Financial Services & E-Commerce

Changing Landscape: Thrift Holding Companies and Their New Regulator

Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

The Dodd-Frank Act, effective July 21, 2011, eliminated the Office of Thrift Supervision (“OTS”) and transferred its regulatory authority to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Reserve Board (“FRB”), and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Regulatory authority over 430 thrift holding companies (“Thrift HCs”) shifted from the OTS to the FRB. All OTS regulations, guidelines, and other advisories dealing with Thrift HCs remain in effect; those regulations are re-codified in new Federal Reserve Regulation LL and MM. [Read more!]

The Economics and Regulation of Bank Overdraft Protection

Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

Todd J. Zywicki, Nick Tuszynski

Consumer use of bank overdraft protection has risen rapidly over the past decade. In 2010, 13 million consumers used overdraft protection, and banks generated $35 billion in revenue, an important and growing part of total bank revenue. Bank regulators have raised concerns about the increased use of overdraft protection by consumers and have issued regulatory guidance regarding the product under a safety and soundness rationale. In 2009, the Federal Reserve imposed new limits on overdraft protection that made it more difficult for banks to provide the service to consumers. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency have also issued guidance on overdraft protection and pricing. [Read more!]

The Volcker Rule: Curbing Risk or Curbing the Economy? - Event Audio/Video

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

Randall Guynn, Sarah "Sally" Miller, Coryann Stefansson, Mark Van Der Weide, Hester Pierce

When President Obama, with former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Paul Volcker at his side, announced his intention to seek legislation implementing the “Volcker Rule” he described it as necessary to reduce excessive risk taking by banks. Easier to describe than implement, the Volcker Rule, as incorporated in the Dodd-Frank Act, was envisioned to prohibit the use of insured deposits by commercial banks in their own trading in the markets (so-called “proprietary trading”) or to support various types of investment funds. In practice, the proposed regulation is an incomplete first attempt to give life to the new rule, seeking public input on some 1,400 questions from the public in addition to input on the details of the proposed regulation. Advocates and critics of the rule will discuss the value of the rule itself as well as regulatory efforts to address the details of implementation. Proponents claim that it is necessary for future stability of the banking industry, while critics assert that it will not only harm the industry but industry customers as well. Featuring Mr. Randall D. Guynn of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP; Ms. Sarah "Sally" Miller of the Institute of International Bankers; Ms. Coryann Stefansson of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP; Mr. Mark E. Van Der Weide of the Division of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; and Ms. Hester Pierce of the Mercatus Center as the moderator.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - Podcast

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

Wayne A. Abernathy, Jo Ann Barefoot, Arthur E. Wilmarth, Todd J. Zywicki, Dean A. Reuter

With a recently appointed director, the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), created by the Dodd-Frank Act, will swing into action. Among other issues, the speakers will discuss the structure, authority and potential effectiveness of the new bureau and will take questions from callers. How might the CFPB fulfill its goals of preventing the next financial crisis and protecting consumers? Will consumers and a struggling economic recovery benefit from its actions? Featuring Hon. Wayne Abernathy of the American Bankers Association; Ms. Jo Ann Barefoot of Treliant Risk Advisors; Prof. Arthur Wilmarth of The George Washington University Law School; Prof. Todd Zywicki of George Mason University School of Law; and Mr. Dean A. Reuter, Vice President & Director of Practice Groups at The Federalist Society, as the moderator.

Keynes vs. Hayek: The Clash that Defined Modern Economics - Podcast

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

Nicholas Wapshott, James A. Haynes

Nicholas Wapshott's book examines the vastly divergent economic philosophies of John Maynard Keynes and Friedrich von Hayek. Messrs. Keynes and Hayek studied the normal course of the capitalist business cycle, especially after World War I, but reached radically different opinions about the role governments should play in regulating and ameliorating the effects of the business cycle. These two gentlemen, two of the most influential economic thinkers of the 20th Century, participated in on-going debates about the respective merits of their own philosophies and the demerits of the other's philosophies. Mr. Wapshott examines these debates and expounds on them in this podcast. Featuring Mr. Nicholas Wapshott, Author of Keynes vs. Hayek: The Clash that Defined Modern Economics, and Mr. James A. Haynes of the Professional Responsibility & Legal Education Practice Group Executive Committee and the Baltimore Lawyers Chapter.

An Overview and Analysis of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Sarah Riddell

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Act”), signed into law by President Obama on July 21, 2010, created a major overhaul of the financial industry. For years, advocates have praised the benefits of financial reform and promoted legislation that would provide such reform. Specifically, these advocates have focused their support on consumer protection legislation. The Act addresses many of these concerns by creating an entirely new regulatory regime with the purpose of “ensuring that all consumers have access to markets for consumer financial products and services and that markets for consumer financial products and services are fair, transparent, and competitive.” This paper describes the new regime and its powers and analyzes the effectiveness of the new bureau, which is still in its early stages... [Read more!]

Will Consumers and the Economy Benefit from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau? - Event Audio/Video

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

David Berenbaum, Leonard J. Kennedy, Alex J. Pollock, Todd J. Zywicki, Timothy M. Tymkovich

The Financial Services & E-Commerce Practice Group hosted this panel on "Will Consumers and the Economy Benefit from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau?" on Friday, November 11, 2011, during the 2011 National Lawyers Convention. The panel featured Mr. David Berenbaum of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition; Mr. Leonard J. Kennedy of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; Mr. Alex J. Pollock of the American Enterprise Institute; Prof. Todd J. Zywicki of George Mason University School of Law; and Judge Timothy M. Tymkovich of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit as the moderator.

The "Startup Expansion and Investment Act," HR 2941

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

Alex J. Pollock

The much-debated Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 imposed significant cash expenses and compliance budens on U.S. public companies, which were disproportionately heavy on smaller companies and much bigger than expected. This is a matter of fact. The problem was recognized by the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010, of which Section 989G permanently exempted companies with a market capitalization held by non-affiliates of less than $75 million from the requirements of Section 404(b). Congressman Ben Quayle and several co-sponors introduced a bill on September 15, 2011, the "Startup Expansion and Investment Act," HR 2941, with the goal of further reducing the regulatory burden of Sarbanes-Oxley, and making conversion to a U.S. public company more attractive.

Discussion on the Legal and Constitutional Issues Concerning the Dodd-Frank Act - Event Audio

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST

C. Boyden Gray, Robert T. Numbers

On October 6, 2011, the Piedmont Triad Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society hosted an event featuring The Honorable C. Boyden Gray of Gray & Schmitz and former White House Counsel to President George H.W. Bush. The topic of the address was "Legal and Constitutional Issues Concerning the Dodd-Frank Act". Introduction by Mr. Robert T. Numbers of Womble Carlyle.

Is FINRA Constitutional?

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

Joseph McLaughlin

It would come as news to most Americans that large parts of our economy are regulated by two nominally private, non-profit organizations. Each of these nonprofits was created within the past few years. Each of them oversees the activities of thousands of large and small private companies and hundreds of thousands of their employees, with the power to levy ruinous fines and penalties and even to put them out of business...

Engage Volume 12, Issue 2, September 2011

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

The September 2011 issue of Engage is now online (exclusively a digital issue). Engage provides original scholarship on current, important legal and policy issues. Through its publication, we aim to contribute to the marketplace of ideas in a way that is collegial, measured, and insightful—and hope to spark a higher level of debate and discussion than we often see in today’s legal community. [Read now!]

Something for (Almost) Everybody in Dodd-Frank: Racial, Gender, and Diversity Considerations in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

Christopher Byrnes

Scattered throughout the 849 pages of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act are numerous references to diversity, race, and gender. These considerations may seem out of place in a bill whose stated goal was to “promote the financial stability of the United States by improving accountability and transparency in the financial system." ...

Federal Agencies Propose Rules on Incentive-Based Compensation at Financial Institutions

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EST

Matthew Furman

Section 956 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 ("Dodd-Frank") requires seven federal agencies, including the FDIC and the SEC, to jointly adopt rules regulating incentive-based compensation arrangements at "covered financial institutions" that are excessive or that could lead to material financial loss. On April 14, 2011, these agencies published a proposed rule implementing Section 956 of Dodd-Frank, kicking off a 45-day comment period that expired on May 31, 2011. The regulators are now in the process of jointly reviewing the comments submitted. They are expected to make the terms of the proposed rule, if adopted, effective six months from publication of the final rule in the Federal Register. Given the current timeframe, the final rule may become effective in the first quarter of 2012.

Engage Volume 12, Issue 1, June 2011

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EST

The June 2011 issue of Engage is now online (exclusively a digital issue). Engage provides original scholarship on current, important legal and policy issues. Through its publication, we aim to contribute to the marketplace of ideas in a way that is collegial, measured, and insightful—and hope to spark a higher level of debate and discussion than we often see in today’s legal community. [Read now!]

Insurance Provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EST

Laura M. Kotelman

In June 2009, when the President presented his Financial Reform Plan, the plan set forth six principles that the Treasury Department would support for modernizing the regulation of insurance. Those principles included...

New FDIC Deposit-Insurance Assessment Rule - Podcast

Wed, 25 May 2011 00:00:00 EST

Christopher Cole, Bert Ely, John L. Douglas

Recently under Dodd-Frank, the FDIC implemented a new assessment base for levying deposit-insurance premiums. Questions are now arising as to the impact and likely unintended consequences of this material change in how the FDIC charges for deposit insurance and who will ultimately bear those charges. This question may lead to a court challenge of the FDIC’s assessment formulae. What are the likely responses by banks and their creditors to the new assessment structure? Will banks reduce their reliance on secured funding? Will banks become more aggressive in gathering retail deposits, pushing up retail deposit interest rates and harming community banks in the process? Will foreign banks gain a competitive edge over FDIC-insured banks? Will Congress step into the fray? Our speakers address these and other issues. Featuring: Mr. Christopher Cole of the Independent Community Bankers of America; Mr. Bert Ely of Ely & Company, Inc.; and Mr. John Douglas of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP as the moderator.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform & Consumer Protection Act of 2010: Is It Constitutional?

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

C. Boyden Gray, John Shu

President Obama signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (“Dodd-Frank” or “the Act”) into law on July 21, 2010. The massive and complex Act is reportedly the result of many compromises. Dodd-Frank’s intent, according to its title page, is “[t]o promote the financial stability of the United States by improving accountability and transparency in the financial system, to end ‘too big to fail,’ to protect the American taxpayer by ending bailouts, to protect consumers from abusive financial services practices, and for other purposes.”

Engage Volume 11, Issue 3, December 2010

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

The December 2010 issue of Engage is now online (exclusively a digital issue). Engage provides original scholarship on current, important legal and policy issues. Through its publication, we aim to contribute to the marketplace of ideas in a way that is collegial, measured, and insightful—and hope to spark a higher level of debate and discussion than we often see in today’s legal community. [Read now!]

The Constitutionality of the Dodd-Frank Financial Services Reform Act - Event Audio/Video

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

C. Boyden Gray, Ronald M. Levin, Peter J. Wallison, Arthur E. Wilmarth, Carlos T. Bea

The Federalist Society's Financial Services Practice Group hosted this panel discussion on "The Constitutionality of the Dodd-Frank Financial Services Reform Act" at the 2010 National Lawyers Convention on Friday, November 19, 2010. Panelists included Hon. C. Boyden Gray of Gray & Schmitz LLP; Prof. Ronald M. Levin of Washington University in St. Louis School of Law; Hon. Peter J. Wallison of the American Enterprise Institute; Prof. Arthur E. Wilmarth, Jr., of The George Washington University Law School; and Hon. Carlos T. Bea of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit as the moderator.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform & Consumer Protection Act of 2010: Is It Constitutional?

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

C. Boyden Gray, John Shu

There has been much debate over whether Dodd-Frank will accomplish its stated intent "[t]o promote the financial stability of the United States ..., to end 'too big to fail,' to protect the American taxpayer by ending bailouts," and "to protect consumers from abusive financial services practices," but there is also a growing exchange about whether the law is constitutionally infirm, primarily due to separation of powers, vagueness, and due process concerns. Central to this discussion is the fact that Dodd-Frank grants bureaucracies broad and unchallengeable discretionary authority. In this article, which will be included in Volume 11, Issue 3 of The Federalist Society journal Engage, the authors query whether the Act provides effective oversight by any branch of government—the President, Congress, or the Judiciary.

Tensions Raised by the Volcker Rule

Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

Michael S. Barr, Jonathan R. Macey

JP Morgan famously reported losses of $2B last quarter, prompting a great deal of discussion about the proper role of regulators in the financial services sector. The Volcker Rule, being promulgated under Dodd-Frank, would limit proprietary trading by certain institutions. But just how easily can industry players and regulators define “proprietary trading,” especially as opposed to legitimate hedging and other risk shifting? Further, will the Volcker Rule single out the U.S. financial services industry by prohibiting activities still permitted by foreign competitors and, if so, with what result? These and other questions will be discussed by our experts. Featuring Prof. Michael S. Barr of the University of Michigan Law School and Prof. Jonathan R. Macey of Yale Law School.

The Volcker Rule: Curbing Risk or Curbing the Economy?

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

Mark Van Der Weide, Coryann Stefansson, Randall Guynn, Sarah "Sally" Miller, Hester Pierce

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Wayne A. Abernathy, Jo Ann Barefoot, Arthur E. Wilmarth, Todd J. Zywicki

With a recently appointed director, the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), created by the Dodd-Frank Act, will swing into action. Among other issues, the speakers will discuss the structure, authority and potential effectiveness of the new bureau and will take questions from callers. How might the CFPB fulfill its goals of preventing the next financial crisis and protecting consumers? Will consumers and a struggling economic recovery benefit from its actions? Featuring Hon. Wayne Abernathy of the American Bankers Association; Ms. Jo Ann Barefoot of Treliant Risk Advisors; Prof. Arthur Wilmarth of The George Washington University Law School; and Prof. Todd Zywicki of George Mason University School of Law.

A Discussion on Dodd-Frank

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EST

John L. Douglas, C. Boyden Gray, Arthur E. Wilmarth, F. Scott Kieff

Please join us for a discussion on the legal and constitutional issues concerning the Dodd-Frank law and the challenges of implementation. The event will take place on Wednesday, July 20, 2011, at the Capitol Visitor Center.

Featuring:

Mr. John L. Douglas, Partner, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
Hon. C. Boyden Gray, Partner, Gray & Schmitz LLP
Prof. Arthur E. Wilmarth Jr., The George Washington University Law School
Moderator: Prof. F. Scott Kieff, The George Washington University Law School

2010 National Lawyers Convention

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

Barry E. Carter, Maureen K. Ohlhausen, Patrick McSweeney, Antonin Scalia, Dennis G. Jacobs, Marvin Ammori, Paul S. Atkins, John S. Baker, Jr., Randy E. Barnett, Sara Sun Beale, Bradford A. Berenson, Lillian R. BeVier, Carl T. Bogus, James Bopp Jr., Steven G. Calabresi, Michael A. Carvin, Ronald A. Cass, Michael Chertoff, Roger Clegg, Robert D. Cooter, R. Ted Cruz, Frank H. Easterbrook, John C. Eastman, Richard A. Epstein, William N. Eskridge, Jr., David French, Charles Fried, Richard W. Garnett, Michael Gerhardt, C. Boyden Gray, Thomas W. Hazlett, Christine Jolls, Douglas T. Kendall, Lloyd Hitoshi Mayer, Edwin Meese III, Thomas W. Merrill, Paul R. Michel, John O. McGinnis, Barrington D. Parker, Jr., Michael S. Paulsen, Thomas R. Phillips, A. Raymond Randolph, David B. Rivkin, Jr., Mark F. Schultz, Bradley A. Smith, Paul M. Smith, Margaret D. Stock, Thomas J. Tauke, Clifford W. Taylor, Mark Tushnet, Eugene Volokh, Howard Waltzman, Ruth J. Wedgwood, J. Harvie Wilkinson III, Mitch McConnell, Noah D. Bookbinder, Lawrence A. Hamermesh, Brett M. Frischmann, Gigi B. Sohn, Kris W. Kobach, James C. Ho, William H. Pryor Jr., Joel R. Reidenberg, Diane S. Sykes, Jeffrey Bossert Clark, Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, Edith H. Jones, Ronald M. Levin, Victoria A. Lipnic, Roger Martella Jr., Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain, Roger Pilon, Rena I. Steinzor, Sarah B. Teslik, Peter J. Wallison, Arthur E. Wilmarth, John C. Yoo, Michael Barone, Michael S. Lee, Michael J. Madigan, Lanny J. Davis, Brett M. Kavanaugh, Jan Crawford, Carlos T. Bea, Kim Bobo, Shawn H. Chang, Thomas M. Hardiman, Jordan Lorence, Jeffrey P. Mahoney, Robert M. McDowell, Margaret E. McGuinness, Brandon Rees, David B. Sentelle, Jerry E. Smith, David Stras, Jeffrey S. Sutton, C. Gibson Vance, Pete Williams, Michael R. Pence, Daniel E. Lungren, Jeffrey Rosen

The Federalist Society's National Lawyers Convention is scheduled for Thursday, November 18 through Saturday, November 20 at the Mayflower Hotel. The theme for this year's convention is "Controlling Government: The Framers, the Tea Parties and the Constitution." The Annual Dinner will take place the evening of Thursday, November 18 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. [Register now!]

Public Company Accounting Oversight Board: A Preview

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Tom Price, Paul S. Atkins, Hans Bader, Jeffrey P. Mahoney, Gillian E. Metzger, Michael S. Greve

On Monday, December 7, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Free Enterprise Fund v. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). PCAOB, a private corporation created by the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act, has authority to investigate public accounting firms, to develop auditing and ethics standards for such firms, and to impose sanctions on firms that fail to comply with PCAOB's rules. PCAOB's members are appointed by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Court will consider whether the Sarbanes-Oxley Act violates the Constitution by vesting members of the PCAOB with significant powers without allowing the President appointment or removal powers.

U.S. Representative Tom Price (Ga.) will provide introductory remarks, followed by a panel discussion on the legal and regulatory implications of the PCAOB case.

2009 National Lawyers Convention

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EST

Samuel A. Alito, Douglas H. Ginsburg, Guido Calabresi, Frank H. Easterbrook, Jefferson B. Sessions III, Paul S. Atkins, Randy E. Barnett, Janice Rogers Brown, Linda Chavez, Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cu�llar, Susan E. Dudley, Miguel Estrada, Richard A. Epstein, Steve Forbes, Maurice R. Greenberg, Michael S. Greve, Oona Hathaway, Peter N. Kirsanow, David G. Leitch, Michael W. McConnell, Burt Neuborne, Jeremy A. Rabkin, A. Raymond Randolph, Theodore M. Shaw, Stephen Bainbridge, Carlos T. Bea, Stephanie R. Breslow, Fran�ois-Henri Briard, Alan E. Brownstein, Ronald A. Cass, John C. Eastman, C. Boyden Gray, Lisa Heinzerling, Edith H. Jones, David A. Katz, Brett M. Kavanaugh, F. Scott Kieff, Michael Livermore, Ira C. "Chip" Lupu, Paul G. Mahoney, Robert D. McTeer, Michael J. Meurer, Geoffrey P. Miller, Alan B. Morrison, Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain, Michael Paese, Harvey L. Pitt, William H. Pryor Jr., Lucas "Scot" A. Powe Jr., Jamin Ben Raskin, Daniel B. Ravicher, Andrew J. Redleaf, Roberta Romano, David B. Sentelle, Catherine M. Sharkey, Amity Shlaes, Damon A. Silvers, Jerry E. Smith, Gigi B. Sohn, Ilya Somin, Bret Stephens, Jeffrey S. Sutton, Diane S. Sykes, Daniel E. Troy, J.W. Verret, Steven M.H. Wallman, John P. Walters, W. Bradley Wendel, Shirley J. Wilcher, J. Harvie Wilkinson III, Stephen F. Williams, Todd J. Zywicki, John A. Allison, John S. Baker, Jr., Jennifer Walker Elrod, Malcolm M. Feeley, Thomas W. Hazlett, Roderick M. Hills Jr., Brian H. Hook, Daryl Joseffer, Annette L. Nazareth, Aryeh Neier, Jed Rubenfeld, Robert P. Young, Jr., David Zaring, Mark R. Levin, Thomas M. Hardiman, John F. Manning, William Black, Cornish F. Hitchcock, Steven J. Law, Harold Meyerson, Alex J. Pollock, Andrew L. Stern, Michael B. Mukasey, David Berenbaum, Robert M. McDowell, Mark F. Schultz, David M. McIntosh, Kyle E. McSlarrow, Seton Motley, Laura M. Olson, Marvin Ammori

The Federalist Society's National Lawyers Convention is scheduled for Thursday, November 12 through Saturday, November 14 at the Mayflower Hotel. The theme for this year's convention is "The Federal Government's Economic Role in our Constitutional System." The Annual Dinner will take place the evening of Thursday, November 12 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. [Register now!]

The Financial Services Bailout: Cause, Effect and the Limits of Government Action

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST

James Carr, Timothy Canova, John C. Eastman, Bert Ely, Ronald A. Cass, Jeb Hensarling, Alex J. Pollock, John Weicher, David Berenbaum, Wayne A. Abernathy, Louis Michael Seidman

The government bailout raises a multitude of thorny questions that remain unanswered: What caused the crisis? What is the best way to fix the problems? Is there a clear path to return to a free market? What are the limits of federal government authority in this area and, do those limits expand in the time of a "crisis"? Our panel of legal experts will discuss these and other issues. [Register now!]

Consumer Credit Protection Conference

Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 EST

Jennifer E. Bethel, Margaret Burns, Allen Fishbein, Paul Leonard, Allen Ferrell, Oliver I. Ireland, Thomas A. Durkin, Adam J. Levitin, Andrew Cochran The recent consumer credit issues have generated a great deal of media coverage and spurred calls for additional government regulation. Please join us at the National Press Club on May 20 for a conference that will examine the subprime lending industry and credit card regulation. The two panels will address questions such as: What will be the likely impact of proposed new regulations if adopted? Can the issues in the credit industries resolve themselves without government intervention? Will proposed regulations benefit consumers? [Register now!]

Everything You Wanted to Know About OFAC-But Were Afraid to Ask

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST

Speaker:

Bill Fox, Senior Vice President and Global Anti-Money Laundering Executive, Bank of America

2007 National Lawyers Convention

Fri, 16 Mar 2007 00:00:00 EST

Samuel A. Alito, Randy E. Barnett, Robert H. Bork, Frank H. Easterbrook, Richard A. Epstein, Charles Fried, Jamie Gorelick, Gail Heriot, Neal K. Katyal, Alex Kozinski, Andrew C. McCarthy, Michael W. McConnell, Edwin Meese III, Theodore B. Olson, Walter K. Olson, Stephen Reinhardt, John G. Roberts Jr., Antonin Scalia, Phyllis Schlafly, Jay Alan Sekulow, Nadine Strossen, George J. Terwilliger III, David C. Vladeck, Eugene Volokh, Akhil Reed Amar, Robert Audi, John S. Baker, Jr., Michael Barone, Bob Barr, Carlos T. Bea, Fran�ois-Henri Briard, Janice Rogers Brown, James S. Burling, Steven G. Calabresi, Lawrence W. Casey, Ronald A. Cass, Brett M. Kavanaugh This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the Federalist Society and on November 15-17 we will be celebrating this milestone during our Annual National Lawyers Convention. The theme for this year's convention is "Shining City Upon a Hill: American Exceptionalism." In addition to the numerous panels containing noted legal experts and scholars from across the political spectrum, The convention will also feature the Seventh Annual Barbara K. Olson Memorial Lecture, to be delivered by Chief Justice John Roberts. The highlight of the convention will be the 25th Anniversary Gala, attended by many more special guests, which will be held in the Main Hall of Washington, DC's Union Station.
[Register now!]

How Should the Courts Interpret Split Decisions?

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 00:00:00 EST

The Supreme Court occasionally renders plurality opinions, which may involve 4-1-4 decisions or any number of other formulations of justices where no clear majority on particular issues emerges. These plurality opinions often address significant issues yet, due to the lack of a clear majority, are difficult for the lower courts, the regulated community, and practitioners to interpret and apply. On June 21, the Federalist Society presented a live audiocast of a panel of experts who discussed these issues and more. [Click here to listen to a replay of this event]

A Half-Day Program on Basel II, IA, I, and Variations Thereof

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 00:00:00 EST

Attempts by U.S. banking regulators to modernize risk-based banking standards, in the context of the international Basel bank capital standards, have been plagued by complexity, confusion, and delay. What started out more than a decade ago as an update to Basel I (adopted in 1988) has degenerated into several variants, none of which has enjoyed broad support. The ongoing debate over Basel reform has led to at least a decade of delay in updating Basel I, and further delays are highly likely, raising the prospect that the entire global Basel reform process will collapse. [Click here to register]