James H. Mann

Partner

My first thought when a deal comes in is, "This is going to be fun."

James Mann helps market-leading card-issuers and processors negotiate and document their most material and challenging deals. James' approach starts with mastery of the documents and issues, and is marked by enthusiasm, collegiality (including, where possible, with opposing counsel), speed, precision, awareness of the client's needs - both business and political - and efficient use of a lean team of deeply experienced experts.

James also helps these same clients, as well as other financial institutions and FinTechs, identify and address their most challenging regulatory and compliance issues. James has been advising on these issues since 2001, when he left the Federal Reserve, having helped write Regulation P as well as material amendments to other regulations. Clients typically rely on James in regulatory matters to help design new products, reconcile disclosures with systems, assess compliance risk, or deal with regulators' expressions of concern.

Practice Highlights

Deals

Has led dozens of material deals for leading card issuers or processors with merchants, payment networks, major vendors, portfolio sellers or buyers, and JV and other strategic partners. These deals include, for example, many cobrand program agreements involving receivables exceeding ten billion dollars. Recently supported Citi in the extension and expansion of its co-branded card partnership with American Airlines.

Regulatory matters

Has advised leading financial institutions on virtually every provision of open-end Reg Z, notably those added by the CARD Act. Has advised on dozens of deception and unfairness issues arising under UDAAP/UDAP, hundreds of issues arising under Reg P and its state analogues, and hundreds of issues arising under Sections 603, 604, 615 and 623 of the FCRA. Collectively, these issues have involved products with many hundreds of billions of dollars in receivables.

Enforcement

Has advised on many major public and non-public enforcement matters involving Reg Z, Reg B, FCRA and other laws and regulations, including responses to examiners’ inquiries, NORA responses, PARR letter responses, and the negotiation of consent orders. These matters have typically involved products and services with many hundreds of billions of dollars in receivables.