Catagory:Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (CFPB)

By: Melanie Brody , * Nathan Pysno
Admitted only in Maryland / Not admitted in D.C.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York filed a criminal indictment on May 7, 2013 against Mission Settlement Agency, its owner, and three of its employees. Mission Settlement Agency is a debt settlement company based in New York City. The defendants were charged with mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud based on alleged misstatements they made regarding Mission Settlement Agency’s fees, services, and affiliations. The indictment alleged that the fraudulent scheme started in mid-2009 and involved at least 1,200 customers and several million dollars. The defendants allegedly collected millions of dollars in fees from customers who were struggling financially, but did no or little work to manage their clients’ debt or pay their creditors.

This case marks the first time the Justice Department has brought criminal charges based on a referral from the CFPB. Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and CFPB Director Richard Cordray held a joint press conference to discuss the case. This first-ever criminal referral serves as a reminder that the CFPB not only has enforcement powers of its own, but also functions as an industry observer that can, and will, make referrals to other federal and state enforcement agencies.

By: Gregory S. Wright,  Stephanie C. Robinson,  Nanci L. Weissgold

Many companies and individuals that are facing investigations or subsequent enforcement actions by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) will be forced to incur substantial sums to defend such claims, to settle such claims, and/or to pay any judgments. In many cases, companies and individuals may have insurance coverage to pay for such costs, such as Directors and Officers liability insurance (“D&O Policies”) and Errors and Omissions liability insurance (“E&O Policies”). The availability of coverage will turn on the specific contract language in any insurance policy and the specific nature of the CFPB matter at issue.

To read the full alert, click here.

The Consumer Financial Services Group is pleased to share our 2012 Highlights Activities report. The report provides highlights of firm achievements, practice group events, representative matters and client publications. Please click here to view the report.

By: Phillip L. Schulman

Each year, an FHA-approved mortgagee’s principal, chief executive or in-house general counsel signs an attestation as part of the Federal Housing Administration’s annual certification process that accompanies payment of the mortgagee’s yearly verification fees. Some administrative assistant puts the attestation in front of the mortgagee’s president or executive vice-president and sometimes without thinking, the executive casually attests that the company complies with all HUD-FHA regulations and no state or federal agency lifted its license during the past year. In fact, the attestation is quite expansive and mortgagees have been finding themselves hauled before the HUD Mortgagee Review Board and its executives threatened with debarment proceedings for failing to read the fine print. Read More