Hi, friends,
Well, it seems like just yesterday that I launched my little TCPAWorld experiment, and boy has it bloomed. We just went over 100,000 hits this week, which is pretty cool for a little legal blog. Thanks to all of our friends for all of the support – and we look forward to a great New Year together.
But the really big news is our new team member – UCLA law grad and consumer finance lawyer Jason Ingber. We snagged Jason from Reed Smith a few weeks back, and the guy is already making waves.
This guy is awesome – notwithstanding the weird geometric art he chose to stand in front of for this picture – and he has proven quite the clever writer. It is always an honor when quality talent like Jason elects to join your shop. Expect great things out of him, and the rest of our diverse, capable and growing team.
But there is a lot more going on in TCPAWorld than just our successes. Most importantly, the compromise TRACED bill is getting very close to becoming law, albeit without all the scariness. But it still invites virtually every regulator in the nation with an enforcement arm to the table in a "working group" designed to enhance TCPA enforcement. Yikes.
Regulatory enforcement should really be a concern, however, as the FCC showed us last week – making robocalls recklessly can cost you. It hit a California man with a nearly US$10 million penalty for sending robocalls using a spoofed number (probably belonging to one of his business rivals!).
But the TRACED Act is not the only piece of TCPA legislation working its way through Congress. Yet another bill was recently introduced seeking to beef up TCPA protections. And so it goes.
Here are a few more stories to keep your December bright and warm:
- A debt collector escaped a TCPA claim because the debtor provided his number directly to the caller
- The FCC ruled that faxes received on computers are not subject to the TCPA (cool!)
- A TCPA class action over ice cream ends with a melted class when the court denies certification
- The Baron and I return to the FCC to try and get clarity on what it means to make a pre-recorded voice call under the TCPA
Finally, in case you missed it, the big DNC.com TCPA summit was held last week in St. Pete's. My goodness, what an awesome event. If you have not attended one of these events before, you really need to catch the next one. It is a full-day TCPA adventure.
Thanks, friends. Chat soon.
