Partner
Troutman Pepper Locke

Chris Willis is co-leader of the Consumer Financial Services Regulatory Practice at Troutman Pepper Locke. He advises financial services institutions facing state and federal government investigations and examinations, counselling them on regulatory and compliance issues in areas including auto finance, debt collection, fair lending, UDAP/UDAAP, and credit reporting.

Chris also has extensive experience defending companies in enforcement actions brought by government agencies. Ranging from fintech startups to large banks, Chris has represented clients in enforcement investigations and actions by the CFPB, FTC, state AGs, and DOJ, in addition to assisting clients in supervisory examinations conducted by the CFPB, OCC, FDIC, New York Department of Financial Services, and other regulators.

Chris 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.

With keen knowledge of market trends, Chris also hosts The Consumer Finance Podcast, a weekly podcast produced by Troutman Pepper Locke, to provide reliable, insightful, and entertaining industry-specific content central to consumer finance services.