Fintech

  • January 30, 2025

    PayPal Beats Investor Suit Over Inflated User Metrics Claims

    A New Jersey federal court has dismissed a proposed class action that accused PayPal of misleading investors with user metrics inflated by a scam that took advantage of a PayPal promotion that paid people to set up new accounts, saying the investors did not show PayPal knew of the alleged scam when certain statements were made.

  • January 30, 2025

    Card Co. Netspend Inks $1.1M NY AG Deal Over Fees, Freezes

    The New York Attorney General's Office said Thursday that Netspend, a fintech debit and prepaid card provider, will pay nearly $1.1 million to settle claims that it charged New Yorkers illegal fees and allowed debt collectors to seize protected funds.

  • January 30, 2025

    Pump.Fun Faces Suit Over Unregistered Memecoin Sales

    Memecoin launchpad Pump.Fun and its executives should have registered the tokens spawned on its platform with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, according to a proposed securities class action brought by a purchaser in New York federal court.

  • January 30, 2025

    YouTube's 'Nelk Boys' Sued Over 'Snake-Oil' NFTs

    A buyer of an apparently worthless crypto product has filed suit against a pair of influencers behind the YouTube channel "Nelk Boys," calling them "snake-oil salesmen" and claiming they talked up the products online, saying they were valuable when, in reality, the promised perks and returns on investment never materialized.

  • January 29, 2025

    'DO NOT RESPOND': CFPB Union Calls Buyout Email A Trap

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's union has urged staff at the agency to refrain from responding to the Trump administration's buyout offer for federal employees, describing it as a potential trap and suggesting they consider marking it as spam instead.

  • January 29, 2025

    Binary Options Fraudsters Must Pay $451.6M To CFTC

    An Illinois federal judge on Tuesday ordered three Israeli businessmen and the overseas businesses they owned or ran to pay over $451.6 million to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, holding them liable for lying about the profitability of binary options transactions and misappropriating customer funds.

  • January 29, 2025

    Sports Co., Ex-CEO Must Pay $1.8M In SEC Fraud Suit

    A D.C. federal judge has ordered sports business Crystal World, its ousted CEO and a related investment group to pay approximately $1.8 million in disgorgement and civil penalties for securities violations, lowering the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's bid for a $4.1 million total judgment.

  • January 29, 2025

    Dentons Taps SEC Enforcement Vet From Morrison Cohen

    Dentons has brought on a former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement attorney from Morrison Cohen LLP, where his work made headlines when he won a rare sanctions order against the regulator over its handling of a case against a client, the crypto project known as Debt Box. 

  • January 29, 2025

    5th Circ. Rejects Outside Bid To Defend CFPB Small-Biz Rule

    The Fifth Circuit on Wednesday stood by its decision to refuse two advocacy groups' request to help defend the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's small business lending data rule, a day after the bureau and the suing banking trade groups pushed back and said they are fine to litigate themselves, without intervention.

  • January 29, 2025

    AI Art Needs Human Input For Copyrights, Gov't Report Says

    Simply directing artificial intelligence platforms to make art, music, videos and other creative works is not enough for users of AI systems to be considered authors entitled to copyright protection, the U.S. Copyright Office said Wednesday in a report that's part of a broader agency initiative to explore legal issues raised by the revolutionary technology.

  • January 28, 2025

    Sen. Warren Has 'Serious Concern' Over Lutnick's Tether Ties

    Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D.-Mass., has asked U.S. Secretary of Commerce nominee Howard Lutnick to provide more information on his involvement with the crypto firm Tether Ltd. Inc., saying his firm Cantor Fitgerald's stake in the success of a token allegedly favored by "outlaws" is cause for concern.

  • January 28, 2025

    CFPB, Bank Orgs Rebuff Intervention Bid In Data Rule Fight

    In a moment of agreement, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and a group of banking trade groups pushed back on Tuesday against a bid to intervene by two advocacy groups in a suit over the CFPB's small business lending data rule. 

  • January 28, 2025

    Ex-SEC Enforcement Chief Says Staff Faced Uptick In Threats

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recently departed enforcement chief said Tuesday he wishes he could have done more to insulate his staff from the uptick in threats they received while he headed the program, and he urged his successor to do what they could to protect the agency's attorneys.

  • January 28, 2025

    Wells Fargo Exits 2022 Order But Isn't Out Of CFPB Woods Yet

    Wells Fargo announced Tuesday that it has wrapped up a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau consent order issued two years ago over its handling of auto loans, mortgages and deposit accounts, though the agency is cautioning that "serious issues" remain at the bank.

  • January 28, 2025

    Dolce & Gabbana Wants 'Worthless' NFT Outfit Suit Tossed

    The U.S. division of Italian luxury fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana has urged a New York federal judge to toss a proposed investor class action accusing it of abandoning a nonfungible tokens project while retaining the more than $25 million that was used to fund it, arguing that the U.S. arm of the company was not at all involved in the project.

  • January 28, 2025

    SEC Wells Meetings Likely Back On The Table, Official Says

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's acting deputy director of enforcement said Tuesday that leadership was open to meeting more frequently with those facing SEC investigations and hinted at the possibility that it would pursue fewer industry bars against those who violate the securities laws. 

  • January 28, 2025

    Silk Road Pardon Sparks Hope For More Crypto Clemency

    President Donald Trump's decision to free the convicted Silk Road operator Ross Ulbricht brought praise from crypto advocates and spurred some to seek the ear of the new administration in hopes that the president will pardon other alleged crypto criminals, too.

  • January 28, 2025

    Chinese Pair Sought To Fuel Fentanyl 'Grand Lab,' Feds Say

    Prosecutors told a Manhattan federal jury Tuesday that two Chinese nationals sought to furnish chemicals for what they thought would be a huge fentanyl hub in New York City, pointing to what they called damning evidence such as recordings, texts and cryptocurrency transfers.

  • January 28, 2025

    TravelPerk Hits $2.7B Valuation, Announces Yokoy Buy

    Spanish business travel platform TravelPerk, advised by Allen Overy Shearman Sterling, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC and Lenz & Staehelin, on Tuesday announced that it hit a $2.7 billion valuation after closing its Series E funding round with $200 million of commitments, while also announcing its acquisition of European expense, invoice and card payment processing platform Yokoy.

  • January 27, 2025

    CFPB's Chopra Sees Room For Rules To Stem Debanking

    Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra on Monday voiced support for regulatory action to address concerns about banks unfairly closing accounts, saying more transparency and "bright-line" limits may be needed to combat so-called debanking.

  • January 27, 2025

    Lummis Tells 2nd Circ. SEC 'Flouts' Congress In Crypto Cases

    Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R.-Wyo., told the Second Circuit that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's ongoing suit against Coinbase Inc. has complicated congressional efforts to set rules for digital assets, filing her support for the crypto exchange's bid for a quick ruling from the appeals court on how securities laws apply to the transactions on its platform.

  • January 27, 2025

    Crypto Exchange KuCoin Pleads Out, Agrees To Pay $297M

    Cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin on Monday pled guilty and agreed to pay $297 million for failing to implement anti-money laundering protocols and allowing more than $5 billion worth of criminal funds to flow through its trading platform.

  • January 27, 2025

    CFPB Says Acima Can't Use 'Lease' Label To Exit Suit

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau urged a Utah federal court to not dismiss its predatory lending suit against Acima Leasing, arguing the fintech company and Rent-A-Center affiliate can't hide offering functional credit products by calling them rental purchases.

  • January 27, 2025

    Judge Grants Bid For Docs, Code In EPassport Fight

    A Court of Federal Claims judge partially granted a German company's bid to secure discovery materials from the U.S. government and a French cybersecurity firm for its suit accusing the government of infringing on patents related to electronic passport readers.

  • January 27, 2025

    Advertising Platform's Changes Hurt Investors, Suit Says

    Advertising platform Cardlytics Inc. faces a proposed class action alleging that it failed to warn shareholders that fast-paced changes to its technology could impact its ability to deliver on advertiser budgets, hurting investors when it disclosed an associated earnings miss.

Expert Analysis

  • 5 Ways SEC's Crypto Approach Could Change Under Trump

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    Given the Trump campaign's procrypto stance, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission could take a number of different approaches to crypto policy in the next administration, including pausing registration-only enforcement actions and proposing tailored rules that take into account the differences between crypto-assets and traditional securities, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Series

    Flying Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Achieving my childhood dream of flying airplanes made me a better lawyer — and a better person — because it taught me I can conquer difficult goals when I leave my comfort zone, focus on the demands of the moment and commit to honing my skills, says Ivy Cadle at Baker Donelson.

  • With Precautions, AI Can Help With Suspicious Activity Filings

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    While artificial intelligence can enhance suspicious activity report processes, financial services firms should review applicable expectations and areas of deficiencies that can lead to enforcement actions before using AI to help write SARs, say attorneys at Jenner.

  • How Crypto Cos. Can Take Advantage Of 'Mini-IPOs'

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    Against the backdrop of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement in the crypto space, mini-initial public offerings, with less burdensome requirements than full registration, can serve as an alternative way for token issuers to raise funds, say attorneys at O'Melveny.

  • Takeaways From Final Regulations For China Investment Ban

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    ​The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s final rule banning U.S. investment in emerging Chinese technology clarifies some key requirements, includes additional exceptions for covered transactions and attempts to address concerns that the rule will put U.S. businesses at a competitive disadvantage, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Nvidia Supreme Court Case May Not Make Big Splash

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    The skeptical tenor of the justices' questioning at oral argument in Nvidia v. Ohman Fonder suggests that the case is unlikely to alter the motion to dismiss pleading standard in securities class actions, as some had feared, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • AI Monitoring And FCRA: Employer Compliance Essentials

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    As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission signal determination to treat AI-based workplace surveillance as a potential Fair Credit Reporting Act issue, employers must commit to educating HR and compliance staff on these quickly evolving regulatory expectations, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Series

    Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.

  • How D&O Coverage Can Aid Against Increased AI Scrutiny

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    The recent increase in regulatory enforcement and securities class actions stemming from corporate use of artificial intelligence should prompt companies to ensure that their directors and officers liability insurance coverage is appropriately tailored to AI-related risks, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • Crypto Cos. Add New Play In Their Offense Against SEC

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    Consensys and Crypto.com have adopted a novel strategy of preempting U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement actions by moving to crypto-friendly Texas and filing declaratory lawsuits challenging the SEC's jurisdiction to regulate crypto-assets — an aggressive approach that may pay off, say attorneys at Herrick Feinstein.

  • Purse-Case Scenarios: 'MetaBirkin' Appeal Tests TM Rights

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    A federal court's finding that "MetaBirkin" nonfungible tokens infringed on Hermes' iconic Birkin bag imagery is now on appeal in the Second Circuit, and the order will have a lasting effect on how courts balance trademark rights and the First Amendment, say attorneys at Venable.

  • 3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less

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    Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.

  • How To Safely Leverage AI In The Digital Assets Industry

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    Digital asset businesses that use or plan to implement artificial intelligence should assess their risk management frameworks to ensure that AI-related business areas, including customer support and fraud detection, are in compliance with applicable laws and regulatory guidance from the last year, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • Unpacking The CFPB's Personal Financial Data Final Rule

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    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's personal financial data rights rule includes several important changes from the proposed rule, and hundreds of pages of supplementary information that provide important insights into the manner in which the bureau will enforce the final rule, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule

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    Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.

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