Nicholas O’Conner, a partner in Troutman Pepper Locke Consumer Financial Services Practice Group, was quoted in the September 15, 2026, New York Law Journal article, “Lawyers Working to Get Survivors, Creditors Up to Speed with NY’s Coerced Debt Protections.”

  • Nicholas O’Conner, a partner at Troutman Pepper Locke, is curious as to whether the overall law could survive a federal preemption challenge. He also questioned whether the bill’s private right of action for creditors—which allows them to sue actual abusers for any forgiven debts—would be meaningful.
  • “It’s probably easier said than done to recover from the perpetrator, depending on the situation,” he said.