Troutman Pepper announced today that a nationally recognized consumer financial services group has joined the firm from Ballard Spahr in Atlanta, New York, Philadelphia, and Salt Lake City. The industry-leading group includes partners Christopher J. Willis, Mark J. Furletti, Jeremy T. Rosenblum, Stefanie H. Jackman, James Kim, Jason M. Cover, and Anthony C. Kaye.

The new group will join the firm’s existing, top-ranked financial services practice which provides a full range of transactional, litigation, enforcement, and regulatory compliance services to national, regional, and community financial institutions, consumer and commercial lenders, payment processors, financial technology companies, and a host of other financial services providers.

“We are delighted to welcome this esteemed group of partners to Troutman Pepper,” said Troutman Pepper Chair Steve Lewis. “Their arrival confirms our status as a market leader in the financial services industry and demonstrates the firm’s deep commitment to serving clients in this complex, ever-evolving space.”

“We have built one of the largest practices in the country focused on consumer financial services and have become a destination for clients facing high-stakes litigation, seeking regulatory and compliance guidance, and facing government investigations,” said Troutman Pepper Managing Partner Tom Cole.

Troutman Pepper has more than 200 attorneys who regularly advise financial services providers and is nationally recognized for its prowess in the space. A two-time winner of Law360′s Consumer Protection Practice Group of the Year award, Troutman Pepper’s Consumer Financial Services team helps clients resolve litigation, provides regulatory guidance, and assists with investigations and actions initiated by federal and state government agencies. In 2021, Troutman Pepper was named FinTech Law Firm of the Year by The Deal, becoming the first firm to receive the award.

“This move combines two of the nation’s leading practices in consumer financial services, creating a preeminent one-stop shop for clients seeking regulatory, compliance, and litigation counsel in the space,” said Partner Christopher Willis. “We are excited about the added benefits this will bring to our clients and look forward to working with our new Troutman Pepper colleagues – many of whom we have known for years because of our practice affinities.”

Christopher J. Willis (Atlanta), who will serve as co-leader of Troutman Pepper’s Consumer Financial Services Regulatory practice, advises financial services institutions facing state and federal government investigations and examinations – with noted expertise in those involving the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). He also counsels on compliance issues including UDAP/UDAAP, credit reporting, debt collection and fair lending, and defending them in individual and class action lawsuits brought by consumers and enforcement actions brought by government agencies. Willis leverages insights from his litigation and enforcement experience to help clients design new products and processes, including machine learning marketing, fraud prevention and underwriting models, product structure, advertising, online application flows, underwriting, and collection and loss mitigation strategies.

Mark J. Furletti (Philadelphia), who also will serve as co-leader of Troutman Pepper’s Consumer Financial Services Regulatory practice, focuses on federal and state consumer and small business lending and payments laws, including those that apply to payment cards, buy-now-pay-later transactions, vehicle-secured loans, lines of credit, unsecured loans, and deposit products. He counsels providers of consumer and small business financial services, including banks, on regulatory compliance matters and has successfully represented such providers in class action litigation and government supervisory and enforcement matters.

Jeremy T. Rosenblum (Philadelphia) has more than three decades in private practice representing the consumer financial services industry. His practice focuses on federal and state lending and consumer practices laws, with emphasis on the interplay between federal and state laws, joint ventures between banks and nonbank financial services providers, the development and documentation of new financial services products, bank overdraft practices and disclosures, geographic expansion initiatives, and compliance with federal and state consumer protection laws, including “UDAAP” statutes prohibiting unfair, deceptive and abusive acts and practices; usury laws; the Truth in Lending Act (TILA); the Electronic Funds Transfer Act; E-SIGN; the Equal Credit Opportunity Act; and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Stefanie H. Jackman (Atlanta), who led Ballard Spahr’s Debt Collection group, devotes her practice to assisting financial services institutions facing state and federal government investigations and examinations, counseling them on complex compliance issues, as well as defending them in individual and class action lawsuits. Jackman represents clients across the financial services industry, including banks and nonbanks, mortgage banking lenders and servicers, debt collectors and buyers, third-party service providers, health care and medical revenue cycle service providers, credit and prepaid card companies, auto lenders, and fintechs in navigating issues arising under the FDCPA, FCRA, TCPA, SCRA, EFTA, UDAAP/UDAP, and related state laws and regulations.

James Kim (New York) co-led Ballard Spahr’s Fintech and Payments group and advises fintechs, banks, investors, and other clients regarding federal and state consumer financial laws and regulations, including Title X of the Dodd-Frank Act (UDAAP), TILA, RESPA, EFTA, and the FCRA. He helps clients navigate examinations and investigations with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Federal Reserve Board, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and various state agencies.

Jason M. Cover (Philadelphia) focuses on federal and state consumer lending and payments laws, including those that apply to installment loans, vehicle-secured loans, lines of credit, unsecured loans, credit cards, point of sale finance, and timeshare/vacation finance. He counsels providers of consumer financial services, including banks, licensed lenders and fintech providers, on regulatory compliance matters and government supervisory and enforcement matters.

Anthony C. Kaye (Salt Lake City/New York) led Ballard Spahr’s Military Lending group and advises financial services providers on regulatory and compliance issues involving military lending and an array of other consumer protection laws, and defends clients against individual and class action lawsuits. Kaye helps financial institutions successfully navigate Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) examinations and investigations, and he has extensive experience managing legal teams defending national portfolios of related cases. Kaye is also recognized as a top litigator for handling high-stakes real estate litigation in the West.