Compliance & Ethics

FTC Orders Xponential Fitness to Pay $17 Million in Landmark Franchise Case

The Federal Trade Commission has reached a $17 million settlement with Xponential Fitness, accusing the boutique fitness franchisor of misleading prospective franchisees about what it really takes to open and run one of its studios.

W International to Pay $10.5 Million to Settle U.S. Defense Contract Overbilling Allegations

The U.S. Department of Justice has reached a $10.5 million settlement with a group of companies and an executive tied to W International, resolving allegations that they overcharged the U.S. military for critical industrial equipment used in defense manufacturing.

When Compliance Becomes Business Infrastructure

For a long time, compliance has lived in the margins of the enterprise, summoned when needed, consulted when required, and too often encountered as a final checkpoint at the edge of a decision already in motion. It has been, in many organizations, a function of restraint, and a necessary friction applied to ensure that ambition does not outrun obligation.

TradeStation’s $1.1 Million Sanctions Settlement Shows How Small Failures Can Snowball

On Tuesday, the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced that TradeStation Securities, the Florida-based brokerage firm, will pay $1.11 million to settle potential liability for hundreds of sanctions violations, after a series of seemingly routine missteps quietly unraveled key compliance controls.

Hyatt Changes Card Surcharge Practices in Australia Following ACCC Investigation

Hyatt hotels in Australia have revised their card payment surcharge practices after an investigation by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) found potential issues with how surcharges were applied to debit card payments at the Hyatt Regency Sydney.

Temporary Employment Industry Group Fined €4.52 Million in Portugal Over Worker Hiring Restrictions

Portugal’s competition regulator announced that it has fined the Portuguese Association of Private Employment and Human Resources Companies (APESPE) €4.52 million after concluding the group maintained a no-poach clause that restricted hiring between its member companies for decades.

Adobe Agrees to $150 Million Settlement Over Alleged Subscription Practices That Misled Customers

Adobe has agreed to a proposed $150 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice to resolve allegations that the company’s online subscription practices violated federal consumer protection law, marking one of the most prominent enforcement actions to date involving digital subscription models.