Ashley L. Taylor, Jr. | Troutman Pepper Locke LLP

Ashley is co-leader of the firm’s nationally ranked State Attorneys General practice, vice chair of the firm, and a partner in its Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement (RISE) Practice Group. He helps his clients navigate the complexities involved with multistate attorneys general investigations and enforcement actions, federal agency actions, and accompanying litigation.

Ashley’s clients benefit from his experience as a former deputy attorney general and the insights gained from handling high stakes matters before every state attorney general (AG) in U.S. as well as the federal agencies that regulate his clients’ businesses. While he is experienced across a wide range of heavily regulated sectors, Ashley offers exceptional experience in the financial services industry, including issues involving the Federal Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA), State Consumer Protection laws, and before agencies such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

The outcomes Ashley achieves on behalf of his clients are due, in part, to his knowledge of the regulatory enforcement priorities of each state AG and their approaches to enforcement actions and investigations. His long-standing relationships with personnel at all levels in state AG offices throughout the U.S., combined with his ability to apply effective risk management strategies in the face of multiple government actions and litigations, enables him to efficiently resolve his clients’ largest and most mission-critical challenges. As government scrutiny continues to intensify across many consumer facing industries, Ashley informs his clients of the latest regulatory trends and emerging issues through comprehensive counseling and frequent thought leadership.

Ashley is deeply involved with attorneys general organizations, including the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG). He founded, and co-chairs the American Bar Association committee on state attorneys general matters. He previously served as a commissioner on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, appointed by President Bush from 2004 to 2010.

As a thought leader, Ashley provides ongoing analysis and commentary on regulatory developments. He often writes about issues in the state and federal regulatory landscape, and his work can be found on the firm’s Regulatory Oversight blog.

Clayton S. Friedman | Troutman Pepper Locke LLP

Clay co-leads the firm’s State Attorneys General practice and is nationally ranked by Chambers USA for AG Government Relations and in Best Lawyers for Advertising Law. He has dedicated his entire career to state attorney general and federal work, serving for nearly a decade in a senior role and more than 25+ years in private practice. Clay focuses his practice on helping industry-leading companies mitigate the risks associated with state and federal regulatory investigations and associated litigation.

Clay is experienced in industries such as energy, mass media, telecommunications, and technology, as well as other highly scrutinized sectors such as consumer finance and fintech. Companies facing matters involving advertising, marketing, unfair or deceptive practices, and privacy concerns view him as a go-to advisor, drawing upon his 35-year track record of experience with these and related regulatory issues.

Clay regularly leads national defense teams before all 50 state attorneys general in singular and multistate regulatory actions, and in actions before the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and other local, state, and federal agencies. He draws from this experience to provide clients with a clear-cut roadmap in situations that are often fraught with uncertainty.

Clients such as publicly traded companies and their boards also seek Clay’s advice for day-to-day issues at the intersection of regulatory compliance and corporate governance. His approach incorporates battle-tested strategies and well-informed insights gained from years of resolving bet-the-company challenges. Clay works closely with clients to provide strategies on how to approach — and avoid — enforcement actions.

Before entering private practice, Clay held senior positions in the Office of the Attorney General, State of Missouri, including as assistant deputy attorney general, director of multistate litigation, and Kansas City regional office manager. As lead counsel in several multistate enforcement actions, he handled national settlements with major automotive repair and manufacturing corporations, credit reporting agencies, and national retailers. Clay, a recipient of the prestigious NAAG Staff Member of the Year Award for his leadership and contributions to the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), has also served as the NAAG’s chief counsel and director of business regulation. He is a regular speaker at NAAG’s complex consumer protection trainings.

Namrata Kang | Troutman Pepper Locke LLP

Namrata (Nam) is an associate in the firm’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement (RISE) Practice Group, based in the Washington, D.C. office. She routinely advises clients on a wide variety of state and federal regulatory matters, with a particular emphasis on state consumer protection laws relating to consumer financial services and marketing and advertising. Nam’s experience transcends multiple industries, including financial services, telecommunications, media, and sports betting.

Nam actively represents clients in various federal and state regulatory investigations. She has considerable experience managing matters before prominent regulatory bodies such as the Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and state attorneys general. Nam also advises clients on routine compliance matters to help navigate complex regulatory and statutory frameworks.

Nam regularly provides ongoing commentary and analysis on developments in the state and federal regulatory landscape through the firm’s Regulatory blog, Regulatory Oversight.

I. Understanding multistate and single-state AG investigations | 1:00pm – 1:20pm

II. Investigation lifecycle and strategic response | 1:20pm – 1:40pm

III. Managing confidentiality and discovery including Electronic Stored Information (ESI) | 1:40pm – 2:00pm

Break | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

IV. Settlement and post-resolution obligations | 2:10pm – 2:40pm

V. Regulatory trends and emerging enforcement priorities | 2:40pm – 3:10pm