Photo of Lori Sommerfield

With over two decades of consumer financial services experience in federal government, in-house, and private practice settings, and a specialty in fair lending regulatory compliance, Lori counsels clients in supervisory issues, examinations, investigations, and enforcement actions.

As discussed here, on June 21, 2022, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit and on June 27, 2022, obtained a settlement agreement with Meta Platforms Inc. (Meta previously known as Facebook) to resolve allegations that Meta’s housing advertising system discriminated against Facebook users in violation of the Fair Housing Act

On December 23, New York Governor Hochul signed into law Assembly Bill A6328A amending New York Executive Law § 292, known as the New York State Human Rights Law, to add citizenship and immigration status to the list of covered protected characteristics. Among other things, the new law expressly prohibits discrimination against any applicants for

On January 4, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued its 2022 Fall Rulemaking Agenda containing pre-rule, proposed rule, and final rules under consideration. The CFPB releases regulatory agendas twice a year in voluntary conjunction with a broader initiative led by the Office of Budget and Management to publish a Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory actions across the federal government. In the preamble to the Federal Register notice, the CFPB states that the information is current as of September 30, 2022 and identifies regulatory matters the CFPB “reasonably anticipates” having under consideration during the period from December 1, 2022, to November 30, 2023. The CFPB has not yet posted a blog or issued a press release about the agenda.

On December 6, during the 2022 Interagency Fair Lending Webinar, David Evans, a senior fair lending specialist with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), discussed some of the specific discrimination issues identified during FDIC examinations that were ultimately referred to the Department of Justice (DOJ) as potential fair lending violations. One area highlighted in the

On November 14, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) Senior Deputy Comptroller for Bank Supervision Policy Grovetta Gardineer delivered keynote remarks at the 2022 CRA & Fair Lending Colloquium where she discussed the OCC’s commitment to “elevating fairness” and ongoing efforts to ensure its regulated institutions comply with the federal fair lending laws.

On September 28, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (Chamber), together with the Longview Chamber of Commerce, American Bankers Association, Consumer Bankers Association, Independent Bankers Association of Texas, Texas Association of Business, and Texas Bankers Association, filed a lawsuit in the Eastern District of Texas against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to prevent the amendment

Troutman Pepper consumer finance partner, Lori Sommerfield, will present CFPB UDAAP Developments under Director Chopra’s Leadership during NAFCU’s Regulatory Compliance & BSA Seminar in Louisville, Ky. The Seminar brings together NCCOs, NCBSOs, compliance, audit, and legal staff and provides an opportunity to stay abreast of evolving regulatory trends including the latest compliance and BSA challenges.

Please join Consumer Financial Services Partner Chris Willis and fellow Partners Lori Sommerfield and Kim Phan, along with special guest Matt Ater from Vispero, as they discuss recent developments in website accessibility governing public accommodations under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Topics include:

  • Current litigation trends, including the recent increase in ADA website accessibility lawsuits filed in federal and state courts;
  • Insights into the DOJ’s recent website accessibility guidance and enforcement efforts;
  • Recommendations for companies to achieve website accessibility compliance under the ADA;
  • Technological solutions for website accessibility; and
  • Elements of an effective ADA risk management program.

On August 10, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) issued an interpretive rule, detailing when digital marketing providers for financial firms must comply with federal consumer financial protection laws. The interpretive rule addresses digital marketing providers that commingle the targeting and delivery of advertisements to consumers with the provision of advertising “time or

When the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) unveiled its UDAAP exam manual at the end of March 2022, announcing that it had decided to interpret the word “unfair” in Dodd-Frank to prohibit discrimination, even where specific statutes like the Equal Credit Opportunity Act do not apply, we expressed skepticism about the viability of