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Ethan’s practice focuses on financial services litigation and compliance counseling, as well as digital assets and blockchain technology. With a long track record of successful litigation results across the U.S., both bank and non-bank clients rely on him for comprehensive advice throughout their business cycle.

On April 13, the House Financial Services Committee approved a bill by a 33-20 vote that is intended to end direct funding of the CFPB by the Federal Reserve and require the Bureau to be subject to the regular congressional appropriations process.  This Committee joins others in approving similar measures that would institute a variety

I.   Background

On February 3, 2016, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a bulletin warning companies that furnish information on consumers to consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) yet again of the need to have adequate policies and procedures. This bulletin makes clear that any company that supplies information to CRAs is in an area of

On February 9-11, 2016, DBA International will host its annual conference – Moving Forward Together – at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

We are pleased to announce that two of our Consumer Financial Services lawyers will serve as faculty at this year’s event.

David Anthony will present “The Devil is in the

On November 24, 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a Compliance Bulletin (2015-06), warning companies that they must ensure that consumer authorization is obtained before automatically debiting a consumer’s account and that required notifications to consumers must clearly describe the terms of the preauthorized electronic funds transfers (EFTs).

Importantly, for the first

According to the October debt collection litigation and complaint statistics report from WebRecon, consumer litigation in October under the FDCPA, TCPA, and FCRA marked the first time since September 2011 that an increase from both the prior month and year-to-date occurred.  “For the first time in several years, overall consumer litigation is up dramatically,”

On November 4, 2015, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), 47 State Attorneys General, and other state and local law enforcement authorities from around the country announced the first coordinated federal-state enforcement initiative targeting deceptive and abusive debt collection practices. The initiative, named Operation Collection Protection, aims to crackdown on collectors who use illegal tactics

On October 28, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed an administrative consent order against Security National Automotive Acceptance Company (“SNAAC”), an Ohio auto lender specializing in loans to service members, for engaging in illegal debt collection practices.  The order requires the company to refund or credit about $2.28 million to service members and other consumers

In July 2015, several companies that were the targets of non-public Consumer Financial Protection Bureau investigations sued the Bureau after it refused to allow their current counsel to attend the Bureau’s investigative testimony of one of the companies’ former attorneys.  The companies wanted one of their current attorneys to attend the testimony and assert the

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray addressed the Mortgage Bankers Association at its Annual Convention on October 19.  In his remarks, Cordray:

  • Summarized the progress the CFPB has made in addressing the serious problems confronting consumers in the mortgage market and steps taken by the Bureau to restore the American Dream of homeownership;

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced that it will hold a meeting of the Consumer Advisory Board with Director Richard Cordray discussing topics such as arbitration, trends, and themes in the marketplace, and reaching limited English-speaking consumers.  

The meeting will take place on Thursday, October 22, from 10:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. EDT in the