Financial institutions have spent a year anticipating and predicting when the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) would put its broad enforcement powers to use. The anticipation ended on July 18, 2012, when the CFPB announced its first enforcement action with the entry of a consent order against Capitol One Bank. See, Stipulation and Consent Order, available at https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/201207_cfpb_consent_order_0001.pdf. The subject of the consent order was Capital One's marketing practices for credit card add-on products, such as payment protection and credit monitoring....

Delaware Imposes New Restrictions on Short-Term Lending On June 27, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell signed into law House Bill 289, legislation that places a number of severe limitations on short-term loans made by a Delaware licensed lender. These limitations will apply to both brick-and-mortar lenders, as well as Internet lenders operating under the Delaware Licensed Lender Act. The new limitations become effective on January 1, 2013. Read more Questions? Contact: Richard P. Eckman | eckmanr@pepperlaw.com Andrew R. Mavraganis | mavraganisa@pepperlaw.com Darcy Lee | leeda@pepperlaw.com* *Darcy Lee is...

Enforcement and its Implications for Companies Download PDF Version With the one-year anniversary of the U.K. Bribery Act upon us, companies may be breathing a sigh of relief. To date, not a single successful prosecution has been brought against a company by the U.K.’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO), which is responsible for enforcing the law. However, such relief may, in fact, be premature. Recently, the SFO has reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing bribery cases. As a result, now may not...

Financial Services Alert | July 24, 2012 OCC to Banks: Immediately Plan for the Current Risky Environment On July 5, 2012, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued its Semiannual Risk Perspective for spring 2012, which concludes that the top risks facing national banks and savings associations are (1) the aftereffects of the recent housing-driven credit boom-bust cycle, (2) revenue challenges related to slow economic growth and market volatility, and (3) the potential that banks may take excessive risks...

Solvay sued one Dutch and two Belgian Honeywell companies regarding infringement of several national parts of a European patent before the District Court of The Hague, claiming that all three companies infringed with the same product in all designated countries. Solvay requested a provisional injunction with cross-border effect for the duration of the main proceedings. On 12 July 2012, the Court of Justice (“CJ”) rendered its eagerly anticipated judgment in Solvay v Honeywell (C-616/10) relevant to the admissibility of cross-border...

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek has advised ASML, the world's largest supplier of equipment to computer chip manufacturers, on a customer co-investment program. Intel is the first participant in the customer co-investment program, and has committed to acquire up to a 15% equity ownership interest and to provide R&D funding for an aggregate max amount of 3.3 billion. Other customers are evaluating the program. ASML may issue up to an aggregate 25 percent minority equity stake to customers. Alongside these equity...

Who’s Who Legal has once again picked out De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek as the leading firm in Netherlands in its annual awards. The firm was named Netherlands Law Firm of the Year 2012, the seventh consecutive occasion that it has gained this recognition. Who’s Who Legal lists only the leading lawyers in each field, based exclusively on the findings of an independent six-month research process that encompasses feedback from private practitioners, clients and other experts in the sector. Editor in chief Callum Campbell...

Pepper Hamilton LLP partner Frank A. Mayer, III will be a presenter for J.H. Cohn's "Compliance Programs and Anti-Money Laundering Laws" webinar on July 19, 2012 from 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. EDT. FinCEN's upcoming deadline for lenders to comply with anti-money laundering laws (AML) is less than one month away. Adhering to the law requires written policies and changes to the origination processes resulting in new and unique issues to lenders. During this webinar, the panel will discuss everything you need...