Earlier this week, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau published a final rule substantially curtailing the ability of financial services providers and consumers to enter into voluntary pre-dispute arbitration clauses.  The final rule, like the proposed rule that preceded it, would i) prevent financial services providers from including arbitration clauses in consumer contracts unless those arbitration clauses expressly permit class actions to proceed in court; and ii) require financial services providers to provide copies of consumer arbitration agreements, claims and decisions to the Bureau for possible publication.  The final rule will become effective 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register, but apply only 180 days after its effective date.

See our client alert for additional information on the Bureau’s final rule.

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Photo of Andrew Smith Andrew Smith

Andrew Smith advises clients on retail financial services, data protection, advertising and consumer protection, technology, credit reporting, and e-commerce issues. He assists banks, non-bank lenders, technology companies, and their vendors with regulatory compliance, litigation, and transactional matters.

Prior to re-joining the firm, Andrew…

Andrew Smith advises clients on retail financial services, data protection, advertising and consumer protection, technology, credit reporting, and e-commerce issues. He assists banks, non-bank lenders, technology companies, and their vendors with regulatory compliance, litigation, and transactional matters.

Prior to re-joining the firm, Andrew served as Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), where he was focused on investigations and enforcement of privacy, data security, financial services, and marketing laws and regulations across a broad range of areas, including fair lending, technology platforms, digital advertising, payments, telemarketing, lead generation, affiliate marketing, consumer reporting, and small business financing. He also oversaw the Bureau’s extensive rulemaking and workshop proceedings, including on endorsement guides, security of financial data, subscription marketing, contact lenses, and children’s privacy. Additionally, he led the FTC’s COVID-19 pandemic-related enforcement and consumer education efforts. In a previous role as Assistant to the Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the FTC, Andrew led a team of professionals to develop and draft ten rules and six studies under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Andrew represents clients before federal and state agencies—particularly the FTC and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)—in law enforcement and rulemaking proceedings. He regularly advises companies on the requirements of the GLBA, FCRA, DPPA, ECOA, FDCPA, TCPA and TSR, FTC Act, Dodd-Frank Act, and analogous state laws, including state insurance privacy laws and security breach notification requirements.

Photo of David Stein David Stein

David Stein advises clients on credit reporting, financial privacy, financial technology, payments, retail financial services, and fair lending issues. He assists a broad range of financial services firms, consumer reporting agencies, financial technology companies, and their vendors with regulatory, compliance, supervision, enforcement, and…

David Stein advises clients on credit reporting, financial privacy, financial technology, payments, retail financial services, and fair lending issues. He assists a broad range of financial services firms, consumer reporting agencies, financial technology companies, and their vendors with regulatory, compliance, supervision, enforcement, and transactional matters.

Mr. Stein has significant experience advising clients on compliance with the FCRA, GLBA, ECOA, EFTA, E-Sign Act, TILA, TISA, FDCPA, Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and FTC Act, as well as state financial privacy laws. Mr. Stein is a member of the firm’s fintech and artificial intelligence initiatives and works with clients on issues related to cutting edge technologies, such as blockchain, virtual currencies, big data and data analytics, artificial intelligence, online lending, and payments technology.

Mr. Stein previously served in senior regulatory, policy-making, and management positions at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Federal Reserve Board (FRB). He played a significant role in developing regulations and policy on credit reporting, financial privacy, retail payments systems, consumer credit, fair lending, overdraft services, debit interchange, unfair or deceptive acts or practices, and mortgage origination and servicing. Mr. Stein draws upon his government experience in representing clients before the CFPB, the FRB, and other regulatory agencies and leverages his insights into the regulatory process to provide clients with practical, actionable advice.