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Tim J. St. George

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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.

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In this episode of FCRA Focus, hosts Kim Phan and Dave Gettings are joined by colleague Tim St. George to unpack major legislative developments impacting employment background screening. They discuss New York’s new statewide ban on the use of consumer credit history in most hiring and employment decisions, Virginia’s upcoming requirements for background screening businesses, and emerging federal proposals that could reshape FCRA liability, reseller obligations, and the reporting of criminal and credit information. The conversation highlights notable litigation trends, preemption and First Amendment issues, and practical steps for employers, CRAs, and resellers navigating rapidly evolving state and federal requirements.

New York has now enacted a statewide ban that, with limited exceptions, prohibits employers from using consumer credit history in hiring and other employment decisions. Effective April 18, 2026, the law amends the state’s General Business Law to make it an unlawful discriminatory practice for most employers to request or rely on an applicant’s or employee’s credit information when making employment decisions.

Key point: Courts are concluding that not all data breaches should result in a lawsuit. Businesses need to consider causation and damages when responding to an incident and take steps to determine if there is no evidence of harm or traceability including on a class wide basis.

On July 14, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) filed a status report announcing its decision not to reissue its Medical Debt Collection Advisory Opinion, which had been issued in 2024 to “remind debt collectors of their obligations to comply with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act [FDCPA] and Regulation F’s prohibition on false, deceptive, or misleading representations or means in connection with the collection of any medical debt and unfair or unconscionable means to collect or attempt to collect any medical debt.” The Advisory Opinion had been challenged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by ACA International and Collection Bureau Services, Inc.

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.