With the creation of a Consumer Financial Protection Unit as one of his early actions, Pennsylvania  Attorney General Josh Shapiro made clear his intention to pursue an aggressive pro-consumer agenda.  Mr. Shapiro named Nicholas Smyth, a former CFPB enforcement attorney, to serve as Assistant Director of the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.

In what may be confirmation of increased activity by the PA AG,  Mr. Smyth has posted a job listing stating that the Bureau of Consumer Protection is looking to hire two attorneys in Pittsburgh and two more in Philadelphia “to help out with our growing litigation caseload.”

The Widener Law Commonwealth Law and Government Institute and the Business Advising Program recently announced that Mr. Smyth will be giving a lecture on March 19, 2019, in Harrisburg, PA at a program titled “Consumer Financial Protection in Pennsylvania: Student Borrowers and Beyond.”  Mr. Smyth will be joined in the lecture by Seth Frotman, Executive Director of the Student Borrower Protection Center.  Mr. Frotman was formerly the CFPB’s Student Loan Ombudsman.  The Student Borrower Protection Center is a nonprofit organization created by Mr. Frotman to advocate for additional oversight of the student loan industry.