Chris focuses his practice on consumer financial services compliance, guiding clients through the many federal and state laws and regulations that impact consumer credit programs.

Overview
Representative Matters
Insights
Awards

Chris’ practice focuses on consumer financial services law, primarily on federal and state law compliance matters. Chris regularly advises financial institutions, lenders, and sales finance companies in the development and maintenance of closed-end and open-end lending, automobile finance, fintech, point-of-sale, solar finance, small dollar, and other credit programs. Chris also provides compliance advice on consumer reporting, tenant screening and background screening under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and state law. He regularly provides guidance on federal consumer protection laws and regulations in addition to the FCRA, including the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), and the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-SIGN). Chris also regularly counsels clients on compliance with state licensing and other substantive laws and regulations. Chris is the co-host of Moving the Metal: The Auto Finance Podcast where they discuss all things related to the auto finance industry.

Chris earned both his J.D. and M.B.A. from the College of William & Mary, where he served as senior articles editor for the William & Mary Business Law Review. Chris regularly uses his M.B.A. experience in giving clients practical compliance advice that can be implemented into the development or maintenance of consumer finance services programs.

  • Served a part-time secondment as corporate counsel with the nation’s largest used motor vehicle retailer.
  • Regularly advises employers and background screening companies on FCRA and state consumer reporting law compliance.
  • Regularly advises property managers and tenant screening companies on FCRA and state consumer reporting law compliance.
  • Advised startups on baseline FCRA, state consumer reporting law, and other compliance requirements to become consumer reporting agencies.
  • Advised a large energy utility in its development of a nationwide solar sales finance program.
  • Performed due diligence licensing and document reviews in M&A transactions and portfolio acquisitions on multiple types of entities, including sales finance companies, fintechs, debt collection agencies, and rent-to-own companies.
  • Worked with a national bank on the development of merchant point-of-sale financing programs and provided compliance advice related to TILA, GLBA, ECOA, and E-SIGN, among others.
  • Counseled a fintech company in the development of its online lending platform, including the creation of multistate loan and ancillary documents.
  • Regularly counsels clients including banks, credit unions, installment lenders, sales finance companies, and motor vehicle dealers on compliance with Virginia law.
  • Best Lawyers in America®: Ones to Watch: Banking and Finance Law (2024-2026), Litigation – Banking and Finance (2026)

Chris’ practice focuses on consumer financial services law, primarily on federal and state law compliance matters. Chris regularly advises financial institutions, lenders, and sales finance companies in the development and maintenance of closed-end and open-end lending, automobile finance, fintech, point-of-sale, solar finance, small dollar, and other credit programs. Chris also provides compliance advice on consumer reporting, tenant screening and background screening under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and state law. He regularly provides guidance on federal consumer protection laws and regulations in addition to the FCRA, including the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), and the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-SIGN). Chris also regularly counsels clients on compliance with state licensing and other substantive laws and regulations. Chris is the co-host of Moving the Metal: The Auto Finance Podcast where they discuss all things related to the auto finance industry.

Chris earned both his J.D. and M.B.A. from the College of William & Mary, where he served as senior articles editor for the William & Mary Business Law Review. Chris regularly uses his M.B.A. experience in giving clients practical compliance advice that can be implemented into the development or maintenance of consumer finance services programs.

  • Served a part-time secondment as corporate counsel with the nation’s largest used motor vehicle retailer.
  • Regularly advises employers and background screening companies on FCRA and state consumer reporting law compliance.
  • Regularly advises property managers and tenant screening companies on FCRA and state consumer reporting law compliance.
  • Advised startups on baseline FCRA, state consumer reporting law, and other compliance requirements to become consumer reporting agencies.
  • Advised a large energy utility in its development of a nationwide solar sales finance program.
  • Performed due diligence licensing and document reviews in M&A transactions and portfolio acquisitions on multiple types of entities, including sales finance companies, fintechs, debt collection agencies, and rent-to-own companies.
  • Worked with a national bank on the development of merchant point-of-sale financing programs and provided compliance advice related to TILA, GLBA, ECOA, and E-SIGN, among others.
  • Counseled a fintech company in the development of its online lending platform, including the creation of multistate loan and ancillary documents.
  • Regularly counsels clients including banks, credit unions, installment lenders, sales finance companies, and motor vehicle dealers on compliance with Virginia law.
  • Best Lawyers in America®: Ones to Watch: Banking and Finance Law (2024-2026), Litigation – Banking and Finance (2026)
  • American Bar Association, Business Law Section (Consumer Financial Services Committee)
    • Vice chair, Personal Property Financing Subcommittee
    • Member, SUNY Potsdam Business Administration Advisory Council

Education

  • William & Mary Law School, J.D., 2016, senior articles editor, William & Mary Business Law Review
  • College of William & Mary, Raymond A. Mason School of Business, M.B.A., 2016
  • State University of New York at Potsdam Crane School of Music, B.M., summa cum laude, 2012

Bar Admissions

  • Virginia
  • Speaker, “Federal Rulemaking and Enforcement – One Step Back and Two Steps Forward?” 2025 OLA Legal Issues Conference, February 11, 2025.
  • Speaker, “CFPB Auto Finance and Leasing Exam,” Association of Consumer Vehicle Lessors Annual Conference, Nashville, TN, October 14, 2024.
  • Speaker, “Metro 2 Primer,” Troutman Pepper Webinar, October 5, 2023.
  • Speaker, “Auto Finance in the Roaring 20s: What’s on the Horizon,” ABA Business Law Section Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., September 15, 2022.
  • Speaker, “Making Compliance More Than an Afterthought,” Online Lenders Alliance (OLA) 2022 Compliance University, July 20, 2022.
  • Speaker, “Beer & Basics: Auto Finance Compliance Issues,” ABA Consumer Financial Services Subcommittee Meeting, Tucson, AZ, January 16, 2020.
  • Speaker, The EDGE Compliance Training Program, American Financial Services Association, Atlanta, GA, June 10, 2019.
  • Speaker, “Fair Lending 101: An Overview of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act,” National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions Webinar, Arlington, VA, June 4, 2019.
  • Speaker, “Legal Compliance & You: An Overview of Everyone’s Favorite Topic,” Virginia Independent Automobile Dealers Association 2019 Dealer Day, Charlottesville, VA, May 14, 2019.
  • Speaker, “Beer & Basics: CFPB v. Ocwen,” ABA Business Law Section Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, September 13, 2017.