Renée B. Appel is an associate in the Litigation Department of Seyfarth Shaw LLP’s Washington, D.C. office. Ms. Appel’s diverse clientele and cases have one critical element in common–the need for an innovative solution, which she can ably deliver. Whether it is a cosmetic company seeking compliance advice or a financial institution seeking early dismissal of a customer lawsuit, Ms. Appel is driven to find an efficient and effective result.
Ms. Appel has a knack for problem solving, which begins with asking the right questions of her clients, interpreting the rules and regulations that apply to her client’s situation, and devising the best resolution. The scope of Ms. Appel’s work ranges from one side of the spectrum involving the proactive–risk management and regulatory compliance–and on the other side of the spectrum, the reactive–managing investigations and defending lawsuits.
Ms. Appel represents members of the personal care products industry in litigation, including multidistrict litigation. She also counsels growing cosmetic and dietary supplement companies on Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) compliance, including claim substantiation, marketing, and labeling requirements.
Ms. Appel regularly defends financial institutions in single-plaintiff and class action litigation involving Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the state deceptive acts and practices laws (UDAP), Securities Act, and Securities and Exchange Act. She has also worked with financial institutions in drafting and implementing written policies and procedures, including anti-money laundering and underwriting due diligence practices.
Ms. Appel has represented both companies and individuals in all phases of government and internal investigations as well as in enforcement proceedings. Major representations include defending members of the financial industry subject to civil investigations by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and criminal prosecution by various U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, defending broker-dealer representatives in investigations by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), defending a bank official in an investigation by the Office of the Comptroller of Currency (OCC), and defending companies in FDA and FTC investigations and enforcement proceedings.
Prior to joining Seyfarth, Ms. Appel worked for the largest law firm in Montgomery County, Maryland in the firm’s Government Investigations and Financial Regulatory Compliance practice groups. While in law school, Ms. Appel won the national Kaufman Securities Moot Court Competition after arguing before U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and four federal judges.
During her last year in law school, Ms. Appel represented investors in arbitration before FINRA through the law school’s Investor Rights Clinic. She also worked at a national law firm focusing on commercial litigation and had the distinct honor of interning in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida. In addition, Ms. Appel spent a summer interning in the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees in the DOJ.
Education:
- J.D., University of Miami School of Law, cum laude (2014)
- B.A., Washington University in St. Louis, cum laude (2011)
Affiliations:
- The Nonprofit Village (Board of Directors)
Cost
Rate : $$$