Fickel and Witherspoon Analyze California’s Expanding Consumer Finance Regulation in Law360

07.15.2025

Stinson LLP Partners Ashley Fickel and Tom Witherspoon authored an article for Law360, "Calif. Banking Brief: All the Notable Legal Updates in Q2," exploring the most significant regulatory and enforcement developments in California’s financial services sector during the second quarter of 2025.

The article offers an in-depth analysis of the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation’s (DFPI) shifting priorities in light of reduced federal oversight. The article highlights several major updates, including the DFPI’s 2024 annual report, newly proposed Digital Financial Assets Law regulations, enforcement trends under the California Consumer Financial Protection Law, and the court-backed implementation of commercial financing disclosure requirements.

Fickel and Witherspoon also examine the forward-looking implications of pending legislation such as Senate Bill 825, noting that the bill would, "explicitly authorize the DFPI to take enforcement action against any licensed financial services provider that violates consumer financial protections, regardless of licensing status."

Their analysis underscores the importance of regulatory vigilance in the months ahead as the DFPI is expected to expand registration requirements and intensify enforcement in areas such as peer-to-peer lending, remittances and digital payments.

Fickel focuses his practice on business litigation, real estate litigation, construction litigation, consumer class action defense and data and private cybersecurity.

Witherspoon’s practice focuses on payments, consumer financial products and other bank and financial regulatory matters with an emphasis on compliance, financial transactional and litigation matters.

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