National Consumers League mourns death of Jon Cuneo
July 27, 2023
Media contact: National Consumers League – Katie Brown, katie@nclnet.org, 202-823-8442
Washington, D.C. – The National Consumers League’s Board of Directors and Staff is deeply saddened by the untimely death of anti-trust lawyer and consumer advocate Jonathan Cuneo. Jon practiced with the firm of Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca, LLP in Washington DC with copartners Pamela Gilbert, herself a consumer advocate who currently serves on NCL’s Board of Directors, and Charles LaDuca.
“Jon’s reputation as a top notch litigator and consumer, worker and anti-trust lawyer was second to none. NCL counted Jon Cuneo as a close friend, supporter and ally in the fight for a better world for workers and consumers,” said Sally Greenberg and Joan Bray, NCL’s CEO and NCL Board Chair Joan Bray.
Jon served as Washington counsel in the first case to challenge the “Joe Camel” cigarette advertising campaign targeting young people to take up smoking, he took on Prudential Insurance Company for abusing policyholders through deceptive sales practices, and won a landmark case establishing the principle that “labels matter” under California’s Unfair Competition and False Advertising laws and is now a landmark of American law.
On the privacy front, Jon led the ligation against Metromail for privacy violations surrounding supermarket questionnaires. After a woman in Ohio received a sexually suggestive letter from a maximum security inmate in Texas, it came to light that the company had subcontracted for Texas prisoners to “key” the questionnaire information. The firm was able to secure injunctive relief, and a cash pool of $15 million was made available to victims.
“Jon’s extraordinary legal career includes many more cases than we can recount here. He was also a kind and generous colleague, father and husband. He and his wife also held legendary annual holiday party, an invitation to which was much coveted in Washington. Our sincere condolences go out to his family, law firm partners and the many people whose lives were touched by Jon Cuneo,” said Greenberg and Bray.
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About the National Consumers League (NCL)
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit nclnet.org.
