Andrew Owens

Andrew’s practice focuses on advising payment card issuers and retailers on issues arising from banking and consumer financial services law and in particular federal and state regulation of consumer credit, including the Truth in Lending Act, the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, E-SIGN, and the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.

Additionally, Andrew represents issuers, processors, and other parties in negotiating cobrand, private-label, and agent bank card agreements, and advises financial institutions and retailers on billing and payment systems issues.

Andrew regularly advises retailers on terms and conditions on loyalty programs. Andrew also has experience with joint ventures, executive employment and severance, sales agency, governance, and corporate counseling.

Andrew also represents film, television, and theater producers and production companies in connection with the acquisition, development, financing, production, distribution, and licensing of entertainment properties. In addition, he counsels media and entertainment clients in connection with corporate, finance and other issues.

Practice Highlights:

• Provides regulatory advice on TILA, FCRA, ECOA, EFTA, E-SIGN, and the related regulations, as well as the rules of Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Star, Pulse, and other networks
• Advises on money transmission and licensed lending laws
• Advises on and drafts program agreements between issuers and airlines, discount chains, lodging chains, retailers and others, both in the U.S. and abroad. Also advises on bids for such programs.
• Counseling and structuring of loyalty programs for oil companies, restaurant chains, food-service chains, and other retailers
• Prepares and negotiates agreements for the services of writers and producers on behalf of producers and production companies
• Serves as production counsel for various stage and audio-visual productions

Additional Qualifications:

• Corporate Associate, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, New York, N.Y., 2003-2007
• Legal Extern, Lawyers Alliance for New York, New York, N.Y., 2006

Professional & Community Activities:

• Board of Directors, New York City Anti-Violence Project
• Vice-chair, Payments Subcommittee of the UCC Committee, Business Law Section, American Bar Association
• New York City Bar Association

Education:

• J.D., Columbia Law School, 2003
  • Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
  • Articles Editor, Columbia Journal of Asian Law
• B.A., Political Science, Yale University, 1999