On December 22, the California Supreme Court in Owen v. Miami Nation Enterprises, held that payday lending companies failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that they were “arms of” Indian tribes. Therefore, the lenders were not immune from complying with a California state lending law. In its decision, the Court reaffirmed
Keith J. Barnett
Keith’s experience representing clients in the financial services industry as a litigation, compliance, regulatory, investigations (internal and regulatory), and enforcement attorney spans 20 years. Keith represents clients against government regulators (CFPB, FTC, SEC, CFTC), industry regulators (FINRA), and private litigants in federal courts, state courts, and before arbitration and administrative law panels in the financial services industry.
CFPB Updates Rulemaking Agenda
On December 2, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a statement highlighting its updated rulemaking agenda for Fall 2016. The Bureau specifically mentioned a number of supervisory and developmental initiatives scheduled for implementation in the coming months.
In the area of mortgages, the CFPB expects to finalize proposed tweaks to the Know Before You Owe…
Southern District of New York Relies on Spokeo to Dismiss TILA Credit Card Suit
On December 16, U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer dismissed a putative class action suit alleging that Nordstrom department store’s credit card account disclosures violated the Truth in Lending Act (“TILA”). Relying on the Supreme Court’s decision in Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins, the Court concluded that the plaintiff did not have standing to bring …
CFPB Executes Consent Order Against Lender for Misleading Advertising and Violations of EFTA
On December 16, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau executed a consent order with Moneytree, Inc., whereby Moneytree was required to pay $255,000 in redress and an additional $250,000 in civil monetary penalties arising out of the Bureau’s allegations that Moneytree violated the Consumer Financial Protection Act (“CFPA”) and the Electronic Funds Transfer Act (“EFTA”). According…
CFPB Executes Second Consent Order With Military Credit Services
On December 20, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau executed a consent order with Military Credit Services, LLC, whereby the lender was required to pay a $200,000 civil monetary penalty, implement certain compliance measures, and hire an independent consultant to review the company’s compliance with federal laws. The order arose out of Military Credit Services’ alleged …
CFPB Files Four Lawsuits Against Lenders for Violation of Truth In Lending Act
On December 19, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed four nearly identical lawsuits against lenders based in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Copies of the complaints can be found here, here, here, and here. The complaints allege that the defendants violated the Truth in Lending Act and Consumer Financial Protection Act by …
CFPB Publishes Prepaid Card Fact Sheet
On November 15, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a fact sheet to highlight the new requirements and deadlines imposed by the Bureau’s latest Prepaid Rule, which was finalized last month. The fact sheet notes the effective dates of new requirements under the Rule and lists any related exceptions or accommodations.
The Bureau issued the …
CFPB Sues Company and Outside Counsel for Alleged Violations of State Law Concerning Structured Settlement Factoring
On November 21, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed a lawsuit in a Maryland federal court against Access Funding, a company that purchases structured settlement payments in exchange for a discounted lump sum. The Bureau also sued the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and an outside attorney who provided “independent professional advice” to …
CFPB to Publish Public List of Companies Offering Free Credit Scores
The CFPB has announced plans to produce a list of companies offering existing customers free access to their credit score. According to the CFPB, “educating and empowering consumers to take more control over their financial lives” constitutes a core part of the Bureau’s mission. Credit scores are vitally important to the Bureau in this regard …
Join Us at the Third Party Payment Processors Association Executive Summit
We are pleased to announce that Troutman Sanders partners Keith Barnett and Ashley Taylor will be featured speakers at the annual Third Party Payment Processors Association (TPPPA) Executive Summit on November 9-11 at the Phoenician in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Keith and Ashley will provide an update on the legal and regulatory environment in the payment processing…