After more than a decade at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), where he played a central role in writing some of the agency’s most impactful rules and guidance, Mike advises the firm’s consumer finance clients on regulatory compliance matters.
Mike’s consumer finance practice blends both mortgage and non-mortgage lending and draws on his broad portfolio of CFPB work. His core areas of focus include unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices (UDAAP); mortgage origination and consumer lending, particularly issues involving Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) section 8 and the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) loan originator compensation rules; regulations involving innovation, technology, and digital marketing tools; small-dollar lending; deposits; and debt collection.
Mike was one of the original members of the CFPB’s Office of Regulations, joining the agency in September 2011 just weeks after it opened its doors. He helped grow the CFPB from a startup to a mature organization, serving as senior counsel through January 2024—a tenure that left him with a deeply nuanced perspective on the agency’s policymaking, operations, leadership, and approaches to rule-writing and regulatory interpretation. The CFPB relies on an interdisciplinary approach unusual among federal agencies, where the regulatory attorneys work together with economists and market analysts to develop its policies and regulations. The experience left Mike with an appreciation for the real-world impact of agency regulations and guidance, which allows him to take a holistic view of clients’ legal needs and business goals. Serving under multiple presidential administrations with differing agendas also shaped Mike’s pragmatic approach and taught him to consider matters through multiple lenses.
After joining Husch Blackwell in February 2024 to help the Consumer Financial Services team continue to build a national brand, Mike now shares his extensive insight with firm clients. Clients appreciate his ability to articulate his perspective as a CFPB founder and longtime regulator while fully playing for their team. In many cases, he helped draft the rules in question or provided guidance on the same issues while at the agency to industry stakeholders, other federal and state regulators, and CFPB colleagues leading investigations and examinations. Mike uses this inside perspective to sharpen the advice and counsel he provides to firm clients. Known as both thoughtful and thorough, Mike digs deep into legal details while also keeping the client’s broader business picture front and center.