Christi A. Lawson

Partner

Christi A. Lawson

Partner

Christi A. Lawson maintains a broad-based consumer financial services practice. She has substantial experience counseling commercial and consumer lenders (banks and non-banks), servicers, consumer reporting agencies, loan brokers, and money transmitters regarding compliance with federal and state consumer lending laws, including the Truth in Lending Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Credit Billing Act, “fair lending,” the Electronic Funds Transfer Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, federal and state unfair trade practice and consumer protection laws, and state licensing requirements. In addition, Christi assists clients with drafting lending documents, legal disclosures, and compliance policies and procedures. Christi’s work with consumer reporting agencies focuses on the resellers and background screening companies and the unique legal and regulatory issues that those companies face.

A member of the firm’s Innovative Technology Sector and Blockchain & Digital Assets Group, Christi provides consumer finance and general consumer protection counseling for businesses desiring to leverage artificial intelligence in their lending, as well as those businesses using tokenization and cryptocurrency. She is also a member of the Firm’s Hospitality & Leisure Industry Team and provides consumer finance and general compliance counseling for vacation ownership projects.

Christi also has first chair experience representing Fortune 100 companies in complex litigation. She handles all aspects of litigation and regulatory enforcement actions and prepares briefs for matters before appellate courts throughout the United States, including the United States Court of Appeals for the various Circuits, and the United States Supreme Court. Christi has substantial experience representing clients regarding the enforcement and defense of non-competition and non-solicitation agreements as well as trade secret enforcement. She is a member of the firm’s Litigation Department, the Consumer Financial Services and Privacy, Security & Information Management Practices, as well as the Trade Secret/Noncompete Practice.

Christi is an adjunct professor for the Florida State University College of Law, where she has taught regulatory compliance and financial privacy for the Juris Doctorate and Juris Master’s programs.

Her professional experience includes experience as a tax and audit accountant for the Florida Department of Transportation, working in the accounts receivable and joint participation agreements sections. In law school, Christi was selected for a judicial clerkship with Chief Justice Charles T. Wells of the Florida Supreme Court.

Christi also serves her community as a member of the Board of Directors for the New Image Youth Center in Orlando, and Co-Chair of the Governing Board for the Athena PowerLink®-Orlando.

Awards and Recognition

  • Recognized as a Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer after being nominated as an outstanding lawyer by her clients as part of Thomson Reuters‘ global research with in-house counsel (2023, 2025).
  • Selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in the field of Litigation — Securities (2022-2024).
  • Selected for inclusion in Florida Super Lawyers — Rising Stars® (2009-2015).
  • Selected for inclusion in Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite™ list (2017).
  • Received the ABA Military Pro Bono Project Outstanding Services Award in recognition of the pro bono services she provides to junior-enlisted, active-duty servicemembers (2012).

Affiliations

  • Orange County Bar Association
  • Florida Bar Association
  • American Bar Association

Community Involvement

Christi continues to be active in her community. She is currently co-chair for the governing board for Orlando’s chapter of ATHENA PowerLink®, a member of the board of directors of The New Image Youth Center, which aims to improve the lives of inner-city youth by providing an environment where students feel safe to dream, and currently serves as a Trustee and Deacon for her church. Christi also served two terms as chairman of the City of Orlando’s Civil Service Board.

28 February 2025 In the News

Christi Lawson Assesses CFPB's New Direction Under Trump Administration

Foley & Lardner LLP partner Christi Lawson commented on changes at the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) in Banking Dive, sharing insight on the potential direction the bureau will take under the new administration.
25 February 2025 Consumer Class Defense Counsel

CFPB, FDIC, and OCC Updates: Firings, Appointments, and Potential Consolidation

We previously reported on changes to leadership at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the halt of all activities at the CFPB, and the impacts to the financial services industry.
11 February 2025 In the News

Foley Attorneys on CFPB Shutdown - Industry in 'wait-and-see mode'

Foley & Lardner LLP attorneys Christi Lawson, Natasha Dempsey, and Whitney Nicholas assessed the Trump administration's curtailment of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in the Newsweek article, "What CFPB Shutdown Means for Junk Fees."
10 February 2025 Foley Viewpoints

New Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Acting Director Expands Freeze to All CFPB Activities; CFPB Office Closes

On Friday, February 7, 2025, President Trump named newly confirmed director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, as acting director of the CFPB.
04 February 2025 Foley Viewpoints

Treasury Secretary Bessent Heads Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Immediately Orders Freeze of CFPB Activities

On Saturday, February 1, 2025, it was announced that President Donald Trump had removed Rohit Chopra as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
20 January 2025 In the News

Christi Lawson Assesses FTC 'Click-to-Cancel' Rule on ABA Podcast

Foley & Lardner LLP partner Christi Lawson appeared on the American Bar Association's Our Curious Amalgam podcast episode, "Can You Click, Cancel, and Comply? How the FTC Is Unsubscribing Businesses From Deceptive Practices."