Photo of Tim J. St. George

Tim J. St. George

Subscribe to Tim J. St. George's Posts

Tim defends institutions nationwide facing class actions and individual lawsuits. He has particular experience litigating consumer class actions, including industry-leading expertise in cases arising under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and its state law counterparts, as well as litigation arising from data breaches.

Follow:Read more about Tim J. St. GeorgeTim J.'s Linkedin Profile

In this episode of FCRA Focus, host Dave Gettings is joined by Cindy Hanson, Scott Kelly, and Tim St. George, partners in Troutman Pepper Locke’s Consumer Financial Services Practice Group, to discuss the most impactful regulatory issues in credit reporting from 2024 and their potential impact in 2025. The discussion covers developments in background screening, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s advisory opinions on reasonable procedures, and proposed rulemaking related to medical debt. The group also explores emerging litigation trends and the impact of recent regulatory activities on industry standards.

In this episode of FCRA Focus, host Dave Gettings is joined by fellow partner Tim St. George to delve into the intersection of the Fair Housing Act (FHA), consumer reporting agencies, and The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). They explore the nuances of FHA claims, including disparate treatment and disparate impact, and discuss the implications for tenant screening and mortgage consumer reporting agencies. Tim shares insights from his extensive experience in federal trials and appeals involving FHA claims, offering valuable perspectives on compliance strategies and the evolving legal landscape. Tune in to understand how the FHA could affect your business practices and what steps you can take to mitigate potential liabilities.

On December 3, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) issued a proposed rule for public comment aimed at amending Regulation V, which implements the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The proposed rule seeks to redefine (and, in some cases, rewrite) key terms and provisions within the FCRA, particularly focusing on the activities of purported “data brokers.”

In this episode of The Consumer Finance Podcast, Chris Willis is joined by Partners Ron Raether and Tim St. George to discuss a landmark victory in a major data breach class action multidistrict litigation. The team delves into the details of the successful defense of an attempt at class certification involving a ransomware attack on software provider Blackbaud. This episode highlights the strategic legal maneuvers, team approach, extensive discovery, and expert practices that led to this important industry win. Don’t miss this in-depth case study and learn how the Troutman Pepper team navigated one of the largest and most complex data breach cases in history.

On May 2, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released two sets of guidance addressing the applicability of the Fair Housing Act (FHA) to two areas where, in the agency’s view, algorithmic processes and artificial intelligence (AI) pose particular concerns: tenant screening and advertising of housing opportunities through online platforms that use targeted ads. The purpose of HUD’s guidance is to make housing providers, tenant screening companies, advertisers, and online platforms aware that the FHA applies to tenant screening and housing advertising, including when algorithms and AI are used to perform those functions.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, seeking public comment on its proposal to amend existing regulations that govern admission to public housing and housing programs for applicants with criminal records and eviction or termination of assistance of persons on the basis of illegal drug use, drug-related criminal activity, or other criminal activity. The proposed rule would require that, prior to any discretionary denial or termination for criminal activity, public housing agencies (PHAs) and assisted housing owners take into consideration multiple sources of information, including but not limited to the recency and relevance of prior criminal activity. The proposed rule also seeks to clarify existing PHA and owner obligations and reduce the risk of violation of nondiscrimination laws.

In this final episode of The Consumer Finance Podcast Year in Review series, host Chris Willis is joined by Tim St. George, a key member of our Consumer Financial Services Litigation team. They discuss the significant developments in consumer finance class action litigation in 2023 and what to expect in the year ahead. Topics include ethical issues associated with class actions, the debate over service awards, attorney-client privilege, and more. Tune in to gain insights from Tim’s extensive experience in class action litigation and stay informed about the evolving legal landscape.

We are pleased to share our annual review of regulatory and legal developments in the consumer financial services industry. With active federal and state legislatures, consumer financial services providers faced a challenging 2023. Courts across the country issued rulings that will have immediate and lasting impacts on the industry. Our team of more than 140 professionals has prepared this concise, yet thorough analysis of the most important issues and trends throughout our industry. We not only examined what happened in 2023, but also what to expect — and how to prepare — for the months ahead.

Please join Troutman Pepper Partner Dave Gettings and colleagues Tim St. George and Cindy Hanson for a highly informative discussion on federal preemption as it relates to state laws and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). This episode provides listeners with an overview of important state and local legislation governing background screening, along with discussions about how federal preemption might affect required compliance with these state and local laws. Topics include:

On January 11, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) issued two “advisory opinions” addressing the CFPB’s views of the obligations of consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The advisory opinions are interpretive rules issued under the Bureau’s authority to interpret the FCRA pursuant to § 1022(b)(1) of the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010.