Puja J. Amin – “Queenie” @troutmanamin.com

I’m thrilled to interview Puja J. Amin, AKA “Queenie”, co-founder and partner at Troutman Amin, LLP firm! Puja, how has your legal background influenced your approach to the business world, particularly in the realm of marketing and compliance? Have you always been a rule follower?

My experience litigating under the TCPA and consumer protection, marketing and advertising laws has allowed me to serve as an invaluable consulting resource/compliance attorney for businesses struggling to comply with the extremely complex and shifting US telecom regulatory landscape and evolving marketing and advertising regulations. Additionally my experience as corporate counsel for one of the nation’s largest mortgage companies has really allowed me to have a “engineering for yes” mindset where I can help assure that businesses’ mission critical consumer outreach is both brand-enhancing and perfectly lawful – really the company As the Queenie of the TCPAWorld.com, I have been able to help some of the nation’s largest banks, retailers, marketing and technology companies and platforms built out process, marketing campaigns, policies and systems that are compliant with the TCPA, state telemarketing laws, privacy laws, and other consumer protection laws. Really understanding these laws is crucial for my role in helping businesses avoid the harsh penalties for non-compliance which can often cost businesses tens of millions of dollars in fines and damages.

And, how did you get the nickname “Queenie”?

I started my career off working for the Czar – Eric J. Troutman. On my first day, he asked what my “royal” name was going to be. I confidentially said “the Queen” obviously. To which the Czar responded “I barely met you – and you declared yourself the Queen. How about Queen-ie until you can prove yourself to be the Queen.” I quickly did become the “Queen” of TCPAworld.com but Queenie stuck and it became a part of my brand.

What sets Troutman-Amin apart from other legal firms and what type of clients are you looking to help primarily? 

Troutman Amin, LLP is built from the ground up for one purpose alone – to win the biggest and most complex cases facing major enterprises today. A firm where every single professional working here is hand picked by the Czar and myself. A place where there are no phonies allowed. No politics, just performance. This place is for those who want to push themselves to get better every single day and who take their careers – and their duties to their clients very seriously. On the other hand, big law firms offer nothing but tedious bureaucracy with partners who never take the time to teach you anything (maybe because they don’t really know how to litigate to begin with.) Experience is hard to come by. Tasks are often mundane. No one seems to know what’s important half the time and sometimes you wonder whether the bills are even justified. Plus you can’t really trust anyone. Everyone says one thing to your face and something different behind your back. We can help all companies all across the country – big and small – with their most complex litigation and compliance needs to comply with the TCPA, state telemarketing, marketing and advertising regulations, and privacy regulations.

As a partner at your firm, you’ve likely encountered a wide range of performance marketing strategies. In your opinion, what are some proactive measures businesses can take to minimize the risk of compliance violations while maximizing their marketing impact?

Call Queenie. 

Compliance starts at home. You can’t identify your risk unless you understand your organization and understand all of the marketing that is occurring through your organization. You must have a complete and holistic view of outreach efforts with consumers. Then you must have knowledgeable counsel – whether in house or outside counsel who can recognize your risk and partner with business stakeholders to ensure compliance. Also it is critical that you build and maintain a reputable brand and maintain customer satisfaction at every outreach – you must give your customers the respect they deserve and that starts with following the law.

Given the quickly evolving landscape of digital marketing regulations, how do you approach staying up-to-date with the latest changes and ensuring your clients’

performance marketing efforts remain compliant? Can you share any resources?

TCPAWorld.com

CIPAWorld.com

Troutman Amin, LLP does all the hard work for you. We’ll break all the TCPA and related news–usually before anyone else does–with witty and informative articles that break the

mold of stuffy law firm analysis. Yet the analysis you’ll find will always be dead on and steeped in our decades of combined TCPA defense experience. Performance marketing often involves data collection and utilization.

What legal considerations should businesses keep in mind to ensure they are ethically and legally using customer data for marketing purposes?

The U.S. now has thirteen comprehensive state privacy laws in the books that require new rules and regulations governing how businesses must handle consumer data and how to clearly inform consumers about how their information is used – and likely every other state will follow. Because there isn’t a uniform federal state privacy laws, states are passing their own laws – and while many of the states have several provisions in common, there are many differences that businesses need to be aware of. Businesses should not only understand the nuanced requirements, but should also understand their data collection practices and look for ways to minimize data collection where it is not essential to their business. Compliance with these state privacy regulations requires businesses to change their consumer data collection and management practices. Merely having a lengthy detailed privacy policy that doesn’t match your businesses’ actual practices can leave you exposed to enforcement actions and litigation. Businesses that don’t have in house privacy experts, should consult with outside counsel who can assist your business in finding ways to stay compliant with the ever-changing privacy landscape.

What is your best advice for performance marketers when it comes to avoiding potential lawsuits?

Compliance. Compliance. Compliance.

And to show you are a reputable compliant business – adopting the R.E.A.C.H. standards. R.E.A.C.H. – a Mutual Benefit Corporation – was created by my partner, Eric Troutman. R.E.A.C.H. is the dawn of a new era where responsible enterprises pursue a common objective of ensuring that consumers receive those calls which they have actually consented to and restore consumers’ ability to answer their phone. R.E.A.C.H. has been formed to advance the interests of direct-to-consumer marketers by:

i) establishing guidelines, best practices and protections for such companies in order to prevent fraudulent lead sales and reduce the industry-wide damage caused by unwanted robocalls;

ii) working to increase contact rates and lower carrier resistance to direct to consumer marketing traffic; and iii) providing education regarding, and advocacy to limit, unfair litigation and media attention targeting such marketing companies.

Being a part of organizations like R.E.A.C.H. can really help you understand who the good compliant folks are in the performance marketing industry.

For more information see : https://reachmbc.com/.

Could you share some insights into the unique challenges you’ve faced or seen as a woman in the legal and performance marketing industries and how you’ve overcome or seen others overcome them?

I am in a male-dominated profession. And there’s nothing wrong with that in my view, as long as I have the room to be who I want to be as an attorney – and fortunately for me, for the most part, there has been. I wouldn’t call it a challenge but I do recognize that sometimes the legal industry can be uncomfortable with my confidence and femininity. But it all comes down to integrity. Ultimately people want a lawyer they can trust. You have to be yourself. If a lawyer hides who they really are behind a pretend and lies – how can you trust them? I enjoy maneuvering through the legal profession and leaning into my femininity as opposed to fearing it. When people meet me they know exactly who I am and what I am about. What you see is what you get. Honesty. Integrity. A ton of experience and a ton of know how. Plus a really sincere dedication to taking care of my clients and putting their needs first.

We also adore your partner Eric J. Troutman. In thinking about how you both operate as a team, what famous duo, living, dead, or cartoon would you identify yourselves with and why? How do you two differ and compliment each other in your approaches?

Honestly, I don’t think a duo like us has ever existed or has captured the two of us. The Czar is a completely unique individual -- there’s never been anyone like him in history that I can point to. He is always so focused on the truth, always logical and always focused on doing what’s right – he is more similar to a religious leader than a business leader. I really think there isn’t a problem he can’t solve --- in my opinion he is the greatest lawyer in the country. But he is enigmatic and often can’t relate to people.

That’s where I come in. I am the more human, relatable partner. I add a human touch to our partnership. I think the Czar’s intellectual prowess is balanced by my practicality and empathy. I handle clients with grace and thoughtfulness. One thing we have in common that binds us is that we are both addicted to winning and will do whatever it takes to win. He is my partner in winning. And we both work equally as hard to keep on winning. As Eric says he’s never met anyone that works as hard as him – and trust me does that man work hard. The best thing I can tell you is that we are a lion and tiger that are just stuck together in a coliseum and we kind of like each other and we will fight the bears but when we are left alone, we can’t help but chew on each other’s heads. We both just want to win so bad, every day.

Your achievement as a 10+ times Trifecta finisher and international Spartan Race qualifier is truly impressive. How do the qualities that make a successful endurance athlete translate into your professional life?

I use the same skills whether I am racing, working out or working. The key qualities of being a high performing individual are discipline, focus, adaptability, consistency, and mental toughness. Being an endurance athlete requires all of these qualities, being a great attorney also requires these qualities. Consistent training is crucial for my success when I am racing – as it is my professional life. As an athlete I am forced to adapt to challenging weather conditions – and every single day at work there are unexpected challenges. Being able to adapt these situations is essential in performing well as an attorney and as an athlete. Also maintaining my focus during a long race or a long work day is critical. Then of course having mental toughness – the ability to push through discomfort and bouncing back from setbacks is also crucial as both an athlete, business owner, attorney.

You are the ultimate fashionista! Whenever I see you at the Affiliate Ball, countless trade shows, and in photos, you always look so well put together and have the perfect mix of professional and fabulous - always with a smile! Where do you draw your fashion ideas from and do you know what or who you will be wearing to the upcoming red-carpet, star-studded AFFY Awards for performance marketing in October in sunny LosAngeles?

You’re too sweet. Honestly, outfit ideas just come to me in the moment. I love being feminine, I love standing out, I love dressing up. I’ve loved fashion and pink since I was a little girl. I cannot wait for the AFFY Awards – but you’ll have to attend to see what outfit Queenie shows up in!