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Joann Needleman

Member
Office

Philadelphia

Two Commerce Square
2001 Market St, Suite 2620
Philadelphia, PA 19103
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Fax: +12156408501
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Education
J.D., Widener University School of Law, Wilmington, Delaware, 1994
B.A., Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1986
State Bar Licenses
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
Court Admissions
U.S. District Ct., District of New Jersey
U.S. District Ct., E.D. of Pennsylvania
U.S. District Ct., M.D. of Pennsylvania
U.S. District Ct., W.D. of Pennsylvania
U.S. Court of Appeals, 3rd Circuit
U.S. Supreme Court
Super lawyers 2015

Joann Needleman

Member

Joann Needleman leads the firm’s financial services regulatory and compliance practice and advises banks, financial institutions, and financial services entities on regulatory compliance matters.

Joann prepares and represents these same financial institutions during state and federal supervisory examinations and regulatory investigations before agencies such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Office of the Comptroller of Currency (OCC) as well as state financial services regulators and attorneys general.

A former member of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) Consumer Advisory Board, Joann provides her clients with useful strategies and common-sense solutions in order to prepare for areas of regulatory scrutiny.

Joann is the host of the podcast "Credit Ecosystem to Go: Curbside Thought Leadership for Financial Services." Listen to recent episodes here.

Awards/Achievements
2004-2006, 2010-2011, 2013-2019: Super Lawyers - Selected for inclusion in Pennsylvania's Super Lawyers & Rising Stars list.
Named to Collection Advisor Magazine’s 25 Most Influential Women in Collections
2019: National Creditors Bar Association (NCBA)'s Annual Donald Kramer Award
Memberships
National Association of Retail Collection Attorneys (President,  2013­-2015;  President­ Elect,  2012­-2013; Secretary,  2006­-2012; Board Member, 2006-present)
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Consumer Advisory Board
American Bar Association, Business Law Section
Pennsylvania Creditors Bar Association (Past President)
Pennsylvania Bar Association
Debt Buyers Association
Forum for Executive Women
Member, Legal Advisory Board, Consumer Relations Consortium, January 2020 – present
Member, Emerging Markets Coalition Advisory Board, January 2020 – present
Immediate Past President of the Board of Directors of the National Creditors Bar Association (NARCA)
Experiences

Helped owners, investors, lenders and financial-services providers address the enforcement priorities of federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). We conduct comprehensive due diligence to ensure that businesses are duly licensed and registered and follow standard practices for the sale of recreational and/or medical marijuana. We also monitor business activities and public sources to identify suspicious activity or other red flags. 

Tags: Cannabis

Joann Needleman has been recognized by the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, for her extraordinary pro bono work that enabled the county’s Credit Card Pilot Program to get off the ground. The Credit Card Pilot Program was initiated to create better consumer participation in debt collection cases filed with the Court. The idea was to devote specific days where volunteer lawyers would be available to assist pro se consumers who have been sued for unpaid accounts like credits cards, auto loans, and consumer lines of credit. 

Tags: Banking & Financial Services
Newsletter Alerts
The Bureau Binds Itself to the Interagency Statement Clarifying the Role of Supervisory Guidance with New RuleThe CFPB Completes Debt Collection RulemakingTechnology: The Key to Consumer Digital Engagement Under the Final Debt Collection RuleThe CFPB Issues Regulation F, but the Debt Collection Rules Are Far From FinalCFPB Outlines Its COVID-19 Supervision and Enforcement AgendaSCOTUS Severs and Removes Government Debt Exception to TCPA’s Restriction on RobocallingUnited States Supreme Court Provides Little Guidance to Remedy an Unconstitutional CFPBOCC Issues Final “Valid-When-Made” Rule: Does it End the Madness of Madden v. Midland Funding?House Version of New Stimulus Package Proposes Loans for Debt CollectorsWhat Access to the Payroll Protection Program Will Mean for Fin-Techs, Online and Alternative LendersCollections and Servicing in the Post-Pandemic World: A Glimpse into the New NormalSupreme Court Justices Struggle to Determine Presidential Authority to Fire CFPB DirectorThe Impact of the CFPB's Supplemental Proposed Rulemaking for Time-Barred Debt Disclosures is Greater than what AppearsStates Fulfill Their Promise of More Regulatory Oversight of Consumer Financial Services: What Industry Needs to Know Clueless in Seattle: Court Struggles with ATDS Definition in Absence of FCC Guidance“Failure Is Not an Option” CFPB Consent Order Against Money Transmitter May Be a Prelude for How the Final Debt Collection Rule Will Be EnforcedWhat You Should Know About Submitting a Comment to the CFPB’s Notice of Proposed Rule for Debt Collection: A Step-by-Step Guide CFPB issues 21st Century Proposed Debt Collection Rules: Regulation F looks to Provide Clarity to the FDCPAThe OCC Jumps into the SandboxBack to the Future: CFPB Prioritizes Prevention Over Enforcement with Debt Collection Rules on the HorizonSupreme Court to the Rescue with a Narrow Interpretation of the FDCPAInnovation: Opening the Door for Regulatory EngagementBank Regulators' "Clarifying" Statement on Enforcing Supervisory Guidance The Banking Evolution Continues: OCC Opens Its Doors To Fintechs To Obtain A Special Purpose National Bank CharterTreasury Fintech Report Recommendations Could Change Banking As We Know ItLaw Firm Trial Victory Should Signal to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau) That They Should No Longer Attempt to Regulate the Practice of LawNew York Federal Court Rules That The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Is Unconstitutional, Continuing A High-Stakes DebateOCC Encourages Lending to Underserved BorrowersDespite a Legal Setback - States Continue to Move Forward in Fintech InnovationGuidance v. Rule: Congressional Review Act Invalidation of Auto Lending Bulletin Shows this Distinction Makes a Big DifferenceArizona Jumps Ahead of Other States In Financial InnovationCFPB Deferment of Enforcement Authority to States Will Lead to Increased Scrutiny D.C. Circuit Strikes down Key Provisions of 2015 Declaratory Ruling on the Telephone Consumer Protection Act: FCC Fails “Arbitrary and Capricious” StandardChange in CFPB Structure Will Not Impact Fair Lending Enforcement; Compliance Does Not Take a Holiday CFPB is Constitutional, But Makes $100 Million Mistake In Interpreting the Law The CFPB Takes No Holiday for Thanksgiving Leaving the Leadership of the Agency in DoubtWill CFPB Director Richard Cordray's Resignation Usher in a New Era of Financial Services Regulation?Pennsylvania Enters into a New Area of Consumer Protection Enforcement: What Financial Services Companies Must Do Now OCC Rescinds Guidance on Small-Dollar Loans: What Do Banks Do Now?No Real Surprises in CFPB's Final Rule for the Small Dollar Loan IndustryIf the CFPB is Remiss, the Court Must Dismiss: CFPB Must Provide Facts to Support Its Claims The CFPB's Final Arbitration Rule: Second Verse, Same as the First Treasury Department Issues Long Awaited Report on Regulatory Reform for the Financial Services Industry CFPB Announces Changes to its Debt Collection Rulemaking: An Advocacy Win for the Industry U.S. Supreme Court Rejects FDCPA Liability in Bankruptcy ProceedingThe Next CFPB Regulatory Challenge: Small Business Lending CFPB Ordered by a New York Federal Court to "Show Me the Money" Federal District Court Dismisses CFPB Enforcement Action Against Payment Processor; UDAAP Not Sufficiently Pled CFPB Issues First Ever Debt Collection Survey on Its Path to Regulating the IndustryConsumer Financial Services Regulation Will Remain in a Trump PresidencyDC Circuit Issues Landmark Decision Holding the CFPB's Structure Unconstitutional: What Happens Next?CFPB Issues Long-Awaited Proposals for Regulation of the Debt Collection IndustryRegulators Issue New Guidance on Expectations of Deposit Reconciliations: Beware of the UDAAP ImplicationsThe United States Supreme Court Issues Two (2) Important Rulings Today which Provide Important Interpretations of what is Consumer HarmDebt Collection Litigation in the Cross Hairs: CFPB's Consent Order Against New Jersey Law Firm Creates More Problems Than Solutions
Articles
“If the CFPB Is Remiss, the Court Must Dismiss” by Joann Needleman, Jane Luxton, and Thomas Brooks for For the Defense, DRI, February 2018.Clark Hill Attorney Joann Needleman Quoted in American Banker, “Radical changes ahead for CFPB after Cordray departure” November 15, 2017Joann Needleman Quoted in American Banker, "OCC-CFPB spat takes interagency discord to new level," October 19, 2017Quoted, What To Watch As Biden's CFPB Nominee Faces Senate Panel, Law360, March 1, 2021Quoted, "What debt collectors can and can't do under CFPB rule," American Banker, November 2, 2020Quoted, "Serendipitous Run-Ins Versus Comforts of Home: What People Miss and Don't Miss About the Office," The Legal Intelligencer, October 5, 2020Quoted, “CFPB gets tough with debt collectors as it readies rule,” American Bank, September 11, 2020Quoted, "CFPB Ratifies Prior Actions; Enforcement Questions Remain," Inside Mortgage Finance, July 20, 2020Quoted, "High Court Ruling Leaves CFPB Enforcement Actions in Doubt," Bloomberg Law, June 30, 2020Quoted, "Supreme Court: CFPB Single-Director Structure Unconstitutional,"Compliance Week, June 29, 2020Abrigo, “Your Financial Institution Issued a PPP Loan – Now What?” April 15, 2020Bloomberg Law, “Pressure Mounts to Protect Virus Stimulus From Debt Collectors,” April 13, 2020Inside Mortgage Finance, “CFPB Employees to Telework Until April 3,” March 20, 2020Inside Mortgage Finance, “What Happens to CFPB CIDs Pending SCOTUS Decision?” February 3, 2020Law360, “Cuomo Plan Would Reinforce NY's Financial Protection Role.” January 10, 2020Inside Mortgage Finance, “CFPB's 2020 Outlook: A Full Agenda Amid Uncertainty,” January 6, 2020Bloomberg Law, "Appeals Court Throws Wrench Into CFPB Debt Collection Rewrite," August 2019Law360, "The OCC Jumps into the Sandbox," May 2019The Legal Intelligencer, "Five Ideas That Can Solve the Cannabis Banking Problem," May 2019The Legal Intelligencer, "Why Defining Success Is So Difficult for Women," October 2018Law360, "Why CFPB Should Not Regulate the Practice of Law," July 2018Law360, "NY Ruling Could Fuel Push To Turn CFPB Into Commission," June 2018Clark Hill Member Joann Needleman Quoted in Philadelphia Business Journal, "CFPB leadership squabble has finserv companies asking: Now what?" November 27, 2017"If The CFPB Is Remiss, The Court Must Dismiss" by Thomas Brooks, Jane Luxton, and Joann Needleman for Law 360, September 5, 2017 (Also featured in JDSupra August 30, 2017)Jane Luxton and Joann Needleman Quoted in National Mortgage News "Cheat Sheet: What Happens if CFPB's Cordray Leaves Early," August 8, 2017Joann Needleman Quoted in WSJ, "Debt Collection Next on CFPB's Agenda," July 26, 2017Joann Needleman and Jane Luxton quoted in "How Debt Collection Industry Scored Rare 'Victory'", By SubPrime Auto Finance News, June 14, 2017Joann Needleman Quoted in WSJ, “Court Slams CFPB’s Enforcement Strategy,” March 28, 2017The State of Consumer Finance Services in the Trump Presidency - The Legal Intelligencer In-House Counsel Column, March 2017Why CFPB survey on collections is ‘disappointing,’ BHPH (Buy Here Pay Here) Report, January-February 2017Jane Luxton and Joann Needleman Quoted in BNA Snapshot article "House GOP Report Says CFPB May Have Violated Law" by Jeff Bater, January 19, 2017“Latest CFPB Consent Order Changes the Rules for Collection Law Firms,” insideARM, January 10, 2017"Kansas District Court Provides No Clarity on Payment/Revival Disclosures," InsideARM"Bank Regulators' Concerns About Cybersecurity Has Not Abated: Greater Pressure on the Board of Directors in Expected," PA Banker, Winter 2016Joann Needleman Quoted in Knowledge@Wharton High School, a publication of the University of Pennsylvania: “Payday Loans and the Perils of Borrowing Fast Cash” – November 16, 2016Joann Needleman Quoted in insideArm: Attorney “Meaningful Involvement” Case Sent Back to District Court – August 3, 2016Joann Needleman Quoted in SubPrime Auto Finance News: Collection experts dissect CFPB’s latest proposal – August 1, 2016Joann Needleman Interviewed on Marketplace for Business on Public Radio Regarding CFPB'S Debt Collection Regulations - July 28, 2016Joann Needleman Quoted in Wall Street Journal: CFPB Unveils Overhaul of Debt Collection - July 28, 2016Joann Needleman Quoted in American Banker: Five Issues to Watch in CFPB's Debt Collection Plan - July 26, 2016Joann Needleman Comments in insideARM: Bank of America Securitization Case is Actually Round Two – March 18, 2016Joann Needleman Quoted in insideARM: The Little Engine That CAN Make a Difference - March 10, 2016insideARM - Joann Needleman Updates FDCPA Caselaw Grid Through January 31, 2016Joann Needleman Quoted in insideARM: CFPB Accepting Applications for Advisory Board Seats - January 19, 2016Joann Needleman Quoted in insideARM: Texas Law Firm to Pay $3.4 million – Settling Class Action Matter Alleging Unauthorized Practice of Law in California – January 14, 2016insideARM Publishes Update on Needleman's 2014 Debt Collection Article - December 11, 2015Joann Needleman Quoted in insideARM: Federal Student Loan Collectors May Now Use ATDS to Dial Cell Phones? - November 4, 2015Joann Needleman Quoted in insideARM: Is This a Dialer? Five Industry Attorneys Weigh In - October 23, 2015Joann Needleman Quoted in insideARM: PayPal Tries To Get User Agreement Right Under New TCPA Ruling - July 14, 2015Court Ruling Impact - Debt Collection Settlements Are Dead; Long Live Litigation - March 26, 2014Joann Needleman Quoted in insideARM: Three Take Aways from the Dallas Debt Collection Dialogue - September 30, 2015Joann Needleman Quoted in insideARM: PayPal Tries To Get User Agreement Right Under New TCPA Ruling - July 14, 2015
Presentations
Panelist, “iA Round Robin: Email Communications," September 9, 2020Panelist, “COVID, Cash Cannabis and Contactless," July 2020Panelist, "ARM for the Future: A Compliant, Brand-Focused Digital Strategy for Tomorrow Webinar." PDCflow, June 18, 2020Panelist, “Understanding the OCC’s ‘Valid When Made” Rule, June 11, 2020Panelist, “The Pros and Cons of Collectors Working from Home Permanently”, June 3, 2020“Your Website, Your New Normal - Building a Compliant and Effective Website for the ARM Industry in a Post-Pandemic World,” Co-sponsored Webinar with Clark Hill, Parity, and Rhetorica, April 8, 2020“The Future of the ARM Industry - What Will Be the New Normal in the Post-Pandemic World,” Co-Sponsored Webinar with Clark Hill and Corporate Advisory Solutions, April 8, 2020Speaker, “Why It Matters When You’re 90 Days Late on A Payment,” NPR Marketplace, February 12, 2020Looking Ahead to the Final Rules: What the Comments Tell Us,” Co-Sponsored Webinar with Clark Hill and Corporate Advisory Solutions, November 1, 2019Presenter, “Elephant in the Room: Breaking the Mold," Women Empowering Women Leadership Retreat, September 16, 2019"Start Planning Now: Costs to Implement and Operate Under the CFPB Proposed Rulemaking" Webinar, July 2019Speaker, "Technology Outpacing the Law? How State Regulators in Arizona use a 'Sandbox' to Encourage and Oversee Innovation," First Party Summit, June 2019Speaker, "CFPB Debt Collection Rules Update," National Creditor's Bar Association, May 2019Speaker, "The Importance of a General Counsel", Vertican Technologies vCon, November 2018"Insights From Capitol Hill: What’s Next for the TCPA and CFPB," Webinar, November 2018.Presenter, “The New Regulatory Challenges Facing Small Business Lending: Navigating the New Frontier”, The Alternative Finance Bar Association, August 2017Presenter, “2017 Regulatory and Legal Update – Recent Cases (including ACA International v FCC), Impact of Change in Administration to Makeup and Policies of the FCC, CFPB Debt Collection Rulemaking, FTC,” First Party Summit, Frisco, Texas, June 2017Presenter, “Don’t Pull That Credit Report So Fast – The New Pitfalls of Employee Background Checks,” Delaware Valley Labor and Employment Law Conference, April 2017Speaker, “Consumer Regulation Regime for 2017,” Credit Union National Association (CUNA) Governmental Affairs Conference, Washington, DC, February 2017DON’T PULL THAT CREDIT REPORT SO FAST: The New Pitfalls of Employee Background Checks, Webinar, January 2018Alternative Lending: Regulatory Challenges Front and CenterPresenter, “The Impact of the CFPB on Small and Regional Banks from Lending to Recovery,” Michigan Bankers Association 2016 Annual Convention, Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, June 2016Presenter, “Evolving Issues in Fair Debt Collection: FDCPA, TCPA and Beyond,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute CLE, June 2016Presenter, “Breakout: SBREFA, Its Impact on Rulemaking, and How You Should Be Involved,” 4th Annual Inside ARM Larger Market Participant Summit, Washington, DC, April 2016New Year – New CFPB TargetsWhat You Need to Know About the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and Why You Should CareIs the CFPB Targeting You?
News
Clark Hill Attorney Joann Needleman Quoted in Inside Mortgage FinanceClark Hill Attorney Joann Needleman Quoted in Bloomberg LawClark Hill Attorney Joann Needleman Quoted in American BankerClark Hill Attorney Joann Needleman Quoted in Inside Mortgage FinanceClark Hill Attorney Joann Needleman Quoted in Law360Clark Hill Attorney Joann Needleman Quoted in Bloomberg LawClark Hill Attorney Joann Needleman Quoted in AbrigoClark Hill Attorney Joann Needleman Quoted in Bloomberg LawClark Hill Philadelphia Attorney Joann Needleman Quoted in Inside Mortgage FinanceClark Hill Attorney Joann Needleman Featured on NPR MarketplaceJoann Needleman Quoted in Inside Mortgage FinanceClark Hill Attorney Joann Needleman Featured in Law360Member Joann Needleman Quoted in Inside Mortgage Finance article “CFPB's 2020 Outlook: A Full Agenda Amid Uncertainty” Joann Needleman Recognized with NCBA's Highest HonorMember Joann Needleman to Present at Inaugural Women Empowering Women Leadership RetreatMember Joann Needleman Quoted in Bloomberg Law Article on Debt Collectors’ Use of Electronic CommunicationJoann Needleman to Speak at the First Party Summit in Nashville, TN on June 19th Joann Needleman to Speak at the National Creditor’s Bar Association Spring 2019 Conference on May 17th Clark Hill Attorneys Named 2019 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers & Rising Stars Clark Hill Member, Joann Needleman, Quoted in Law360,”CFPB Pitches New Rules For Debt Collection Industry”As Appeared in Law360, “After Year With Mulvaney, CFPB Enters Kraninger Era,” Clark Hill Member Joann Needleman Gives Opinion on Mulvaney & Cordray and What’s to Come for KraningerClark Hill Member, Joann Needleman, Speaker at the Inaugural Women in Consumer Finance Conference - December 10th – 12th Clark Hill Member, Joann Needleman, Speaker at Vertican Technologies’ vCon Conference on November 9th, 201822 Clark Hill Attorneys Named to Pennsylvania Super Lawyers & Rising Stars 2018 ListClark Hill Member Joann Needleman Quoted in Law360, “CFPB Nominee Could Open Door To Lengthier Mulvaney Stay” June 2018Clark Hill Member Joann Needleman Quoted in Bigger Law Firm, “Fed’s Consumer Protection Agency Sheds Outside Advisory Boards,” June 2018Clark Hill Attorney, Joann Needleman, in Villanova Law Alumni Association’s panel discussion, “Your Business is High on Potential: Navigating the Budding Cannabis Industry” on April 25thClark Hill Attorneys Joann Needleman, Jane C. Luxton and Thomas A. Brooks Published in DRI’s For The Defense, “If the CFPB Is Remiss, the Court Must Dismiss” February 2018Clark Hill Member Joann Needleman Quoted in Philadelphia Business Journal, “Why court ruling in PHH case not a clear win for CFPB advocates” February 1, 2018Clark Hill Member Joann Needleman Quoted in Philadelphia Business Journal, “CFPB leadership squabble has finserv companies asking: Now what?” November 2017Clark Hill Attorney Joann Needleman Quoted in American Banker, “Radical changes ahead for CFPB after Cordray departure” 2017Twenty-Three Clark Hill Attorneys Named to Pennsylvania Super Lawyers & Rising Stars 2017 ListClark Hill Attorneys Joann Needleman and Jonathan Klein to Speak at First Party Summit – June 5-7, 2017Clark Hill Kicks Off Its 2017 In-House Counsel Webinar SeriesClark Hill’s Joann Needleman to Speak at LEND360 Conference – October 5-7, 2016Clark Hill Attorney Joann Needleman Named to Collection Advisor’s 25 Most Influential Women in Collections Clark Hill Attorney Joann Needleman To Present At PBI - June 20, 2016Clark Hill Attorney Joann Needleman to Speak at Michigan Bankers Association 2016 Annual Convention on June 22, 2016 Joann Needleman featured in AccountsRecovery.net article on Spokeo decisionTwenty-Six Clark Hill Attorneys Named to Pennsylvania Super Lawyers & Rising Stars 2016 List
Practice Areas
Administrative LawBanking & Financial ServicesLitigation
Areas of Emphasis
Consumer Financial Services Regulatory & ComplianceFinancial Services Litigation
Industries
Cannabis
Services
Regulatory Reform Resources