Chuck is an antitrust and regulatory lawyer who devotes a significant portion of his practice to assisting clients with consumer product safety and environmental regulations. He serves as general counsel to numerous trade associations. For the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, Chuck negotiated and drafted amendments to federal laws, including the Consumer Product Safety Act. Corporations in many industries, local governments, and state agencies are also on his client roster. He represents clients before a wide array of federal agencies, including the Consumer Product Safety Commission, state agencies, and international regulatory organizations.

Chuck is engaged in a federal and international regulatory and legislative practice. He has been extensively involved in product safety, environmental, tax, health care, technology, and energy issues, and public finance legislative and regulatory matters for a variety of trade associations, corporations, local governments, and state agencies.

His practice encompasses work before the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Departments of State, Health and Human Services, Energy, and Treasury, US Trade Representative, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Trade Commission, the IRS, and other federal and state agencies. He also has extensive experience dealing with Canada, the European Commission, and international bodies.

Chuck also engages in trade association representation and antitrust counseling. As general counsel of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, Chuck negotiated and drafted the amendments to the Consumer Product Safety Act and the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act, and represents the appliance industry at international bodies dealing with safety, energy, ozone depletion, and global warming.

Before joining Mintz, Chuck practiced regulatory law with a law firm in Chicago and then worked in the Executive Office of the President before entering private practice in Washington.

Filed an amicus brief in the Seventh Circuit on behalf of national trade associations in connection with an appeal from a lower court ruling certifying a national product liability class. Adopting arguments that we advanced on behalf of the amici, the Seventh Circuit reversed the lower court ruling and decertified the plaintiff class.

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CPSC Settles Complaint Against Ex-CEO of Buckyballs and Buckycubes

May 13, 2014 | Blog | By Charles Samuels

On May 9, 2014, the CPSC and the maker of Buckyballs and Buckycubes settled the July 2012 administrative case brought by the CPSC alleging that these “rare earth magnets” pose a substantial product hazard.

April 17, 2014 | Blog | By Charles Samuels

Yesterday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit rather forcefully reversed one of the key rulings of Maryland District Court Judge Alexander Williams, Jr. in the recent litigation involving the CPSC’s Saferproducts.gov public database.

March 20, 2014 | Blog | By Charles Samuels

Last week, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a voluntary recall notice for the popular wireless, activity-tracking wristband Fitbit Force.

February 27, 2014 | Blog | By Charles Samuels

We recently published an article with Law360 providing an analysis on CPSC's proposed amendments to its 6(b) Regulation (16 CFR 1101) that we want to share with our readers.

February 20, 2014 | Blog | By Charles Samuels

CPSC Commissioner Ann Marie Buerkle announced today that Joe Martyak, her Chief Counsel, has accepted a position as Vice President for Communications with the Hawaii Community Foundation and will be departing the agency this month.

January 17, 2014 | Blog | By Charles Samuels

The CPSC has released the staff briefing package for a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPR) to amend its existing regulation interpreting the requirements of Section 6(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA).

January 13, 2014 | Blog | By Charles Samuels

After Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (“CPSIA”) in 2008 and the major amendment to the CPSIA (Public Law 112-28) in 2011, the product safety world turned its attention and focus to CPSC regulatory action – and for good reason.

October 24, 2013 | Blog | By Charles Samuels

In February of this year, CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum announced that she would not seek a second term as Chairman of the agency.

July 17, 2013 | Alert | By Charles Samuels

A unanimous U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) announced that Ross Stores Inc. (“Ross”), a national discount retailer, agreed to pay a $3.9 million civil penalty to settle allegations that it failed to report its continued sale of banned children’s upper outerwear containing drawstrings.

February 4, 2013 | Alert | By Charles Samuels

On February 8, 2013, manufacturers and importers of children’s products (a consumer product designed or intended primarily for children 12 years of age or younger) will be required to follow certain testing and certification protocols established by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”).

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