For more than 25 years, Chris has counseled clients in the consumer financial services industry in the areas of regulatory compliance, enforcement, examinations, and litigation.

Overview
Representative Matters
Insights
Awards

Chris is the co-leader of the Consumer Financial Services Regulatory Practice Group at the firm. He advises financial services institutions facing state and federal government investigations and examinations, counseling them on compliance issues including UDAP/UDAAP, credit reporting, debt collection, and fair lending, and defending them in individual and class action lawsuits brought by consumers and enforcement actions brought by government agencies.

Chris also leverages insights from his litigation and enforcement experience to help clients design new products and processes, including machine learning marketing, fraud prevention and underwriting models, product structure, advertising, online application flows, underwriting, and collection and loss mitigation strategies.

Chris brings a highly practical focus to his legal advice, informed by balancing a deep understanding of the business of consumer finance and the practical priorities of federal and state regulatory agencies.

Chris speaks frequently at conferences across the U.S. on consumer financial services law and has been featured in numerous articles in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, American Banker, National Law Journal, BNA Bloomberg, and Bank Safety and Soundness Advisor.

  • Representing dozens of financial services companies, ranging from large banks to fintech startups, in enforcement investigations and actions by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Federal Trade Commission, and Department of Justice in areas including fair lending, auto finance, short-term lending, student loan origination and servicing, mortgages, credit cards, payment processing, credit card add-on products, and debt collection.
  • Assisting clients with dozens of supervisory examinations conducted by the CFPB, OCC, FDIC, New York Department of Financial Services, and other regulators in areas including machine learning models, mortgage redlining, auto finance, credit cards, credit reporting, student lending, debt collection, personal loans, and short-term lending.
  • Defending clients in investigations brought by state attorneys general (including Massachusetts, California, and other states), investigations and examinations from state financial services regulators (including the New York Department of Financial Services and California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation), and litigating contested enforcement actions against the Pennsylvania and New York attorneys general.
  • Providing ongoing fair lending advice to clients, including reviews of scoring models used in underwriting and fraud prevention, reviews of judgmental underwriting processes, reviews of advertising models and strategies, and the handling of limited English proficiency (LEP) consumers.
  • Assessing UDAAP/UDAP risks in all aspects of client operations, from marketing and advertising to all other aspects of the credit product life cycle.
  • Providing advice on all aspects of credit reporting to clients that furnish and use credit report information and consumer reporting agencies.
  • Assisting clients with fair lending and other issues related to small business lending operations, including the forthcoming Small Business Data Collection Rule proposed by the CFPB.
  • Providing regular advice to creditors, debt buyers, debt collection agencies, and debt collection law firms on compliance issues related to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and other applicable federal and state laws.
  • Performing compliance assessments and mock regulatory examinations to assist clients in detecting and correcting areas of regulatory risk in all parts of their operations.
  • Performing compliance due diligence in connection with the acquisition of consumer financial services companies and with the retention of service providers by consumer financial services companies.
  • Legal 500 United States: Finance: Financial Services Regulation (2024-2025)
  • American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers, Fellow
  • Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer (2024-2025) – independently rated lawyers
  • Chambers USA, Financial Services Regulation: Consumer Finance (Litigation) (Nationwide) 2016-2025, Band 3; Financial Services Regulation: Consumer Finance (Enforcement & Investigations) (Nationwide), Band 1, 2021-2025; Banking & Finance (Mainly Regulatory) (Georgia), Band 1, 2025; Band 2, 2024
  • The Best Lawyers in America, Banking and Finance Litigation, Commercial Litigation, 2013-2021; “Lawyer of the Year,” Litigation-Banking and Finance (Atlanta), 2021
  • JD Supra Readers’ Choice Awards, Finance & Banking (2025)

Chris is the co-leader of the Consumer Financial Services Regulatory Practice Group at the firm. He advises financial services institutions facing state and federal government investigations and examinations, counseling them on compliance issues including UDAP/UDAAP, credit reporting, debt collection, and fair lending, and defending them in individual and class action lawsuits brought by consumers and enforcement actions brought by government agencies.

Chris also leverages insights from his litigation and enforcement experience to help clients design new products and processes, including machine learning marketing, fraud prevention and underwriting models, product structure, advertising, online application flows, underwriting, and collection and loss mitigation strategies.

Chris brings a highly practical focus to his legal advice, informed by balancing a deep understanding of the business of consumer finance and the practical priorities of federal and state regulatory agencies.

Chris speaks frequently at conferences across the U.S. on consumer financial services law and has been featured in numerous articles in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, American Banker, National Law Journal, BNA Bloomberg, and Bank Safety and Soundness Advisor.

  • Representing dozens of financial services companies, ranging from large banks to fintech startups, in enforcement investigations and actions by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Federal Trade Commission, and Department of Justice in areas including fair lending, auto finance, short-term lending, student loan origination and servicing, mortgages, credit cards, payment processing, credit card add-on products, and debt collection.
  • Assisting clients with dozens of supervisory examinations conducted by the CFPB, OCC, FDIC, New York Department of Financial Services, and other regulators in areas including machine learning models, mortgage redlining, auto finance, credit cards, credit reporting, student lending, debt collection, personal loans, and short-term lending.
  • Defending clients in investigations brought by state attorneys general (including Massachusetts, California, and other states), investigations and examinations from state financial services regulators (including the New York Department of Financial Services and California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation), and litigating contested enforcement actions against the Pennsylvania and New York attorneys general.
  • Providing ongoing fair lending advice to clients, including reviews of scoring models used in underwriting and fraud prevention, reviews of judgmental underwriting processes, reviews of advertising models and strategies, and the handling of limited English proficiency (LEP) consumers.
  • Assessing UDAAP/UDAP risks in all aspects of client operations, from marketing and advertising to all other aspects of the credit product life cycle.
  • Providing advice on all aspects of credit reporting to clients that furnish and use credit report information and consumer reporting agencies.
  • Assisting clients with fair lending and other issues related to small business lending operations, including the forthcoming Small Business Data Collection Rule proposed by the CFPB.
  • Providing regular advice to creditors, debt buyers, debt collection agencies, and debt collection law firms on compliance issues related to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and other applicable federal and state laws.
  • Performing compliance assessments and mock regulatory examinations to assist clients in detecting and correcting areas of regulatory risk in all parts of their operations.
  • Performing compliance due diligence in connection with the acquisition of consumer financial services companies and with the retention of service providers by consumer financial services companies.
  • Legal 500 United States: Finance: Financial Services Regulation (2024-2025)
  • American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers, Fellow
  • Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer (2024-2025) – independently rated lawyers
  • Chambers USA, Financial Services Regulation: Consumer Finance (Litigation) (Nationwide) 2016-2025, Band 3; Financial Services Regulation: Consumer Finance (Enforcement & Investigations) (Nationwide), Band 1, 2021-2025; Banking & Finance (Mainly Regulatory) (Georgia), Band 1, 2025; Band 2, 2024
  • The Best Lawyers in America, Banking and Finance Litigation, Commercial Litigation, 2013-2021; “Lawyer of the Year,” Litigation-Banking and Finance (Atlanta), 2021
  • JD Supra Readers’ Choice Awards, Finance & Banking (2025)
  • Co-chair of the Practising Law Institute’s Consumer Financial Services Institute, 2021-present
  • American Bar Association, Consumer Financial Services Committee
  • Consumer Bankers Association Lawyers’ Committee and Default Management Committee
  • Association of Consumer Vehicle Lessors Legal Advisors
  • Atlanta Bar Association
  • Zoo Atlanta, Leadership Counsel; Board of Directors; Member, Facilities Committee

Education

  • Samford University Cumberland School of Law, J.D., summa cum laude, 1996, articles editor, Cumberland Law Review; graduated first in class
  • The University of Alabama at Birmingham, B.A., 1993

Bar Admissions

  • Alabama
  • Georgia

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of Alabama
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama
  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of Georgia
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit

Clerkships

  • Hon. James H. Hancock, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama, 1996-1997

Chris regularly speaks at national-level seminars on topics relating to consumer financial services litigation, such as CFPB regulations and enforcement, unfair and deceptive trade practices litigation, credit reporting and debt collection issues, and mortgage lending litigation. He is co-chair of the Practising Law Institute’s Consumer Financial Services Institute (2021-present). Recent presentations include:

  • Speaker, “Navigating a Changing Powersports Compliance Landscape,” Powersports Finance Summit, September 24, 2025.
  • Speaker, “Emerging Trends in Credit Disputes: Legal and Operational Strategies to Combat Credit Repair Abuse,” CDIA, June 10, 2025.
  • Panelist, “State of Play: What You Need to Know About State Regulations,” NAF2025, June 5, 2025.
  • Panelist, “Regulatory Panel,” Housing Policy Council Conference, May 13, 2025.
  • Speaker, “AI Models Under Review: Discrimination, Nontraditional Data & Federal and State Regulatory Expectations” and “Credit Repair vs. Credit Building in the Consumer Reporting Ecosystem,” CDIA Connect, May 9, 2025.
  • Speaker, “The State of State Regulation,” Asurity Fair Lending Forum, May 8, 2025.
  • Speaker, “Fair Lending” and “UDAAP, Debt Collection and 1071 Outlook,” Georgia Banker’s Association Compliance School, April 30, 2025.
  • Speaker, “Bank Partner Relationships and Implications to True-Lender,” Aon 10th Integramark Best Practices Seminar, April 24, 2025.
  • Presenter at numerous in-house seminars for clients, including UDAAP/UDAP Principles and their Application, Reasonable Investigations Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Regulatory and Litigation Trends Affecting the Consumer Financial Services Industry, and Protecting the Attorney-Client Privilege.
  • Speaker, “AI Models Under Review: Discrimination, Nontraditional Data & Federal and State Regulatory Expectations” and “Credit Repair Vs. Credit Building in the Consumer Reporting Ecosystem,” CDIA Connect, May 9, 2025.
  • Co-chair, PLI’s Consumer Financial Services Fundamentals 2025, March 13-14, 2025.
    • “Federal Laws and the Regulators Responsible for Them in 2025,” March 13, 2025.
    • “Federal and State Discrimination Laws That Govern Consumer Credit,” March 13, 2025.
  • Panelist, “CFPB Releases Data Broker Proposed Rule,” Consumer Data Industry Association Webinar, December 18, 2024.
  • Moderator, “What’s New in The World of Privacy (HINT……A LOT),” 2024 Corporate Counsel Institute, December 12, 2024.
  • Co-chair, “Consumer Financial Services 2024: Year-End Update and Post-Election Look Ahead,” PLI, December 10, 2024.
  • Speaker, “2024 CFPB Auto Finance Exam Focus Areas,” CCFL Conference, November 15, 2024.
  • Speaker, “Avoiding Discriminatory Collection Practices,” RMAI Webinar, November 12, 2024.
  • Speaker, “Ins and Outs of the 1071 Rule,” Georgia Bankers Association Compliance Conference, October 24, 2024.
  • Co-chair, PLI 29th Annual Consumer Financial Institute, September 23-24, 2024.
  • Speaker, “Hot Issues in Debt Collection,” Synchrony 2024 Supplier Conference, August 28, 2024.
  • Speaker, “Fair Lending and Bias Issues Related to AI/ML Model Development and Governance,” Troutman Pepper, August 14, 2024.
  • Speaker, “Regulatory Update,” Auriemma Private Label Risk Management Roundtable Meeting, August 7, 2024.
  • Panelist, ” White House, CFPB Proposed Rule to Ban Medical Debt from Credit Reports,” Consumer Data Industry Association Webinar, June 27, 2024.
  • Panelist, ” What’s Next for the CFPB After Victory at the Supreme Court?” American Bar Association’s Consumer Financial Services Committee National Institute Webinar, June 26, 2024.
  • Panelist, “CFPB – An Agency in Overdrive,” Housing Policy Council Annual Meeting, June 20, 2024.
  • Panelist, “Breaking Down the CFPB’s Comparison Shopping Website Circular and its Implications,” The Conference on Consumer Finance Law, May 31, 2024.
  • Panelist, “Recent CFPB Supervisory Highlights: Focus on Consumer Reporting,” Consumer Data Industry Association Webinar, May 14, 2024.
  • Speaker, “Expert Insights & Risk Mitigation: Strategizing for CFPB Examination & Enforcement Actions,” Consumer Data Industry Association Consumer Data Connect, May 10, 2024.
  • Speaker, “UDAAP & Debt Collection” and “1071 Small Business Lending,” Georgia Banker’s Association Compliance School, May 1, 2024.
  • Panelist, “SBL/1071: What You Need to Know About the New Rule?,” Fair Lending Forum, April 30, 2024.
  • Speaker, CBA Live, “Evolution of Fair Lending,” March 25, 2024.
  • Speaker, “The CFPB’s Rulemaking: Potential Impacts and Potential Challenges,” PBSA Mid-Year Legislative & Regulatory Conference, March 25, 2024.
  • Co-chair, PLI’s Consumer Financial Services Fundamentals 2024, March 14-15, 2024.
    • “Federal Laws, and the Regulators Responsible for Them,” March 14, 2024.
    • “Servicing and Collections for Consumer Obligations,” March 14, 2024.
    • “Fair Lending: Federal and State Discrimination Laws That Govern Consumer Credit,” March 15, 2024.
  • Speaker, “Future of Credit Reporting,” Financial Technology Association Webinar, November 13, 2023.
  • Speaker, “Managing AI – Risk, Reward & Regulation! – AI Discrimination and Emerging Best Practices,” Troutman Pepper, November 7, 2023.
  • Speaker, “CFPB and New York AG v. Credit Acceptance : Issues and Implications,” The Conference on Consumer Finance Law, November 2, 2023.
  • Speaker, “Danger Points for Regulatory Enforcement,” ACVL Conference, October 24, 2023.
  • Speaker, “Small Business Data Collection – Dodd Frank Act 1071 – The Final Rule,” Georgia Bankers Association Compliance Conference, October 19, 2023.
  • Speaker, “CFPB Rule-Making Impacts,” Troutman Pepper Webinar, September 29, 2023.
  • Panelist, “CFPB Calls Out 6 Violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act,” A CDIA Webinar, September 27, 2023.
  • Speaker, “Regulatory Approaches to AI,” State Bar of Michigan IT Law Section’s Annual Summit, September 21, 2023.
  • Speaker, “Let’s Talk About Consumer Complaints,” AFSA Operations and Regulatory Compliance Committee Webinar, September 20, 2023.
  • Co-chair, PLI’s 28th Annual Consumer Financial Services Institute, September 18-19, 2023.
  • Speaker, “Discussion of Key Regulatory Issues in Mortgage Lending,” Housing Policy Council 2023 Annual Meeting, June 27, 2023.
  • Speaker, “Use of Algorithms in Fair Lending,” American Bankers Association Risk and Compliance Conference, June 13-14, 2023.
  • Speaker, “What’s Passing for Guidance These Days: Abusiveness and Junk Fees,” 2023 AFSA Spring Committee Meetings, May 24, 2023.
  • Speaker, “Dark Patterns and Disclosures: Marketing and Originating Financial Products Online and Through Mobile Experiences,” The Conference on Consumer Finance Law Annual CFS Conference, May 19, 2023.
  • Panelist, “UDAAP Session,” 2023 Fair Lending Forum, May 16, 2023.
  • Panelist, “The Fisher Memorial Program – The Impact of the CFSA Case on the CFPB – Will the Supreme Court Un-Ring a Bell?” American Bar Association, April 27, 2023.
  • Speaker, “FTC/CFPB Pronouncements: What Are They Thinking And What It Means For You,” PBSA 2023 Mid-Year Legislative & Regulatory Conference, April 18, 2023.
  • Speaker, “Consumer Complaints: The CFPB’s Data Express Lane,” CFPB Forum Session, March 27, 2023.
  • Speaker, “New Frontiers in Fair Lending: AI, Advertising & More,” CBA Live 2023, March 27, 2023.
  • Co-chair, PLI’s 28th Annual Consumer Financial Services Institute, March 16-17, 2023.
  • Speaker, “Corporate Counsel Institute,” State Bar of Georgia, December 16, 2022.
  • Speaker, “UDAAP and Junk Fees and Overdraft…Oh My!,” CBA Washington Forum, November 16, 2022.
  • Speaker, “Installment Credit,” ABA Consumer Financial Services Committee National Institute on Consumer Finance Basics, October 21, 2022.
  • Speaker, “Mortgage Redlining and What it Means for Other Financial Products,” The Conference on Consumer Finance Law, October 20, 2022.
  • Speaker, “Testing Screening Operations for Potential Unintended Discrimination,” Professional Background Screeners Association, September 12, 2022.
  • Speaker, “You’re Invited: The Possibilities, and Pitfalls, for Testing Non-Credit Operations for Discrimination,” Troutman Pepper, May 17, 2022.
  • Speaker, “Federal Regulatory Forecast,” 2022 Spring Tax Committee Meeting, Association of Consumer Vehicle Lessors, May 16, 2022.
  • Speaker, “Testing, Monitoring and Remediation,” 2022 AFSA Independents Conference, American Financial Services Association Meeting, May 2, 2022.
  • Presenter, 2022 OLA Executive Policy Summit, Online Lenders Alliance, April 27-28, Washington, D.C.
  • Speaker, “Hot Topics in Collections – How to Stay Compliant,” NAFCU, April 21, 2022.
  • Speaker, “CFPB Updates,” 2022 OLA Legal Issues Conference, February 15, 2022.
  • Speaker, “The New Compliance Environment: Playing Offense and Defense in Operations,” Association of Consumer Vehicle Lessors Virtual Conference, October 25, 2021.
  • Speaker, “The CFPB’s Likely Direction Under Rohit Chopra,” Association of Consumer Vehicle Lessors Virtual Conference, October 21, 2021.
  • Panelist, “Installment Credit,” American Bar Association’s Consumer Financial Services Committee National Institute Webinar, October 22, 2021.
  • Speaker, “Danger Points for Regulatory Enforcement: Current Activity and Predictions for the Future,” Association of Consumer Vehicle Lessors Virtual Conference, October 18, 2021.
  • Panelist, “On the Radar for CFPB Supervision,” Consumer Bankers Association CBA Live Conference, August 17, 2021.
  • Panelist, “Under New Management: CFPB and Debt Collection,” Consumer Bankers Association CBA Live Conference, August 16, 2021.
  • Panelist, “UDAAP and Fair Lending,” Student Borrower Protection Center Virtual Conference,” June 28, 2021.
  • Co-chair and Panelist, “Federal Regulatory Landscape and Developments,” Practicing Law Institute’s Consumer Financial Services Q2 Update, June 17, 2021.
  • Panelist, “Hot Legal Topics in Fair Housing and Fair Lending,” Real Estate Services Providers Council (RESPRO) Webinar, June 17, 2021.
  • Speaker, Risk Management Association’s Chief Compliance Officer Roundtable, May 5, 2021.
  • Co-chairperson, Practicing Law Institute’s Consumer Financial Services Post-Election Update, March 30, 2021.
  • Speaker, “Special Purpose Lending Programs,” Risk Management Association Webinar, March 22, 2021.
  • Panelist, “Racial Inequity in Lending Practices,” Loyola University’s Consumer Law Review Symposium, March 5, 2021.

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