By providing an overview of the state of the laws or regulations in all fifty states, I help clients navigate a complex and rapidly developing business environment.

Ross Benson is an Associate in McGlinchey’s Consumer Financial Services Compliance practice group. Based in our Birmingham, Alabama office, Ross advises banks, finance companies, online lenders, and private companies in a range of industries on regulatory compliance and general business issues. He also counsels clients on matters related to vendor contracting, payment systems, privacy, and data security.

A significant component of Ross’s work involves the preparation of nationwide surveys of compliance requirements for different technologies, business models, and activities. Combining primary and secondary research, Ross will prepare a comprehensive comparative analysis of the applicable regulations in all fifty state jurisdictions. The goal is both to permit the preparation of documents that are effective in every jurisdiction, and to provide the client with an unbiased, clear-eyed basis for analyzing the validity of their planned strategy, product or market entry methodology. By investing time and effort upfront, Ross can often help his clients modify their plans to maximize opportunity and minimize risk.

With respect to vendor management, Ross works with clients to help them develop standardized documents for contracting with vendors that address terms of service, representations, and warranties around issues like privacy, data security, and cybersecurity. With the implementation of broad new data privacy regulatory regimes, these topics have taken on new importance.

The hallmark of Ross’s approach to his work is care and thoroughness, or as he puts it “taking the clients issues as seriously as I take my own.” No stone is left unturned. By constantly thinking through different scenarios, and conceptualizing what could go wrong, he helps make sure nothing does.