Since taking office, the new presidential administration has taken significant actions that have reduced the role and influence of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

On Feb. 7, President Donald Trump appointed the director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, as acting director of the CFPB. Vought swiftly ordered a pause on new rulemaking, enforcement investigations, litigation, public communications, supervision and examination activity, and other work of the agency. The suspension of rulemaking, supervision and enforcement activity at the CFPB remains in place.

This article examines the impact of recent activity on bank-fintech partnerships and what the industry should consider in light of the change in administration. 

Read “The Current And Future State Of Bank-Fintech Partnerships,” co-authored for Law360 by Shane Foster, Marina Olman-Pal, Jera L. Bradshaw, and Lisa Lanham.

Tags: banks, Fintech, GT Insight, president trump
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Photo of Shane Foster Shane Foster

Shane Foster is a shareholder with deep financial regulatory experience in areas such as banking, money transmission, lending, and fintech, among others. Serving in a high-level capacity as Chief Deputy Director at the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI), he oversaw

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Shane Foster is a shareholder with deep financial regulatory experience in areas such as banking, money transmission, lending, and fintech, among others. Serving in a high-level capacity as Chief Deputy Director at the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI), he oversaw the agency’s enforcement, depository, non-depository, consumer affairs, and insurance market conduct divisions.

As a former regulator, Shane has a thorough understanding of regulatory issues affecting the financial services sector and has deep experience in licensing, compliance, investigatory, and enforcement matters. From advising on chartering de novo depository institutions, merger activity, solvency and deposit insurance issues, to ensuring compliance with consumer protection and safety and soundness regulations, he provides financial institutions with insights to navigate complex issues. Additionally, his experience encompasses various consumer finance segments such as mortgage, vehicle title, and unsecured lending. Shane also led the efforts in drafting and implementing Arizona’s money transmission law (i.e., CSBS Model Money Transmission Modernization Act), which substantive provisions can be found in many states throughout the country.

Shane’s practice extends to the use of new technologies and innovation in the financial services sector. He served a prominent role in the administration of the nation’s first state regulatory sandbox, bolstering his deep understanding of the use of novel products and services in the ever evolving fintech sector (e.g., blockchain technology, digital payments, APIs, artificial intelligence, and mobile applications, among others). Shane also stays at the forefront of law and policy developments regarding digital assets. Whether dealing with transmission and custody issues or monitoring recent guidelines by federal agencies concerning crypto-related activities and stablecoins, Shane stays abreast of developments to advise clients on innovative legal strategies.

Shane has worked closely with state regulators through active involvement in the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS), National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), and the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), serving as a key participant in numerous multistate initiatives, including serving on the coordinating committee with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and on data privacy working groups, among others. Simultaneously, his background in government relations has given him many opportunities to interface with various federal agencies and draft comments on proposed federal policies.

Shane Foster is a sought-after speaker on a variety of topics concerning financial regulation, having spoken on numerous panels at industry and government-related events.

Read more about Shane Foster
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Photo of Marina Olman-Pal Marina Olman-Pal

Marina Olman-Pal, Co-Chair of the firm’s Financial, Regulatory & Compliance Practice, advises foreign and U.S. financial institutions on a broad range of regulatory matters including licensing, acquisitions, divestitures, compliance with Bank Secrecy Act (BSA)/anti-money laundering (AML) laws and regulations, and compliance with Office…

Marina Olman-Pal, Co-Chair of the firm’s Financial, Regulatory & Compliance Practice, advises foreign and U.S. financial institutions on a broad range of regulatory matters including licensing, acquisitions, divestitures, compliance with Bank Secrecy Act (BSA)/anti-money laundering (AML) laws and regulations, and compliance with Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions programs. Marina counsels a wide range of companies in the financial services sector including, domestic and foreign banks, gaming companies, money services businesses including money transmitters, cryptocurrency businesses, Fintech companies and digital payment companies. Throughout her career, Marina has represented clients before U.S. regulators such as the Federal Reserve, OCC, FDIC, FinCEN, OFAC, the Florida Office of Financial Regulation and other state supervisory authorities. Marina also regularly develops anti-money laundering programs for a wide range of financial services businesses and non-financial services businesses including, U.S. and foreign companies active in industries such as real estate, hospitality, automotive and artificial intelligence, among many others.

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Photo of Jera L. Bradshaw Jera L. Bradshaw

Jera L. Bradshaw is a former state and federal regulator who advises community, regional, and national banks on all aspects of financial regulatory compliance and enforcement, with an emphasis on state and federal enforcement actions; corporate and board governance matters related to regulatory

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Jera L. Bradshaw is a former state and federal regulator who advises community, regional, and national banks on all aspects of financial regulatory compliance and enforcement, with an emphasis on state and federal enforcement actions; corporate and board governance matters related to regulatory compliance, bank-fintech partnerships, regulatory applications, enterprise risk; and “troubled” banks.

Jera regularly assists financial institutions of all sizes with examinations, applications, and enforcement matters; has an extensive background advising banks on compliance and remediation programs; and is experienced appearing before the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (FRB), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and multiple state bank regulatory authorities.

Before joining private practice, Jera served ten years as bank regulatory counsel to the FDIC and the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions (“TDFI”) where she conducted legal review of regulatory filings such as branch applications, golden parachute payments, mergers, brokered deposit waivers, changes in bank control, and retirement of capital; supported regulatory examinations; oversaw enforcement actions; and advised on legislation, laws, and policies affecting financial institutions.

More recently, she acted as senior counsel of regulatory affairs for a large regional bank advising on intricate legal issues affecting the enterprise including implementation of enhanced prudential standards, affiliate transactions, dividend restrictions, Community Reinvestment Act strategy, and consumer compliance management systems (“CMS”).

Jera leverages her deep bank regulatory experience to deliver practical legal advice on a range of financial regulatory topics including affiliate transactions, deposit products, BSA/AML compliance, lending limits, insider transactions, capital and liquidity risk management, and the Community Reinvestment Act. She counsels clients on regulatory aspects of new product development, including bank partnership models, BaaS relationships, payment systems, fintech deposit platforms and third-party oversight. She also advises bank acquirers and sellers on regulatory approvals for M&A transactions, noncontrolling investments, nonbank activities, and other complex issues.

Jera is chair of the American Bar Association’s Regional and Community Banks Subcommittee, a faculty member of Fundamentals of Banking Law, and a guest lecturer at the SMU Dedman School of Law. In addition to speaking on regulatory issues affecting insured depository institutions, Jera is routinely called upon to train bank boards and management on a wide range of legal and risk management topics.

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Photo of Lisa M. Lanham ‡ Lisa M. Lanham ‡

Lisa M. Lanham focuses her practice on fintech and payments solutions within the financial services sector. Her role encompasses work with a diverse range of clients, including residential and commercial mortgage brokers, lenders, servicers, loan fulfilment providers, student, consumer, and solar loan lenders

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Lisa M. Lanham focuses her practice on fintech and payments solutions within the financial services sector. Her role encompasses work with a diverse range of clients, including residential and commercial mortgage brokers, lenders, servicers, loan fulfilment providers, student, consumer, and solar loan lenders and servicers, marketplace lenders, and entities offering retail installment contracts for consumer goods. Moreover, she advises investors engaged in secondary market activities. Lisa also extends her support to emerging fintech firms, helping them to comply with necessary state licensing requirements and develop products in these realms while keeping regulatory demands in check.

A large part of Lisa’s role involves working closely with regulators such as the New York State Department of Financial Services to facilitate her clients’ pursuit of necessary business licenses and approvals. This not only includes completing audits and examinations but also covering intricate disclosure issues and reporting changes of ownership, executive management, and qualifying individuals. In addition to these tasks, Lisa was involved in the development of the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System & Registry (NMLS) 2.0 system. She handles virtually all aspects of the NMLS, including submissions and amendments of company application forms and electronic surety bonds.

Her contributions extend to representation and regulatory counsel in areas such as structured finance, securitization, secondary market transactions, licensing matters in mergers and acquisitions transactions, regulatory agency coordination for large-scale multistate transactions, and various financial service operations. In addressing state licensing matters, Lisa has contributed to notable projects such as assisting international crypto exchanges enter into the U.S. market by setting up compliant subsidiaries.

Lisa’s work also includes the reporting of material licensing changes, providing technical reviews, analyzing proposed business models in the context of regulatory compliance issues, assisting with the development of policies and procedures for regulatory compliance concerns, negotiating findings before examination report finalization, and managing international licensing issues amidst dynamic regulatory environment.

‡ Admitted in New York and Pennsylvania. Not admitted in Florida.

Read more about Lisa M. Lanham ‡Lisa M.'s Linkedin Profile
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