On November 6, the Appellate Court of Maryland reversed a lower court’s dismissal of a class action lawsuit alleging violations of the Maryland Consumer Debt Collection Act (MCDCA) and the Maryland Consumer Protection Act (MCPA). The plaintiffs, a class of two individuals, claimed debt collectors filed lawsuits to collect money they knew was not owed, constituting unfair and deceptive practices under Maryland law. The lower court had ruled that the common law litigation privilege barred these claims, providing immunity to the debt collectors for statements made during proceedings.
On November 13, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a report on matched-pair testing in small business lending, highlighting potential racial discrimination. The study reveals that Black small business owners may face less favorable treatment compared to their white counterparts when seeking credit.
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen (R) signed the Nebraska Data Privacy Act (or NEDPA) into law in April. NEDPA becomes effective on January 1, 2025 – the same day as similar laws going live in Delaware, Iowa, and New Hampshire. This relatively short period between signature and effective date left little time for impacted companies to prepare; however, Nebraska’s approach to applicability criteria has cast a specifically tailored net focused on businesses selling personal data of Nebraska residents.
In a shocking development yesterday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a per-curiam, single-sentence order purporting to “clarify” its prior stay of the compliance date for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) payday loan rule.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today released its schedule of Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) evaluations to be conducted in the first and second quarters of 2025.
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