John R. Coleman

John R. Coleman is a partner in Buckley LLP’s Washington, D.C. office. He represents banks, nonbank financial institutions, corporations, and individuals in supervisory and enforcement matters initiated by government regulators, as well as in private civil litigation and internal investigations. He also counsels clients on compliance with consumer protection laws and supervision preparedness.

Mr. Coleman joined the firm after 15 years of federal government service as a litigator and adviser to senior policymakers, most recently as Deputy General Counsel for Litigation and Oversight at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He joined the CFPB soon after its creation in 2010 and was one of a core group of attorneys tasked with interpreting the authorities granted to the agency by the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010, and establishing the procedures by which the agency exercises those authorities. Mr. Coleman was the first person to appear in court on behalf of the CFPB, and was involved in every significant litigation matter in the agency’s history prior to his departure. As Deputy General Counsel, he managed the team of attorneys responsible for representing the Bureau in litigation, including appellate matters, and before congressional oversight bodies.

He served every director or acting director in the CFPB's history during his tenure at the CFPB, advising them and senior officials in the Division of Supervision, Enforcement, and Fair Lending on a range of complex legal and policy matters, including those arising in the course of examinations, investigations, and enforcement actions. He also advised the Director and senior officials in the Division of Research, Markets, and Regulations with respect to rulemakings, and represented the agency in all rulemaking challenges.

Prior to joining the CFPB, Mr. Coleman was a trial attorney in the Federal Programs Branch of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division, representing federal agencies and officials in high-profile civil litigation, including cases brought under the U.S. Constitution, the Administrative Procedure Act, and federal antidiscrimination laws.

Mr. Coleman received his J.D. from the University of Virginia, where he was a member of the managing board of the Virginia Law Review, and his B.A. from Dartmouth College. Following law school, he served as a law clerk for the Honorable T.S. Ellis III, of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.