On May 21, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision penned by Justice Neil Gorsuch, held that employers can include a clause in their employment contracts that requires employees to arbitrate their disputes individually and to waive the right to resolve those disputes through class actions and other joint proceedings. The Court ruled such…

On Monday, May 14, 2018, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) issued a public notice seeking comment on interpretation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) in light of the D.C. Circuit’s decision in ACA International v. FCC. The notice reflects an intent by the FCC to take up the proper interpretation of the TCPA…

Chapter 13 of the United States Code’s eleventh title (“Bankruptcy Code” or “Code”) “permits any individual with regular income to propose and have approved a reasonable plan for debt repayment based on that individual’s exact circumstances,” explaining why a Chapter 13 plan is commonly known as “a wage earner’s plan.”  In general,…

On May 2, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey granted a debt collector’s motion to dismiss a putative class action brought under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, holding the validation notice in the collection letter was not overshadowed or contradicted by other language in the letter.

The case is Reizner …

On May 8, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution officially disapproving Bulletin 2013-02, issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in early 2013.  The Senate passed a similar measure on April 18, meaning the resolution moves to President Trump’s desk for signature.  Though the Senate resolution passed narrowly in a party-line vote, the…

On May 2, Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer signed a “ban the box” order applicable to state government positions but not private businesses or state contractors.  Kansas agencies will no longer ask job applicants whether they have a criminal record during the initial application process. The state legislators argued that asking about criminal records on applications…

On May 1, the city council of Wilmington, North Carolina unanimously approved a new “ban the box” ordinance for city employees.  The ordinance mandates that candidates for employment will not be asked about their criminal history nor have a criminal background check conducted until a decision has been made to offer the candidate employment. According…

We are pleased to announce that Troutman Sanders attorneys Ashley Taylor, Chad Fuller and John Lynch will be presenting during the American Conference Institute’s 30th National Advance Forum on Consumer Finance. The Forum on Consumer Finance will take place at the Wit Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. The forum will focus on expert strategies…

We are pleased to announce that Troutman Sanders attorney Ashley Taylor will be presenting during the National Creditors Bar Association 2018 Spring Conference. Ashley will speak on a panel entitled, “Regulatory and Enforcement Update: Where We Are and Where We May Be Headed and What You Should Be Doing to Prepare,” on May 18 at…

New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs have filed a complaint against luxury used-car dealership 21st Century Auto Group, Inc. and its owner, Dmitry Zeldin, accusing the dealership of violations of state consumer protection laws.  According to the Office of the Attorney General, 21st Century fails to…