Photo of Jim Trefil

James K. Trefil is counsel in Troutman Pepper’s Consumer Financial Services practice, with a primary focus on Financial Services Litigation. His practice includes the representation of clients in federal and state court, both at the trial and appellate level, with a focus on areas of complex litigation, financial services litigation and consumer litigation. James has represented clients within these areas in a wide variety of litigation matters involving class actions, contracts, torts, and federal and state consumer protection laws.

On July 25, the United States House of Representatives voted to repeal the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s latest arbitration rule.  

As we reported previously, the CFPB issued a final rule banning class action waivers in arbitration provisions for covered entities, as well as requiring the covered entities to provide information to the

A federal district court in Indiana has allowed a plaintiff’s claim that a debt collector improperly accessed her credit report to proceed because the debt collector did not claim the alleged debt arose from a credit transaction in its motion to dismiss the complaint.

Plaintiff Vivian Pigg incurred the alleged debt after defaulting on

In Campbell-Ewald Co. v. Gomez, 136 S.Ct. 663 (2016), the Supreme Court held that an unaccepted offer of full relief under Rule 68 to a named plaintiff was insufficient to moot class claims.  However, the Supreme Court expressly left open the possibility of a “different result if a defendant deposits the full amount of

Join Troutman Sanders attorneys James Trefil and Jonathan Floyd for a webinar hosted by the Clear Law Institute on August 17 from 1:00 – 2:15 p.m. In this webinar, you will learn to navigate the various layers of rules and regulations that govern the use of debt collection telephone calls. This presentation will focus on

On June 27, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced it had filed two consumer protection lawsuits against four credit repair companies and three executives for allegedly misleading consumers and charging improper advance fees.  On that same day, the CFPB filed corresponding stipulated final judgments providing for approximately $2 million in penalties against the named defendants.

Oregon has become the next in a line of states to pass legislation regulating debt buyers.  Oregon bill HB2356, initiated by Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, passed both the House and Senate prior to legislative adjournment on July 7.

The bill’s new debt buyer provisions purport to ensure protections for Oregon consumers, making it

On June 30, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida dismissed a consumer’s Fair Debt Collection Practices Act “current balance” claim.

Plaintiff Heath Bryant brought an FDCPA claim against defendant Aargon Collection Agency, Inc., alleging Aargon’s collection letter was deceptive because it falsely implied that Bryant’s account balance would increase due to

On May 18, a federal judge in Missouri denied cross motions for summary judgment on the issue of whether a letter that did not inform a debtor that interest was, in fact, accruing violated the FDCPA.

In Mygatt v. Medicredit, plaintiff Timberly Mygatt incurred medical debt that was being collected by Medicredit.  In order

In what appears to be never-ending litigation, a New Jersey Federal District Court upheld a plaintiff’s summary judgment motion on remand from the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, holding that the defendant law firm’s lack of attorney meaningful involvement created a particularized and concrete injury sufficient for the plaintiff to maintain

On June 23, several United States senators, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), accused a debt collector of relying on unscrupulous collection practices while collecting on behalf of the Internal Revenue Service.

The IRS is owed approximately $138 billion in back taxes.  To reduce the backlog of taxes owed and to supplement the agency’s internal