Author Archives: Jeff Sovern

James Nehf on the Failed Promise of Information Privacy

James P. Nehf of Indiana University has written Open Book: The Failed Promise of Information Privacy in America.  Here's the abstract: With financial and other personal information about us in countless databases, and with companies such as Facebook and Google collecting data about their users to drive profits and satisfy expectations of shareholders, there is […]

OCC lowers JP Morgan Chase’s CRA Grade to Satisfactory

by Jeff Sovern The Wall Street Journal has the story here.  Previously the grade had been outstanding.  The other three giant US banks retain ratings of outstanding.  Two thoughts: If JP Morgan Chase undertakes new lending to improve its rating, that will say something about the importance of the Community Reinvestment Act in spurring banks […]

Mortgage Crisis in a Nutshell Video

John E. Campbell of Denver has created a video on the mortgage crisis. Here's the abstract (yes, there's an abstract): Before becoming a law professor, much of my work was as a litigator and appellate attorney. I became increasingly passionate about the problems that exist in the mortgage industry. I also became increasingly aware that […]

Shauhin Talesh Study on How Dispute Resolution Structures Affect Implementation of Consumer Law

Shauhin A. Talesh of Irvine has written How Dispute Resolution System Design Matters: An Organizational Analysis of Dispute Resolution Structures and Consumer Lemon Laws, 46 Law & Society Review (2012).  Here's the abstract: This study demonstrates how the structure of dispute resolution shapes the extent to which managerial and business values influence the meaning and implementation of […]

Gutierrez v. Wells Fargo Bank Reversed in Part

On Wednesday the Ninth Circuit gave Wells Fargo a belated Christmas present in Gutierrez v. Wells Fargo Bank, — F.3d —-, 2012 WL 6684748 (9th Cir. 2012), vacating the injunctive and restitution relief ordered by the lower court. The district court decision had held Wells Fargo's procedures for ordering debit card withdrawals unfair and fraudulent […]

Privacy Invasions That Also Discriminate

by Jeff Sovern Regular readers of this blog will know that businesses use cookies, etc. to track consumer online behavior for marketing purposes. But what may be less well known is that businesses use the information they glean online to offer different consumers different prices.  A recent paper makes the point. See Jakub Mikians, László […]

Freer on Recent (and Future?) Supreme Court Class Action Cases

Richard D. Freer of Emory has written The Supreme Court and the Class Action: Where We Are and Where We Might Be Going.  Here's the abstract: In 2010 and 2011, the Supreme Court decided five class action cases. In 2012, it has agreed to hear four more. This piece summarizes what the Court has done […]