BREAKING TCPA NEWS: WOW! FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly Joins UNPRECEDENTED Podcast to Discuss SCOTUS Review and TCPA Petitions

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Well folks, today was something truly special.

FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly sat down with me today through the magic of Squire Patton Boggs’ POWERVision to discuss the TCPA, pending FCC petitions, the big SCOTUS review and so much more.

O'Reilly

FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly

For those of you that have never met him, this guy is sharp as a tack and brilliantly articulate on TCPA issues. It is incredible that someone in his position possesses such mastery of the TCPA and it was a remarkable experience to converse about these topics with such a thoughtful and knowledgeable fellow. Plus he confirmed that he watches the podcast and complimented our breakdown of the SCOTUS oral argument a couple weeks back– what an honor!

In the interview–which will be available here on TCPAWorld.com this week–we walk through the FCC’s recent wins on stopping bad robocalls–really remarkable how much this Commission has accomplished in so short a time–but we mostly focus on TCPA reform efforts that have been pending for two years now. The Commissioner does an excellent job responding to my direct and challenging questions–including questions posed by YOU the TCPAWorld faithful.

You’ll want to tune into hear stuff you just won’t get anywhere else. For instance:

  • Why is the FCC taking so long to rule on the pending TCPA Public Notice proceeding? I ask him directly and you’re going to appreciate his direct response. Trust me;
  • Could progress on stopping unwanted robocalls had been made sooner in his opinion if previous administrations had been more focused on technologyrather than using the TCPA to stop unwanted calls?
  • What are Commissioner O’Rielly’s predictions on the big SCOTUS review and does the FCC has a contingency plan in place if the TCPA is struck down? (I was surprised by the response here);
  • Did John Oliver actually make robocalls to the FCC and did Oliver’s big robocall hit piece really move the needle at the FCC in Commissioner O’Rielly’s opinion? (You’re going to love this response folks);
  • Is the FCC planning to act with respect to default call blocking and the need for a redress mechanism to allow callers a chance to complain when legitimate calls are blocked? (Spoiler Alert: callers are going to be happy here);
  • Does Commissioner O’Rielly think the FCC is going to go “pencils down” ahead of the November elections and, if so, when? (another surprising answer on this one);
  • Most importantly, what are Comissioner O’Rielly’s views on a few key petitions–including the big ABA COVID19 petition–and what can YOU do to can impact pending TCPA reform efforts ongoing at the FCC.

The last point was really critical: the Commissioner was clear–if TCPAWorld wants action from the FCC it will need to “turn up the temperature” on the FCC and the Chairman’s office. That means getting more involved in pending proceedings and providing FACTS that help put the need for TCPA reform into clear perspective.

This was really an incredible opportunity for Commissioner O’Rielly to share his thoughts directly with the TCPAWorld faithful and we are so pleased that he took the opportunity to join us. And thanks to all of those that provided questions for the Comissioner–he told me that he really appreciated them and found them quite useful and thought provoking.

Keep an eye out for the big interview to drop–aiming to have it out this week!

 

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Published by Eric J. Troutman

The Czar of TCPAWorld Eric Troutman is one of the country’s prominent class action defense lawyers and is nationally recognized in Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) litigation and compliance. He has served as lead defense counsel in more than 70 national TCPA class actions and has litigated nearly a thousand individual TCPA cases in his role as national strategic litigation counsel for major banks and finance companies. He also helps industry participants build TCPA-compliant processes, policies, and systems. Eric has built a national litigation practice based upon deep experience, rigorous analysis and extraordinary responsiveness. Eric and his team feel equally at home litigating multibillion dollar telecommunications class actions in federal court as they do developing and executing national litigation strategies for institutions facing an onslaught of individual TCPA matters. They thrive in each of these roles – delivering consistently excellent results – while never losing sight of the client experience. While many firms now tout TCPA expertise, Eric has been there from the beginning. He built one of the country’s first TCPA-only defense teams and began serving as national TCPA counsel for his clients nearly a decade ago. This perspective allows him to swiftly develop the right litigation strategies for dealing with recurring problems, without wasting time on tactics that are bound to fail. Eric’s rich historical perspective and encyclopedic knowledge of the TCPA landscape also make him an invaluable resource to institutional compliance teams struggling to comply with the shifting regulatory landscape. No task is too small – or too big. Indeed, Eric and his team have helped build TCPA-compliant systems and processes for some of the largest and most complex corporate entities in the country. He commonly works with in-house compliance counsel to build and implement enterprise and business-line specific TCPA solutions, performs TCPA audits and drafts and reviews proposed TCPA policies and procedures. He and his team also have the technical expertise necessary to assist call centers seeking to develop TCPA-resistant call path architecture or to modify existing telephony and software integration to better insulate from potential TCPA exposure. Eric has built a reputation for thought leadership. An avid blogger and speaker, he has been at the forefront of the industry’s effort to push for clarity and a return to sanity for the TCPA for years. He was selected to advocate for the financial services industry on important TCPA issues before the Federal Communications Commission and co-authored the nation’s only comprehensive practice guide on TCPA defense. In his spare time, Eric leads defense teams representing banks and other financial services companies in consumer finance litigation matters. He has experience representing clients in UCC, TILA, RESPA FCRA, CCRA, CLRA, FDCPA, RFDCPA and FCCPA claims, as well as in fraud and bank operations issues.

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  1. Pingback: Living Dangerously: TCPA Class Action Master Anthony Paronich Joins Unprecedented Podcast to Discuss Lead Buying Risks – TCPAWorld

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