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A.J. is a partner in the Finance and Bankruptcy Practice Group in the firm's Washington, D.C. office.

On May 28, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo approved SB 437, creating a new framework for internet-based consumer lenders that lend to Nevada residents. The law defines an “Internet consumer lender” as any entity that exclusively offers or facilitates consumer loans online and becomes effective on October 1, 2025.Continue Reading Nevada Enacts Law Allowing Remote Licensing for Internet Consumer Lenders

On May 28, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a motion to terminate its redlining consent order against a New Jersey-based bank. The five-year order, entered in September 2022, resolved allegations that the banks violated the Fair Housing Act and Equal Credit Opportunity Act by engaging in a pattern of unlawful redlining in majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhoods across the Newark metropolitan area.Continue Reading DOJ Moves to End $13 Million Redlining Consent Order

On June 10, the CFPB moved to reopen its 2021 enforcement action against the final remaining defendant in a student debt relief case involving over $3.4 million in alleged illegal advance fees. The Bureau, under Acting Director Russel Vought, told the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California it will proceed against the individual defendant following a four-month stay.Continue Reading CFPB Moves Forward with Debt Relief Suit Over $3.4M in Alleged Advance Fees

On May 30, the CFPB and a national pawn store operator filed a joint status report in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas announcing that they have reached an agreement to resolve a 2021 Bureau lawsuit alleging violations of the Military Lending Act (MLA) and a 2013 CFPB consent order. The suit alleged that the pawn store operator and its subsidiary issued thousands of high-interest loans to active-duty servicemembers and their families in violation of federal law.Continue Reading CFPB and Pawn Store Operator to Settle MLA Suit

On June 2, the California State Assembly unanimously passed Assembly Bill 1180, which now moves to the California Senate for consideration. The bill would require the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) to adopt regulations permitting payments required under the California Digital Financial Assets Law (DFAL) to be made using digital assets. If enacted, the law would take effect on July 1, 2026.Continue Reading California Assembly Advances Bill to Permit Crypto Payments under DFAL

On April 7, the FDIC and the Maryland Office of Financial Regulation terminated two consent orders against a regional bank headquartered in Maryland. The termination concludes joint federal and state enforcement actions that required the bank to remediate deficiencies in its anti-money laundering (AML) program, interest rate risk management, and consumer protection practices.Continue Reading FDIC and Maryland End Joint Consent Orders Against Regional Bank

Amendments to California’s Automatic Renewal Law (ARL) will take effect on July 1, 2025. Enacted in September 2024 through Assembly Bill No. 2863, the amendments expand disclosure, consent, and cancellation obligations for businesses offering subscription or continuous service plans to California consumers.Continue Reading California’s “Auto Renewal Law” Takes Effect on July 1

On April 30, the FTC filed a stipulated order for a permanent injunctive relief and a monetary judgment against a Georgia-based debt collection company and its owner, which the court granted on May 9, to resolve allegations that the company used false claims, threats, and harassment to collect more than $7.6 million in bogus debts.Continue Reading FTC Permanently Bans Debt Collector for UDAP and FDCPA Violations