Scott Sheehan is a business lawyer with a national practice in banking and financial institutions, and consumer and commercial financial services. He is known for his issue advocacy and development of legal strategies for the banking and consumer finance sector, and co-authors the Texas Usury Law Handbook by West Publishing. He focuses his practice on legal and public policy issues and innovative solutions, including new product development, legal compliance, litigation, and issue advocacy in judicial, legislative, administrative, and arbitration proceedings. Scott currently serves as Chairman of the influential Texas Business Law Foundation.
Scott has been recognized by his peers as one of The Best Lawyers in America and a Texas Super Lawyer. He is also a member of "Scribes," the American Society of Writers on Legal Subjects.
Areas of Concentration
· Consumer and commercial financial services
· Federal and state regulation of consumer credit and other financial services
· Banking
· Government relations
· Usury
· Real estate
· Contract law
· Suretyship
· Commercial litigation
· Dispute resolution
· General business law
· REOPS
Significant Representations
· Represented financial institutions and consumer and commercial finance companies in product design, legal compliance and design and preparation of standard business practices, forms and procedures.
· Represented lenders in legal review of commercial and consumer finance loan portfolios.
· Issue advocacy on major banking and consumer and commercial finance issues before judicial, legislative, arbitration and administrative tribunals.
· Served as arbitrator or mediator in complex commercial cases involving patents, bank tying act, mergers and acquisitions, marketing services, manufacturing, and other contract or business tort disputes.
· Represented of day trading company in major arbitration matter.
· Represented credit service organization regarding landmark decision in class action lawsuit regarding credit service organization fees under state usury law and federal RICO statute.
· Represented sale lease-back company in landmark case brought by a state attorney general regarding state law usury claims.
· Represented home equity lenders in individual and class action lawsuits.
· Represented state and national trade associations in amicus curiae briefs in state and federal court regarding usury, deposit account services, insufficient check fees, homeequity lending and other issues.
· Representation of foreign insurance company in dispute regarding reinsurance treaties and letters of credit.
*Some of the above representations were handled by Mr. Sheehan prior to his joining Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
Professional & Community Involvement
· Texas Business Law Foundation
- Legislative Chairman, 2011-2012
- Chairman, 2006-2008
· Member, State Bar of Texas Business Law Section
- Chair, Contract Law Committee, 2003-2005
- Chair, Consumer Financial Services Committee, 2000-2003
- Chair, 1997-1998
- Chair, Commercial Financial Services Committee, 1995-1997
- Co-Chair, Usury Committee, 1991-1994
- Chair, Financial Institutions Committee, 1991
- Member, Section Representatives to the Board Committee, 1998-2000
- Member, State Bar Council of Chairs, 1997-1998
- Member, State Bar Advisory Commission on Specialization in Consumer Law, 1990
· Commercial Arbitrator and Mediator, American Arbitration Association
- Member, Large Complex Case Council and Panel, and Premier Mediation Panel
- Principal Trainer, AAA-Houston arbitrator training, 1992-1994
· President, Texas Association of Bank Counsel, 1989
· Chair, State Bar of Texas Consumer Law Section, 1985
· Director, Park at Memorial Heights Homeowners' Association
· Member, Houston Junior Chamber of Commerce
- Past Vice President
- Past Consular Ball Chairman
- Past International Relations Chairman
· Treasurer, Conference on Consumer Finance Law
· Deacon and Bible Study Director, Second Baptist Church
· Member, American Bar Association, Business Law Section, Consumer Financial Services Committee
· Member, College of the State Bar of Texas
· Member, Finance Lawyers Committee, Manufactured Housing Institute
· Member, House Financial Institutions Committee Task Force on Texas Finance Code Revision
· Member, Houston Bar Association
· Member, Houston Commercial Finance Lawyers Forum
· Member, Office of the Consumer Credit Commissioner Plain-Language Task Force
· Member, Payday Loan Bar Association
· Member, State Bar of Texas
· Member, Texas Home Equity Discussion Group
Awards & Recognition
· Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, 1995-2012
- Financial Services Regulation Law
- Banking and Finance Litigation
· Listed, Super Lawyers magazine, Texas Super Lawyers, 2003-2004, 2006-2011
- Corporate Counsel Edition, 2009
· Listed, Texas' Best Lawyers, 2008-2010
· Ranked AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5
Military Experience
· Distinguished military graduate, Army ROTC; Captain (Retired), U.S. Army Reserve
Other Experience
· Government Relations: Scott has been active as an issue advocate on legislative issues affecting the banking and financial services sector. One of his major projects was to co-lead the Texas Business Law Foundation's efforts from 1991 through 2005 to modernize the Texas Finance Code to reform Texas usury law for commercial loans. As part of the project, he is a member of the House Financial Institutions Committee's select drafting group for Usury Reform Bill of 2005, House Bill 955.
Articles, Publications, & Lectures
Articles
· Scott regularly publishes articles in national and state publications, including the Consumer Financial Quarterly, the Texas Business Law Journal, the Texas Consumer Law Journal, and the Texas Bar Journal, and presents seminars for bar and lay groups on legal compliance, usury, federal and state consumer laws, lender liability, plain-language drafting, business math, alternative dispute resolution, contract law, business torts, deceptive trade practices, creditor/debtor rights and other topics.
· Co-Author, Texas Usury Law Handbook, West Publishing 1997, Cumm. Supp. 2004, Second Edition 2005
· Contributing Author, Texas Collections Manual, 2d ed. State Bar of Texas, 1980
· Contributing Author, Creditors' Rights in Texas, 2d ed., State Bar of Texas, 1981
Speeches
· Speaker,"Texas Home Equity Lending from A-Z," Texas Center for the Judiciary, Austin, TX, April 14, 2011
· Speaker, "Federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau," State Bar of Texas - Suing and Defending Banks Conference, Dallas, TX, April 15, 2011
· Speaker, "Federal Preemption," State Bar of Texas - Suing and Defending Banks Conference, Dallas, TX, April 3, 2009