Ballard Spahr LLP

Partner

Joseph J. Schuster advises clients on consumer financial services issues, including rules, regulations, and risks relating to consumer credit, payments, and debt collection. He also regularly assists clients with examinations, investigations, and enforcement actions by government regulators including the CFPB. He is a highly analytical and results-oriented attorney who has extensive experience in consumer finance and payments, especially consumer credit cards, consumer and small business loans, debt collection, and interest rate exportation. He has experience with all aspects of state- and federally-chartered banks as well as non-banks. Joseph co-leads the firm's State Attorneys General Consumer Finance Response Team.

Joseph advises on rules prohibiting unfair, deceptive, and abusive acts and practices (UDAAP); usury laws; the Truth in Lending Act (Regulation Z); the Electronic Funds Transfer Act (Regulation E and NACHA); the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (Regulation B); the Fair Credit Reporting Act (Regulation V); the Gramm Leach Bliley Act (Regulation P); the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA); the Telephone Consumer Protection Act; the Bank Secrecy Act (Anti-Money Laundering); the Truth in Savings Act (Regulation DD); the Expedited Funds Availability Act (Regulation CC); as well as laws relating to debt collection.

Prior to rejoining Ballard Spahr, Joseph was a Managing Director and Senior Counsel at Goldman Sachs. Joseph was previously an associate at Ballard Spahr, and he also previously served as counsel for a credit card offered by a major retail chain.

Joseph chairs the Electronic Financial Services and Digital Currency Subcommittee of the American Bar Association Committee on Consumer Financial Services. He is a member of the American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers, which is limited to lawyers whose principal practice is in the field of consumer financial services law, who have achieved preeminence in the field of consumer financial services law, and who have made repeated and substantial contributions to the promotion of learning and scholarship in consumer financial services law through teaching, lecturing, and published writings. Joseph also is a member of the Governing Committee of the Conference on Consumer Finance Law.

Joseph is a regular contributor to Ballard Spahr’s thought leadership programs, including the Consumer Finance Monitor blog and podcast.

Admissions

Colorado

Wisconsin

English; Spanish

LAMBDA Legal

Marquette University Law School (J.D., cum laude, 2012) Member, Elder's Adviser Law Review; Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinic; Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program

Marquette University (B.A., cum laude, 2010) Recipient, Student Leadership award for Outstanding Contributions to Student Governance and Organizational Leadership