Travis Nelson is an experienced attorney, providing comprehensive legal services to financial institutions, such as banks, credit card companies, mortgage lenders and servicers, money services businesses and fintech companies, and their directors and their officers. His practice focuses on corporate mergers and acquisitions, regulatory compliance encompassing consumer finance and non-consumer regulations, federal and state enforcement actions, internal investigations and defense against financial services class action litigation.

Travis dedicates a substantial portion of his practice to defending financial institutions in examinations, investigations and enforcement actions initiated by federal and state governmental agencies, such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Federal Reserve Board, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and state regulators.

Additionally, he provides strategic counsel to financial institutions and other businesses on compliance with anti-money laundering and trade sanctions (BSA/AML/OFAC) and cannabis and hemp banking and commerce.

Earlier in his career, Travis served in the Enforcement Division of the OCC, where he conducted extensive investigations and prosecuted enforcement actions against financial institutions and their insiders for violations of federal banking laws.

In addition to his law practice, Travis serves as adjunct faculty at Villanova University Law School and Temple University Law School, where he teaches a course on regulation of financial institutions. Previously, he served as co-editor of the ABA's Banking Law Committee Journal, was formerly the chair of the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Banking Law Section, is currently the chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Banking & Financial Services Committee, and is editor of the quarterly magazine of the Bucks County (PA) Bar Association.

Education

  • Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law (J.D.)
    • Villanova University, School of Business (B.S.)
      • Economics

    Bar Admission

    • Pennsylvania
    • District of Columbia
    • Maryland
    • New Jersey
    • New York

    Professional Affiliations

    • American Bar Association, Banking Law Committee
    • New Jersey Bar Association, Banking Law Section, Past Chair
    • Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) Alumni Association, Secretary-Treasurer
    • Maryland State Banking Board (Appointed by the Governor), 2006-2008
    • District of Columbia Bar Association, Member
    • Philadelphia Bar Association, Banking & Financial Services Committee, Chair
    • Editor, The Writs, Bucks County (PA) Bar Association Magazine, 2023-Present
    • Adjunct Faculty, Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, 2010-Present
    • Adjunct Faculty, Temple University Beasley School of Law, 2018-Present
    Publications
    All Publications
    OCC Proposes to Modify Public Welfare Investment Authority, Prompting Closer Focus on Investment Rationale
    Key Takeaways The OCC has proposed to remove references to “minority- and women-owned entities” from PWI authority to align with statutory language. PWI authority provides banks with various opportunities to partner with non-bank companies to invest in new projects, such as workforce housing, conversion of underutilized properties into useful projects, low-income housing and solar energy tax credits. Banks should review current and proposed PWI activities to ensure they are clearly tied to public welfare and community development objectives and be prepared to revisit how those investments are framed and documented if the rule is finalized. The OCC has proposed changes to its public welfare investment (PWI) rule under 12 C.F.R. Part 24 that would remove explicit references to minority- and women-owned entities, raising immediate
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    OCC Issues Preemption Rule and Order to Block Illinois Swipe Fee Law
    Key Takeaways The OCC issued two interim final rules on April 24 aiming to preempt Illinois’ swipe fee law before its July 1, 2026 effective date. The rules respond directly to ongoing federal litigation and seek to preserve banks’ ability to collect interchange fees. This raises significant questions about federal preemption and agency authority under the National Bank Act. Courts are likely to closely scrutinize whether the IFPA significantly interferes with bank powers without deferring to the OCC’s position. Banks and payment system participants should reassess their reliance on preemption arguments as the litigation proceeds and evaluate compliance strategies ahead of the law’s July 1, 2026 effective date. In a late-stage move that could reshape ongoing litigation over swipe fees, the Office of the
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