Kelly Bonner – Fashion, Retail and Consumer Branded Products

March 6, 2023March 6, 2023 by Duane Morris

US FDA Seeks Head of Human Foods, Looks to Move Cosmetics Work

Duane Morris attorney Kelly Bonner was quoted in an article in Chemical Watch on March 3.

“The US Food and Drug Administration has started its search for a deputy commissioner for its new human foods programme, and plans to move certain cosmetics functions to another part of the agency to advance oversight of the products. […]

The inclusion of cosmetics in the proposed restructuring is “very significant”, said Kelly Bonner, associate with law firm Duane Morris. Continue reading “US FDA Seeks Head of Human Foods, Looks to Move Cosmetics Work”

March 3, 2023March 6, 2023 by Duane Morris

Why Beauty Lawsuits Are Set to Increase

Duane Morris attorney Kelly Bonner was quoted in an article in WWD on March 3.

“Beauty companies seem to be coming under increasing fire with lawsuits, fueled in part by the rise of TikTok and other social media platforms, and legal experts are expecting the number of cases to surge. […] Continue reading “Why Beauty Lawsuits Are Set to Increase”

February 22, 2023 by Duane Morris

MoCRA Is Here — Now What? Unpacking Litigation and Regulatory Risk for Cosmetics Brands Following MoCRA’s Enactment

On December 23, 2022, Congress enacted the first major statutory change to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s ability to regulate cosmetics since the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). Passed with bipartisan and industry support, the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA) significantly expands FDA’s rulemaking and enforcement authority over cosmetics and creates substantial new compliance obligations for manufacturers, packers, and distributors of cosmetics intended for sale in the United States.

Although MoCRA establishes several new requirements concerning product safety, it provides comparatively little guidance on the kinds of marketing or promotional claims brands can now make about the safety of their products.

To read the full text of this article by Duane Morris attorneys Rick Ball, Alyson Walker Lotman and Kelly Bonner, please visit the Duane Morris website.

January 6, 2023January 6, 2023 by Kelly A. Bonner

New York Bans Animal Testing on Cosmetics

By Ethan Feldman and Kelly Bonner

On January 1, 2023, New York became the tenth state to ban the sale of cosmetics tested on animals.

The New York Cruelty Free Cosmetic Act (“NYCFCA”), which took effect on January 1, 2023, prohibits manufacturers from importing for profit, selling, or offering to sell any cosmetic or ingredient in the state for which the manufacturer knew or reasonably should have known that animal testing was performed by or on behalf of the manufacturer, or manufacturer’s supplier, if the animal testing was conducted after January 1, 2023. Continue reading “New York Bans Animal Testing on Cosmetics”

December 7, 2022 by Duane Morris

Legal Risks Of Anti-Aging Claims Highlighted by L’Oreal Case

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a woman over 30 must be in want of an eye cream. Or a serum. Or anything, really, so long as it recreates the appearance of youth, vitality or an actual night’s sleep.

The global market for anti-aging cosmetics is expected to reach $93.1 billion by 2027. But as illustrated by a recent decision from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Lopez v. L’Oréal USA Inc., promises that a product can turn back time by “restoring skin” or “promot[ing] cell regeneration” can prove costly for brands looking to capitalize on this growing market.

Brands should be mindful of litigation and regulatory risk when making certain anti-aging claims.

To read the full text of this article by Duane Morris associate Kelly Bonner, which was originally published in Law360, please visit the firm website.

November 14, 2022 by Duane Morris

Efforts To Dismiss BIPA Claims Involving Virtual Try-On Technology Rejected by Illinois Federal Court

In a significant decision for retailers, Judge Manish Shah of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois recently denied in part Defendant Estée Lauder’s motion to dismiss proposed class action claims that its consumer “try-on” technology violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (“BIPA”). The Court rejected Defendant’s personal jurisdiction argument, as well as claims that its website terms and conditions required Plaintiff to arbitrate her dispute, and that Plaintiff lacked standing to sue on behalf individuals that used websites Plaintiff herself did not visit. In a decision entitled Kukovec v. The Estée Lauder Companies, Inc., Case No. 22-CV-1988 (N.D. Ill.), the Court determined, however, that Plaintiff did not sufficiently plead that the cosmetics giant intentionally or recklessly violated consumers’ biometric privacy rights, and thereby dismissed those claims. The ruling in Kukovec illustrates the ongoing legal risks for retailers in using “try-on” tech to enhance customer service.

To read the full text of this post by Gerald L. Maatman, Jr., Gregory Tsonis and Kelly Bonner, please visit the Duane Morris Class Action Defense Blog.

January 10, 2022January 10, 2022 by Duane Morris

Blockchain and NFTs Are Smart, but Can They Revolutionise the Fashion Industry?

Following the worldwide disruption in retail due to COVID-19, sales of luxury goods are expected to grow as much as 25% in 2022. Much of this growth has been driven by e-commerce, with online sales totalling 23% of all luxury sales in 2020. Meanwhile, consumer sustainability demands have driven growth in luxury resale or rental markets, now worth an estimated $36 billion, while brands have expanded their reach into the brave new digital territory of the metaverse – the overlapping digital spaces in which we increasingly work, play, and consume.

Yet luxury’s digital embrace has been hampered by a concomitant rise in counterfeit goods in the physical and digital worlds. Is blockchain the solution?

To read the full text of this article co-authored by Duane Morris attorneys Cindy Yang and Kelly Bonner, please visit the Multilaw website.

February 2, 2020 by Kelly A. Bonner

Personal Care Products Sector Gets Boost From New North American Trade Deal

On January 29, 2020, President Trump signed the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) into law, with key commitments impacting the personal care products sector.

The 2,082-page pact, which updates the 26-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), comes after more than two years of negotiations, and was overwhelmingly ratified by the U.S. Senate on January 16, 2020.

Significantly, the USMCA contains a new Cosmetic Products Annex, which promotes greater regulatory compatibility and shared best regulatory practices in the personal care products sector.

Continue reading “Personal Care Products Sector Gets Boost From New North American Trade Deal”

January 31, 2020 by Kelly A. Bonner

FDA To Host Day-Long Public Forum On Asbestos-Contaminated Talc

On January 9, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it will host an all-day public forum to discuss testing methods for asbestos in talc and cosmetic products containing talc on February 4, 2020.

According to the FDA, the purpose of the meeting is to discuss testing methods, terminology, and criteria that can be used to characterize and measure asbestos, as well as what the FDA preliminarily states may be “other potentially harmful elongate mineral particles (EMPs)” that may contaminate talc and cosmetics products that contain talc.

Continue reading “FDA To Host Day-Long Public Forum On Asbestos-Contaminated Talc”

January 8, 2020January 22, 2020 by Duane Morris

The Spa Industry Will Find Offering CBD Products Can Be Tricky

Duane Morris associate Kelly Bonner shares legal insight on CBD products and services in the January issue of DaySpa magazine.

From the publication:

Consider the source. CBD can be derived from both hemp and marijuana, which have different definitions in U.S. law and are subject to different statutory and regulatory requirements. Hemp-derived CBD products are not illegal to sell and possess under federal law, as long as they contain no more than 0.3 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Marijuana has more than 0.3 percent THC, and is a Schedule I controlled substance under the federal Controlled Substances Act.
Get proof. Given the current lack of federal testing requirements for CBD products, it can be difficult to ensure that those purchased from third-party vendors contain no more than the permitted level of THC. So it’s extremely important that spas get anything containing CBD from a trustworthy supplier who can verify ingredients, confirm THC levels with third-party labs and/or provide certifi cates of analysis.
Act locally. While the 2018 Farm Bill lifted the federal ban on the commercial cultivation of hemp and derivatives that contain no more than 0.3 percent THC, the ability to manufacture, market and sell CBD products is still heavily regulated at the state level, and changing rapidly.
Make no promises. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued warning letters to a number of CBD companies that have touted their products as having certain health benefi ts in their promotional materials and on packaging or websites. Spas should ensure that any products or services offered don’t come with false or misleading claims.
Handle with care. Although research into the risks of CBD use is ongoing, the FDA has noted potential adverse health effects linked to the use of cannabis products containing THC by pregnant or lactating women. Even though CBD topicals typically contain very low levels of THC, spas should be up front with clients about potential risks.

To read the full text, read the January issue of DaySpa magazine.