Advances in technology coupled with increasing regulatory scrutiny have created a challenging environment for the debt collection industry, a reality that we have been helping our clients navigate by providing comprehensive counsel—from assessing and designing debt collection-related compliance programs and evaluating potential collection partners to defending claims that may arise during examinations or enforcement investigations and assisting in ensuring proper state licensing.
Even more seismic changes are likely to occur in the coming years. To better assist our clients in preparing for and responding to those changes, Ballard Spahr has created a Debt Collection Team to address the issues specific to creditors, debt collection firms, and debt buyers. Our team includes regulatory lawyers with deep knowledge of the CFPB, the FTC, federal and state banking agencies, the Nationwide Multistate Licensing Systems (NMLS) and state licensing regulators, and state attorneys general. Litigators on the team have hands-on experience defending a wide variety of industry players.
We also have significant experience in areas of law that go hand-in-hand with debt collection and servicing, including fintech, mobile commerce and emerging payments; credit reporting; Telephone Consumer Protection Act matters; and privacy and data security.
The leaders of our Debt Collection Team are among the most highly regarded in the industry. Stefanie Jackman has been named one of the 25 Most Influential Women in Collections and also one of the 25 Most Influential Attorneys in Collections by Collection Advisor. Chris Willis and John Culhane are recognized by Chambers USA as national leaders in financial services regulation, and John Socknat is a leading voice on collections licensing issues and has served as a NMLS board member. All are regular speakers at prominent collections industry conferences.
Click here to learn more about our new Debt Collection Team.