Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray has announced his resignation.  Although not unexpected, his move may have far-reaching ramifications on the regulatory landscape in consumer finance and residential lending. You can read more here. John Mussman is a leading banking and financial services lawyer. He represents banks, mortgage lenders, and other financial services providers, focusing on banking and…

Rimon Partner John Mussman discusses the Senate’s vote to scuttle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s arbitration rule. The arbitration rule restricted financial service companies from forcing customers into arbitration, made it easier for customers to sue banks and financial firms and arguably would have encouraged class action litigation. You can read more here

Spain’s central government has now invoked Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution to take control from the secessionist-oriented government in the region of Catalonia.  The executive of the Catalonian regional government will be replaced, the regional police and finances will be controlled from Madrid and regional elections will be called to allow for a new…

Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) are financing mechanisms that have become very popular and controversial. In 2017 alone, ICOs have raised over $1.5 Billion. ICOs are offerings of digital tokens that rely on blockchain technology (similar to Bitcoin). The large majority of ICO investors are private individuals. In the fintech space, ICO funding has surpassed venture…

Differences between the U.S. and the EU regarding transfers of Personal Data continue to haunt relations between the two trade giants. Commerce between the U.S. and EU depends on the ability to engage in regular transfer of data.  The Privacy Shield agreed to only last year by the EU and the US was intended to…

The May 2, 2017 bankruptcy filing for Alitalia might be the end of the journey for the troubled Italian flag carrier, but creditors in the U.S., Italy and elsewhere might still have a ticket to recover some claims. Alitalia has now also filed for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. under Chapter 15 of the Bankruptcy…

Global Market Entity Identifier Utility (GMEI), an LEI issuer, is now requesting information relating to the parents of its registered entities.  The past information collected on an LEI entity, which consisted of self-identifying information, is known as “Level 1 Data.”  The additional information now being requested is known as “Level 2 Data.” Learn more here. Robin Powers focuses…

The California Finance Lenders Law exempts banks, thrifts and certain other financial institutions from its licensing requirements imposed on finance lenders and brokers.1 Similarly, the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act exempts banks, trust companies, savings and loan associations and other thrifts2 from its licensing requirements.3 Effective September 28, 2016, California’s amended regulations provide that subsidiaries and other affiliates…