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Stephen leads the firm’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement (RISE) Practice Group. He focuses his practice on enforcement actions, investigations, and litigation. Stephen primarily represents clients engaging with, or being investigated by, state attorneys general and other state or local governmental enforcement bodies, including the CFPB and FTC, as well as clients involved with litigation, with a particular focus on heavily regulated industries. He also has experience advising clients on data and privacy issues, including handling complex investigations into data incidents by state attorneys general other state and federal regulators. Additionally, Stephen provides strategic counsel to Troutman Pepper’s Strategies clients who need assistance with public policy, advocacy, and government relations strategies.

Stephen Piepgrass and Abbey Thornhill of Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP examine the growing movement to give consumers the “right to repair” vehicles themselves alongside the automotive industry’s emerging market for subscription-based features.

In January, President Joe Biden doubled down on his support for the “right to repair” movement, a push to increase consumers’ ability

Troutman Pepper’s Regulatory Oversight podcast analyzes the underlying trends that drive enforcement activity and provides expert perspectives on key focus areas. Featuring insights from members of the firm’s Regulatory Practice Group, including its nationally ranked State Attorneys General practice, with guest commentary from business leaders, regulatory experts, and current and former government officials, our podcast examines a range of topics affecting companies operating in highly regulated industries.

The “right-to-repair” movement continues to gain momentum, and as predicted, litigation has started even in the absence of enacted right-to-repair laws. In a recently filed class-action complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the plaintiff alleges that the equipment manufacturer deliberately prevents farmers from repairing their own equipment or using

On February 25, the Utah Senate passed the Utah Consumer Privacy Act (the UCPA), which closely resembles both the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (the VCDPA) and the Colorado Privacy Act (the CPA). The House unanimously passed the bill on March 2. The bill now goes to Governor Spencer Cox, who has 20 days to

Last month President Joe Biden made headlines when he reiterated his support for “right-to-repair” rules, which he first announced in a July 2021 executive order (discussed in our previous article here). The executive order asked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC or Commission) to draft “right-to-repair” rules to increase consumers’ ability to repair equipment on

On January 28, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that his office was beginning an “investigative sweep” of businesses operating consumer loyalty programs in California. The California AG’s press release stated that letters were sent to “major corporations in the retail, home improvement, travel, and food service industries” and allege the recipients’ potential noncompliance with

In this Bitcoin Magazine article, Troutman Pepper attorneys Stephen Piepgrass, James Stevens, Chris Carlson, and Namrata Kang discuss how in the absence of clear federal policy around emerging cryptocurrency-related technologies, state attorneys general will continue to take coordinated actions to regulate the industry. Recent enforcement actions against BlockFi and Celsius demonstrate that state regulators view

On January 13, a coalition of 39 state attorneys general — led by AGs from Pennsylvania, Washington, Illinois, Massachusetts, and California — reached a settlement with student loan servicer Navient over allegedly unfair, deceptive, and abusive student loan origination and servicing practices. The $1.8 billion settlement will undoubtedly draw eyes, but perhaps just as important

On January 3, Virginia Attorney General-elect Jason Miyares announced key members of his leadership team, including the chief deputy, solicitor general, deputy attorneys general, and other senior staff members.

These members will be sworn in on January 15, and will then head the Virginia Office of Attorney General’s five legal divisions: Solicitor General Division, Government

Twenty-one Democratic state attorneys general claim that many Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-approved mortgage servicers have routinely flouted the agency’s mandated COVID-19-related relief options, including its loan modification program. In a December 21 letter to the FHA , the state attorneys general asked the FHA to ensure that all FHA lenders are implementing and fully complying