Redlining Goes Digital — What Your Institution Needs to Know

Webinar | January.11.2022 | 2pm - 3pm (Central Standard Time)

Alternative data, algorithms, machine learning, and other technology are transforming lending, and regulators are taking note. CFPB Director Rohit Chopra recently said that the Bureau will scrutinize financial institutions for indications of "digital redlining" — the use of technology in a manner that may be discriminatory for members of protected classes seeking credit. And credit access is not the only fair lending focal point, with underwriting and pricing issues also in play as the financial services industry leverages technology throughout the product lifecycle. With the industry officially on notice, financial institutions and their service providers must ensure their compliance programs are up to speed in this rapidly evolving area of fair lending law.

Caroline Stapleton discussed how your business can use technology to increase predictive accuracy or access to credit, while also implementing effective controls to mitigate compliance risk. This discussion is a must-attend for any in-house attorney or compliance professional at a financial services company that uses, or is considering using, these new technologies in any aspect of consumer credit.

Speaker

Caroline Stapleton Partner, Financial & Fintech Advisory, Strategic Advisory & Government Enforcement (SAGE)

Washington, D.C.

See my bio

D:+1 202 461 2904
E: [email protected]

Practice:

Financial & Fintech Advisory
Strategic Advisory & Government Enforcement (SAGE)
Fintech

vCard

See full bio

Caroline Stapleton Partner

Washington, D.C.

Client-centered experiences are at the heart of Caroline’s practice. She has provided a wide variety of institutions, from fintech startups to multinational banks, with tailored, practical guidance that considers each company’s unique characteristics and strategic goals. Caroline draws on her prior experiences as an attorney at a federal prudential regulator and as the head of compliance at a consumer finance company to give clients a comprehensive picture of the legal risks and opportunities each new matter presents.

Her work on behalf of financial services providers has included:

Providing guidance regarding novel or complex regulatory questions, often in the context of developing new financial products and services
Performing compliance risk assessments of marketing, underwriting, pricing, origination, servicing and loss mitigation activities
Advising banks and supervised lenders with examinations by federal and state regulators, including responding to exam findings, CAMELS ratings, Matters Requiring Attention (MRA/MRIA) and enforcement referrals
Strategically responding to and defending enforcement actions by state and federal regulators, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Federal Reserve Board and Department of Justice (DOJ), and, if necessary, negotiating favorable settlements
Developing strategies for bank partnership, state licensing and bank charter opportunities for consumer financial services providers
Conducting internal investigations of suspected misconduct or violations of an institution’s policies and/or regulatory requirements

In these and other representations, Caroline brings strong substantive knowledge of the key federal and state statutes and regulations governing the financial services industry. Her specific areas of focus include:

Fair lending and anti-discrimination laws, including the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA)
Prohibitions on unfair, deceptive or abusive acts or practices (UDAP and UDAAP)
Technical regulatory compliance under federal and state laws governing loan marketing, disclosures, settlement practices, servicing and collection practices, consumer reporting and electronic payments
Federal preemption, including under the National Bank Act
Compliance management best practices and regulatory expectations, including third-party vendor and merchant oversight
Treatment and disclosure of confidential supervisory information (CSI)
State lease-to-own laws and regulations

Prior to joining Orrick, Caroline was senior counsel at Buckley LLP. She also has served as an attorney-advisor in the litigation division of the OCC, where she represented the agency in civil litigation, bank receivership preparation, employment disputes and other administrative contexts. Caroline also gained valuable in-house experience as the head of compliance and assistant general counsel of a Richmond-based consumer finance company.