August 8, 2019
Blank Rome LLP has welcomed aboard the former head of Pepper Hamilton LLP's consumer financial services and bank regulatory practices, adding a partner to its New York office with experience counseling fintech companies on blockchain, digital currencies and cybersecurity.
Scott D. Samlin brings experience as a compliance counselor at multinational investment shops, advising clients on mortgage banking and other consumer finance matters and providing regulatory counsel to fintech companies on issues arising from emerging technologies, including cryptocurrencies.
"Blank Rome has a world-class consumer financial services team," Samlin told Law360 on Wednesday. "They have dozens of attorneys around the country focused on consumer finance, and it's a wonderful platform to be a part of."
Some of Samlin's most complex work in recent years has revolved around cybersecurity and data privacy, which have become evergreen compliance concerns for companies expected to keep sensitive consumer data safe from the prying eyes of hackers.
"Companies really have to think proactively about the information they have and how it is protected, because virtually everyone is a possible victim of hacking," Samlin said.
Blockchain, meanwhile, has made a barnstorming entrance into a host of industries, and Samlin expects it to dramatically reshape many aspects of banking, consumer finance and fintech. This is likely to raise fresh compliance quandaries as regulators try to keep pace with the galloping rate of technological change.
Samlin also has experience helping firms navigate the thickets of red tape around consumer loans of all stripes, including auto loans, mortgages and student debt. These products are often tethered to onerous compliance requirements, especially since states have begun to take up the mantle of financial oversight and enforcement, he said.
Samlin said he looks forward to marrying his compliance experience with the "renowned" litigation expertise of Blank Rome. He hopes this will allow him to offer clients one-stop shopping for their regulatory needs, as even the best prepared companies will find themselves in court when they operate in heavily regulated industries like consumer finance, he said.