personal jurisdiction (also known as “all-purpose” jurisdiction) in a forum based solely on its registration to conduct business there.
Continue Reading United States Supreme Court to Weigh in on Consent-by-Registration Theory of Personal Jurisdiction

On April 14, 2022, the United States Environmental Protection Agency released an updated draft risk assessment for formaldehyde, in which it links long-term, low-dose inhalation of the common chemical to leukemia and various cancers involving the head and neck.  EPA has also identified potential links to non-cancer health outcomes, including sensory irritation, respiratory problems, reproductive and developmental toxicity, and nervous system effects.  The risk assessment associates these potentially adverse health effects with lifetime doses even lower than those identified by EPA in its 2010 draft, which EPA had agreed to revisit after the scientific community and industry stakeholders criticized its methodology.    …
Continue Reading EPA Draws Link Between Low-Dose Formaldehyde Exposure and Cancer

A group of Democratic representatives led by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) have introduced a “Safer Beauty” bill package that would ban certain chemicals in cosmetics and require more ingredient transparency in the supply chain.
Continue Reading “Safer Beauty” Bill Package Targets PFAS, Phthalates, Formaldehyde, and Other Common Chemicals in Cosmetics

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has proposed a Direct Final Rule implementing the new federal upholstered furniture flammability standard.  The Direct Final Rule, published by the CPSC on April 9, 2021, would codify California’s TB 117-2013 flammability standard as mandated by Congress, but with the following significant clarifications:…
Continue Reading CPSC Proposes Clarifications for New Furniture Flammability Regulation

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has released COVID-19 guidance confirming that certain personal protective equipment must comply with CPSC regulations, including testing, certification, labeling, and recordkeeping requirements. …
Continue Reading CPSC Issues COVID-19 Guidance on Personal Protective Equipment Intended for Consumers

On September 4, 2020, the United States Environmental Protection Agency released the final scoping documents for the next 20 chemicals it has designated as “high priority” for risk evaluation under the Toxic Substances Control Act.
Continue Reading EPA Releases Final Risk Evaluation Scope Documents for Next 20 High Priority Chemicals

A consumer advisory issued on June 1, 2020 by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) clarifies which hard-surface disinfectant products may legally make claims regarding expected efficacy against the COVID-19 virus.
Continue Reading EPA Warns Against Potentially False and Misleading COVID-19 Disinfectant Claims