Photo of Benjamin M. Saul

Benjamin Saul is a shareholder in the firm’s Financial Regulatory and Compliance Practice. For two decades, Ben has handled high-stakes regulatory, enforcement, and litigation matters for corporate and individual clients in the consumer finance, specialty finance, fintech, and banking sectors.

Ben has helped clients navigate dozens of contentious supervisory, enforcement, and litigation matters involving the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and has been a leader in the private bar on CFPB matters since the Bureau’s inception in 2011. He also routinely assists clients in matters involving the FTC, DOJ, HUD, OCC, FRB, FDIC, state financial services authorities, state attorneys general, and state civil rights commissions. Ben’s enforcement matters have concerned fair lending and servicing, unfair deceptive and/or abusive trade practices, other federal and state consumer finance laws, AML/BSA, troubled or failed banks, fiduciary duties, financial institution fraud, supervisory ratings, and other safety and soundness issues.  These matters often have involved parallel proceedings by multiple enforcement agencies and/or private parties.

Ben also advises lenders, servicers, alternative financial service providers, and money service businesses on product and service development, licensing, compliance program enhancement, and the applicability of federal and state consumer credit and other financial services laws. He frequently helps clients understand how financial services law maps onto new technologies and innovative products, having worked on matters involving big data, artificial intelligence, marketplace and online lending, blockchain, digital assets and cryptocurrencies, digital banking, and payment systems.  In addition, Ben provides financial services regulatory support for corporate and capital markets transactions.

On April 25, 2023, four federal agencies, the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and

Continue Reading CFPB and Federal Partners Take Aim at Technology Marketed as Artificial Intelligence

On March 10, 2023, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation closed Silicon Valley Bank, Santa Clara, CA (SVB) and appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) receiver of

Continue Reading The 2023 Banking Crisis: Updated Questions & Answers for Insured and Uninsured Depositors, Other Affected Parties

On April 3, 2023, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) issued a policy statement explaining the prohibition against abusive conduct in consumer financial markets, attempting to bring clarity

Continue Reading CFPB Policy Statement Aims to Clarify Prohibition on Abusive Conduct in Consumer Financial Markets

This GT Alert provides a general overview for investors interested in acquiring or investing in the assets of failed depository institutions and requirements and restrictions applicable to private investors’ participation

Continue Reading The 2023 Banking Crisis: Guidance for Private Investors Seeking to Acquire or Invest in Assets of Failed Insured Depository Institutions

Crypto-asset businesses, particularly those offering crypto lending, non-fungible tokens, or digital wallet/payments products — which are already facing intense scrutiny from the SEC, CFTC, U.S. Department of Justice and U.S.

Continue Reading CFPB And FTC Take Their Place As Powerful Crypto Cops

On March 10, 2023, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation closed Silicon Valley Bank, Santa Clara, California (SVB) and appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as receiver

Continue Reading The 2023 Banking Contagion: Questions & Answers for Insured and Uninsured Depositors, Other Affected Parties

Federal regulatory agencies are closely monitoring crypto-asset developments and banking organizations’ participation in the crypto-asset industry. This GT Alert covers the guidance issued by the FDIC, CFPB, and the Federal
Continue Reading Regulatory Scrutiny on the Rise of Bank and Crypto Company Dealings

On Aug. 11, 2022, the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued guidance indicating that financial institutions and service providers that fail to adopt sufficient data security measures to protect consumer
Continue Reading CFPB Warns Insufficient Data Security Measures May Violate Consumer Financial Protection Act