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 Digital Assets, Web 3 and NFT (“DAWN”) 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).
  • 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.

18 October 2024 Foley Viewpoints

FTC Finalizes “Click-to-Cancel” Rule

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has finalized amendments to the Negative Option Rule, now retitled the “Rule Concerning Recurring Subscriptions and Other Negative Option Programs“ (“Rule”), which represents a significant overhaul of the regulatory framework governing how companies handle subscription services and automatic renewals.
16 September 2024 Consumer Class Defense Counsel

Fourth Circuit Holds No Article III Standing Where No Third-Party Viewed Inaccurate Information

On September 11, 2024, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals held that there is no publication to a third party — and therefore no Article III standing under the Fair Credit Reporting Act — where the recipient of a consumer report did not read, understand, or otherwise consider allegedly inaccurate information appearing in the report.
18 July 2024 Innovative Technology Insights

What’s Next for Ethereum ETFs Following SEC Approval?

Following the SEC’s approval of ETH ETFs in May 2024, our team analyzes recent developments and looks to the future.
17 May 2024 Consumer Class Defense Counsel

Supreme Court Rules That the CFPB Is Constitutionally Funded

On May 16, 2024, the Supreme Court reversed a Fifth Circuit decision which held that the funding for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau violated the Appropriations Clause.
10 May 2024 Consumer Class Defense Counsel

CFPB Announces Proposed Rule Regarding Nonsufficient Funds Fees

On Wednesday, January 24, 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced a Proposed Rule aimed at blocking nonsufficient funds fees on debit card, ATM, and certain peer-to-peer payment transactions that financial institutions decline in real time.
10 May 2024 Consumer Class Defense Counsel

Legal Decision Expected Today Regarding Implementation of CFPB Rule Reducing Credit Card Late Fees

On March 5, 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule that would reduce credit card late fees to $8 for large credit card issuers