Mr. Rice is a Shareholder and Director of the firm and a member of the firm's Financial Services and Corporate Services Groups. Mr. Rice's practice includes counseling financial institutions and related clients on all aspects of multi-state and federal consumer credit and retail banking matters, including product development, servicing, due diligence activities in connection with mergers and acquisitions, asset management and collections, all aspects of card transactions, and representing financial institutions in consumer related litigation. Mr. Rice's practice also focuses on preparing and negotiating complex service and technology agreements, including processing agreements for card products. Mr. Rice also represents clients in residential and commercial real estate matters; counseling small businesses; and representing clients in various commercial litigation matters.

In-House Experience: From 1998 to 2004, Mr. Rice was Associate General Counsel of Buffalo, NY, based M&T Bank, a top 20 financial institution, and General Counsel to M&T Credit Corporation and Highland Lease Corporation. During this time, Mr. Rice represented all areas of consumer credit, including direct lending, indirect lending and the Student Lending Division. In this capacity, Mr. Rice negotiated various portfolio acquisition and sale agreements, servicing agreements, and multiple party pass-through and guaranty arrangements. Mr. Rice also negotiated agreements with outsource business partners for services such as telemarketing and consumer collections. Mr. Rice also represented the credit card and merchant processing functions of the Bank, and coordinated its privacy compliance initiatives in light of the passage of GLB in 1999. From 1988 to 1990, Mr. Rice was Senior Attorney with Mellon Bank Corporation. While there, Mr. Rice represented the consumer credit division and Mortgage Company, in all aspects of the business of each. Mr. Rice focused on portfolio sales and acquisitions of consumer assets.

Areas of Law/Focus

Retail Financial Services

Regulatory, including state and federal laws (e.g. Regulation Z; RESPA; Regulation B; State UDAP)

Consumer Retail Banking Product Development

Student Lending

Portfolio Sale and Acquisitions

Indirect Auto, Goods and Marine Lending

Home Equity Lending

Vendor Agreements

Technology Agreements

Credit Card Compliance

Merchant Services and Card Processing

Consumer Loan Servicing Issues

Privacy and Information Security

Due Diligence Activities in Connection with Mergers and Acquisitions, including consumer portfolio analysis

Asset Management and Collections

Representing Financial Institutions in Consumer Related Litigation

Real Estate Matters

Small Business/Corporate Matters

Education

J.D., Duquesne University School of Law, 1986

Associate Recent Decisions Editor, Law Review

B.S.I.E., Pennsylvania State University, 1980

Professional & Community Activities and Distinctions

Member, Allegheny County Bar Association

Member, Pennsylvania Bar Association

Member, American Bar Association

Member, Erie County (NY) Bar Association

Past Chairman of Consumer Lending Banking Subcommittee of the Commercial, Corporate and Banking Law Section of the Allegheny County Bar Association

Past Treasurer of the Kingsley Association, a non-profit youth organization

Marquis' Who's Who in American Law 2007-2008

Marquis' Who's Who in America 2008-2009

Publications and Presentations

Author, Pennsylvania Secured Transactions Under Revised Article 9 of the UCC, Forms and Practice Manual, published by Data Trace Publishing Company, First ed. 2007

Frequent presenter to a wide range of business and banking audiences on topics including Privacy and Information Security, and Consumer Financial Services Transactions; with presentations made on behalf of, among others, the Pennsylvania Bar Institute (PBI)

Bar Admissions

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1986

State of New York, 1999.