Paul Laurenza Quoted in Law360 Article on CPSC Settlement with Williams-Sonoma

Mirrors Previous Agreement with Kolcraft Enterprises, Inc. in Which Agency Mandates Compliance Programs in Response to Alleged Less-than-Timely Reporting

Press Mentions

5.07.13

Paul M. Laurenza, Office Managing Member of the Firm’s Washington, D.C. office—whose practice includes representation of manufacturers, importers and retailers on product safety and other regulatory compliance and enforcement matters before the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and other agencies—was quoted in a May 6, 2013 Law360 article that addressed the CPSC’s settlement with Williams-Sonoma regarding alleged untimely reporting of a subsequently recalled product.

Law360 invited Laurenza to comment on the Williams-Sonoma settlement, as this matter is strikingly similar to a CPSC settlement agreement reached with Kolcraft Enterprises, Inc. earlier this year. Laurenza had authored a previous Law360 article on this subject, “Companies May See More Compliance Rules After Kolcraft,” that pointed out how CPSC commissioners were divided regarding whether certain compliance provisions should have been included in this agreement. 

Commenting on the Williams-Sonoma matter, Laurenza notes that the CPSC’s use of civil penalty proceedings for reporting violations as a mechanism to require safety compliance programs in this second consecutive settlement agreement “does raise the concern that the agency is going to be doing this in all, or potentially most, civil penalty proceedings.”