Sean Ruff is Of Counsel in the Washington, D.C. office of Morrison & Foerster. Mr. Ruff's practice is primarily in the fields of funds transmission and anti-money laundering regulation, consumer financial services and financial institution regulation. In the money transmission area, Mr. Ruff has focused on the law of non-bank money transmitters. In this regard, Mr. Ruff represents funds transmitters, stored value issuers, Internet funds transmitters and others with regard to licensing and compliance matters, including Bank Secrecy Act / Anti Money Laundering Program compliance. Over the last year, Mr. Ruff has led multiple money transmitter licensing initiatives for clients, including a nationwide money transmitter licensing project and a nationwide money transmitter change of control project. Through these licensing initiatives and by way of Mr. Ruff’s representation of non-bank money transmitters in general, he regularly represents non-bank money transmitters with regard to licensing and compliance matters before state agencies. In addition, Mr. Ruff handles matters relating to gift card and gift certificate law, including the application of state unclaimed and abandoned property laws to gift cards and gift certificates; National Bank Act issues; consumer lending issues under the Truth in Lending Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act; electronic banking and payment system issues under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act; and other issues. Mr. Ruff has worked on many payment card-related matters, including the negotiation of private label and co-branded credit card program documentation for some of the largest U.S. retailers and financial institutions.
Mr. Ruff received his J.D. in 2003, cum laude, from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, where he was the Executive Editor of the Catholic University Law Review. He received a B.A. in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the College of Charleston in 2000.