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,”
CFPB Revises Appeals Policy
On November 3, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced that it has revised its appeals process and issued a new appeals policy. The announcement was made in conjunction with the release of the CFPB’s Fall 2015 Supervisory Highlights. According to the Bureau, the “revisions reflect experience gained in the appeals process so far, and
Standing on Thin Air: Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins
On November 2, 2015, a sharply divided Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments in Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins, where it considered whether Congress may confer Article III standing by authorizing a private right of action based on the violation of a federal statute alone, despite a plaintiff having suffered no concrete
Protecting the Attorney-Client Privilege: Companies Sue CFPB For Not Allowing Them to Attend Their Former Counsel’s Investigatory Testimony
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
Sprint Settles With FTC for Violations of Fair Credit Reporting Act
Pursuant to a stipulated order with the Federal Trade Commission, Sprint will pay $2.95 million in civil penalties for alleged violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act’s Risk-Based Pricing Rule. The Rule ensures that consumers who are offered less favorable service terms will receive notice of, among other things, any credit score used by the
Trump Hotels Hit With Data Breach Class Action Lawsuit
A new putative class action lawsuit has been filed against the hotel chain owned by Donald Trump in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, after the hotel chain revealed that it had been the subject of a data breach. The suit asserts claims under “state consumer protection laws” and “state
Join Us for The Knowledge Group Webcast on November 16
We are pleased to announce that Troutman Sanders partners David N. Anthony and Ronald I. Raether, Jr. will present “The Impact of Fair Credit Reporting Act in the Regulatory Enforcement and Developments of Financial Services” during a live webcast on Monday, November 16 from 3-5 p.m. EST. The speakers will provide an overview of the
CFPB Holding Consumer Advisory Board Meeting in October; Topics Will Include Arbitration
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
Inspector General Chimes In on CFPB Management Challenges
On September 30, the Office of the Inspector General released its report of the four major management challenges facing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, including ensuring an effective information security program, building and sustaining a high-performing and diverse workforce, strengthening controls over management operations, and maintaining physical infrastructure. Through the use of audit and evaluation
CFPB Plans to Pave the Way for Yet More Class Actions Against Financial Services Companies
According to remarks made by Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) Director Richard Cordray on October 7, 2015 (and a subsequent press release), the CFPB is planning to issue regulations that would prohibit many financial services companies from requiring consumers to waive their right to bring a class action lawsuit via a pre-dispute arbitration agreement