Law and legal issues

The U.S. Supreme Court turned away a broad challenge to the structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the agency that Republicans say has stifled economic growth through over-regulation.

Ditech Holding Corp. is proposing to pay $257,000 and improve governance to settle a stockholder lawsuit alleging that a lack of oversight allowed improprieties to occur in several mortgage-related business lines.

A National Fair Housing Alliance-led group plans to amend and refile a recently dismissed complaint against Deutsche Bank, Ocwen Financial Corp. and Altisource Portfolio Solutions alleging racial discrimination in property preservation.

The bank recently notified an upstate New York man that he was wrongly denied a mortgage modification, and enclosed a $25,000 check. But details of what went wrong have been hard to come by.

Amrock is calling for a new trial in its dispute with HouseCanary following a judge's denial of its motion to reverse an earlier decision in HouseCanary's favor.

HSBC will pay $765 million to settle allegations that it sold defective residential mortgage-backed securities in the run-up to the financial crisis, resolving one of the London-based bank's last significant legal challenges with the U.S. government.

A judge denied the settlement terms in a TCPA lawsuit against Ocwen Financial Corp. over concerns that the proposed $17.5 million payment was insufficient.

State officials have lost two rounds in a lawsuit that says California improperly diverted money intended for homeowners to make payments on housing bonds.

Advocates are seeking more federal funding for affordable housing. A federal investigation into the banks’ alleged manipulation of a popular tax-credit program can’t be helping their cause.

The investors initially won the right to sue as a group in 2015 before an appeals court reversed the ruling; the $13 billion lawsuit can now proceed as a class action.

Paul Manafort turned to Jared Kushner for help in an attempt to secure a Trump administration job for a Chicago banker at the center of Manafort’s fraud trial.

A ruling involving a Cleveland law firm casts doubt on CFPB claims that attorneys misrepresent their role to consumers.

An uptick in fines and a new tactic to counter claims about the CFPB’s authority contrast sharply with the agency’s rhetoric.

One of the biggest trade secrets cases in U.S. history took a bizarre turn, with the company that lost a $706 million jury verdict saying it uncovered "bombshell" evidence of fraud thanks to whistle blowers who used to work for the winning side.

With ruling in GSE case, the two agencies are emerging as the test subjects for a legal showdown over their authority.

A federal appeals court in Texas agreed with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac shareholders that the FHFA, led by a single director, violates the separation of powers.

A more conservative court will be likelier to rule favorably on issues ranging from the deference for regulatory agencies to what constitutes a fair-lending violation.

Leandra English, who sued President Trump and Mick Mulvaney last year claiming to be the rightful director of the CFPB, said Friday that she plans to resign and drop the litigation.

Greg Englesbe resigned as CEO of New Jersey lender E Mortgage Management after a jury awarded $3 million to a woman who accused Englesbe of injuring her when he grabbed and forcibly kissed her at a Philadelphia restaurant.

A server at a Philadelphia restaurant was awarded $3 million by a jury after allegedly being injured by the CEO of a mortgage lender who attempted to forcibly kiss her.