Biden Administration May Undo Certain Trump-Era Mortgage Rules -
"Consumer advocates believe the rules may promote the sort of risky borrowing that led to the financial crisis in 2008."
Why this is important: The...more
Jones Day Hit by Data Breach as Vendor Accellion Hack Widens -
"Jones Day is the second major law firm in two weeks to have private data exposed as a result of a breach at Accellion, which provides file transfer and other...more
“Just Send a Venmo!”…To a Collection Agency?
As a result of COVID-19, many businesses are leery of handling cash, credit cards, or debit cards, and consumers feel concerned about using paper money and coins. It is...more
2/24/2021
/ Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Credit Cards ,
Data Privacy ,
FDCPA ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
Mortgage Lenders ,
Mortgage Servicers ,
Mortgage Servicing Rules ,
Student Loans
Texas Governor Abbott Working on Legislation to Prevent Social Media Platforms from 'Canceling Conservative Speech' -
"Section 230, a provision in the Communications Decency Act, currently protects social media companies...more
The Possible Xinjiang Coal Link in Tesla’s Bitcoin Binge -
"The main draw is the cheap power needed to run the computers that perform the complicated equations for so-called 'Proof of Work' that confirm transactions...more
Remote Online Notarization: What You Need to Know -
"Digital closing are the norm, here’s how to prepare and serve your clients."
Why this is important: Remote Online Notarization, or RON, is the use of audio/visual...more
Exxon, Chevron CEOs Discussed Merger Last Year -
"Chevron’s Mike Wirth and Exxon’s Darren Woods spoke as the Covid-19 outbreak hurt oil and gas demand, adding financial strain to both companies, Dow Jones said."
Why...more
Biden to Pick Rohit Chopra to Lead Consumer-Finance Agency -
"Rohit Chopra is the former student-loan ombudsman at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau."
Why this is important: As an assistant director of the CFPB,...more
All is Not Lost: Mitigating the Risk of Loss of a Delinquent Collateral Asset in the Era of Autonomous Zones -
The birth of autonomous zones has led to uncertainty regarding the protection of a lienholder's collateral...more
1/21/2021
/ Banking Sector ,
Blockchain ,
CARES Act ,
Chapter 11 ,
Commercial Bankruptcy ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Mortgages ,
OCC ,
Public Service Loan Forgiveness program (PSLF program)
In a Rare Rebuke, FERC Fails to Approve Mountain Valley Pipeline's Proposal -
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission deadlocked 2-2 on Mountain Valley’s request to bore under streams and wetlands along the pipeline’s...more
1/21/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Climate Change ,
Coal Mines ,
Cybersecurity ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Storage ,
FERC ,
Fossil Fuel ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pipelines
New Tribunal Created for Unauthorized Streaming Services -
On December 21, 2020, Congress passed the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2020 and a law on penalties for certain digital transmission...more
1/20/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Biometric Information ,
Bitcoin ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Criminal Investigations ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Collection ,
Facial Recognition Technology ,
Governor Cuomo ,
Iran ,
Law Enforcement ,
Nanotechnology ,
Technology Sector ,
Trade Relations
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit recently decided that claims based on Article 2 of the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act ("WVCCPA"), including claims based on its FDCPA-like debt...more
Congress Reaches Compromise on Clean Energy Deal to be Attached to Government Funding Bill -
"A bipartisan energy package hitched to the spending bill includes provisions to boost technologies such as advanced nuclear...more
12/23/2020
/ Biden Administration ,
Blockchain ,
Climate Change ,
Coal Industry ,
Electricity ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Storage ,
Exports ,
Oil & Gas ,
Renewable Energy ,
Solar Energy ,
Transmission Grid ,
Wind Power
Loeffler, Cotton Release Bill to Hold Tech Companies Accountable for Child Exploitation, Allow Victims to Sue -
"It would amend the US code to strip Section 230 protections from tech companies."
Why this is important:...more
12/22/2020
/ Amazon ,
Biometric Information ,
Communications Decency Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Criminal Liability ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
DoorDash ,
Facebook ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Google ,
Nanotechnology ,
Section 230 ,
SpaceX ,
User-Generated Content ,
Website Owner Liability
Welcome to the Last All Consuming Issue of 2020 -
Welcome to our last issue of All Consuming for 2020, a year of unprecedented obstacles. We all watched as the financial industry responded to those obstacles, with...more
12/16/2020
/ Automotive Loans ,
Banking Sector ,
Biden Administration ,
CARES Act ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Debt Collection ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
Lenders ,
Mortgage Lenders ,
Student Loans
Welcome to Currents, our weekly publication providing insights to the latest energy news and U.S. EIA statistics.
Currents is different from other e-newsletters in that it not only provides current energy articles, but it...more
12/14/2020
/ Climate Change ,
Coal ,
Coal Industry ,
Coal-Fired Plants ,
Electricity ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Sector ,
Exports ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Oil & Gas ,
Renewable Energy
Brexit Effects on Trademarks Beginning January 1 -
Trademark owners with registrations in EU where the UK is designated should soon receive notification for treatment of registrations and applications following the Brexit...more
12/3/2020
/ 3D Printing ,
Amazon ,
Biometric Information ,
Biometric Information Privacy Act ,
Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
CRISPR ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Retention ,
eBay ,
Facial Recognition Technology ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Internet of Things ,
NIST ,
RICO ,
Technology Sector ,
UK ,
UK Brexit ,
Vaccinations ,
Van Buren v United States
COVID-19, the CARES Act and the Impact on Mortgage Forbearance -
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the federal government passed the CARES Act, which provides a number of protections to homeowners unable to pay...more
11/19/2020
/ CARES Act ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Debt Collection ,
Debt Collectors ,
FDCPA ,
Forbearance Agreements ,
Foreclosure ,
Homeowners ,
Mortgages ,
Student Loans
Following the recent publication of the U.S. Attorney General's cryptocurrency enforcement framework, Spilman attorneys Corey Bonasso and Nick Mooney discuss cryptocurrencies, their legitimate uses, and some inherent legal...more
11/13/2020
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
BitMEX ,
Blockchain ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Debtors ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Initial Coin Offering (ICOs) ,
Smart Contracts ,
Tax Liability ,
Virtual Currency
VIDEO: Cryptocurrency - Legitimate Uses and Potential Issues -
Following the recent publication of the U.S. Attorney General's cryptocurrency enforcement framework, Spilman attorneys Corey Bonasso and Nick Mooney discuss...more
11/11/2020
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Attorney General ,
Authoritarian Regimes ,
Bitcoin ,
BitMEX ,
Breach of Contract ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cyber Crimes ,
Data Breach ,
Deep Fake ,
Digital Currency ,
FinCEN ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GitHub ,
Hong Kong ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
OCC ,
Patent Infringement ,
Risk Management ,
Saudi Arabia ,
Travel Rule ,
Virtual Currency
Feds Sued for Easing Regulations on Coal Ash -
“'Many power plants could easily adopt affordable technologies that dramatically reduce toxic discharges, but with this rule, the EPA is telling their polluter friends not to...more
11/6/2020
/ Carbon Capture and Sequestration ,
Clean Energy ,
Coal Industry ,
Electricity ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Oil & Gas ,
Sustainability ,
Zero-Emission Coal Plants
How Virginia’s 2020 Fairness in Lending Act Reforms Small-Dollar Loans -
"The law closes regulatory loopholes, caps interest rates, and provides lessons for other states."
Why this is important: Earlier this year, the...more
11/4/2020
/ Bitcoin ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
Lenders ,
Loan Forgiveness ,
Mortgage Lenders ,
Payday Loans ,
Small Dollar Lenders ,
Student Loans
VIDEO: New Developments in the World of Section 230 -
Nick Mooney and Joseph Schaeffer, Spilman Technology Law Practice Group Chairs, discuss proposed amendments from the Department of Justice, a recent statement from...more
10/30/2020
/ Biometric Information ,
China ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cyber Insurance ,
Data Collection ,
Data Privacy ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
Facial Recognition Technology ,
Hackers ,
HITECH Act ,
National Security ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patents ,
PayPal ,
Ransomware ,
Willful Infringement
Nick Mooney and Joseph Schaeffer, Spilman Technology Law Practice Group Chairs, discuss proposed amendments from the Department of Justice, a recent statement from Justice Thomas on the Supreme Court’s “shadow docket,” and a...more
10/28/2020
/ Censorship ,
Commercial Speech ,
Content Publishing ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Executive Orders ,
FCC ,
Good Faith ,
Internet Speech ,
Liability ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Section 230 ,
Social Media ,
Terms of Service ,
Terms of Use ,
Trump Administration ,
User-Generated Content ,
Websites
West Virginia Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Horizontal Drilling Taxation Case Involving Antero -
"At issue is a consumer sales tax assessment of around $1 million the West Virginia State Tax Department has levied on...more
10/26/2020
/ Biodiesel ,
Biomass ,
Blockchain ,
China ,
Climate Change ,
Coal ,
Coal Industry ,
Coal Mines ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Elon Musk ,
Energy Sector ,
EU ,
Gig Economy ,
Honda ,
Horizontal Wells ,
Natural Gas ,
Petroleum ,
Plant Closures ,
Popular ,
Renewable Energy ,
State Taxes ,
Well Drilling ,
WV Supreme Court