Press Release
John Coleman, former CFPB Deputy General Counsel, joins Buckley
WASHINGTON, DC (Sept. 9, 2021) – Buckley LLP, a national law firm focused on financial services, white collar defense, and complex civil litigation, announced that John R. Coleman, former Deputy General Counsel of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, has joined the firm as a partner.
Coleman, who served in the federal government for 15 years as a litigator and adviser to senior policymakers, joined the CFPB soon after its creation and played a key role in standing it up. He was one of a core group of attorneys tasked with interpreting the novel authorities granted to the agency by the Consumer Financial Protection Act, and establishing the procedures by which the agency exercises those authorities. He was most recently the bureau’s Deputy General Counsel for Litigation and Oversight, managing the team of attorneys responsible for representing the CFPB in litigation, including appellate matters, and before congressional oversight bodies. He also advised the director and enforcement colleagues throughout the lifecycle of investigations, including the scope of authority to issue and enforce civil investigative demands, the merits of potential claims under the federal consumer financial laws, and the CFPB's remedial authority.
“John’s litigation and enforcement experience, combined with his knowledge of the Consumer Financial Protection Act, make him a great addition to our nationally recognized financial services practices — and a timely one given the CFPB’s increasing enforcement activity and anticipated increase in litigation with the financial services industry,” said Benjamin B. Klubes, Buckley’s Co-Managing Partner. “John distinguished himself during his tenure at the CFPB, providing valuable counsel to every director since the bureau’s inception and taking a hand in every significant litigation matter in the agency’s history. That experience will be invaluable to our clients.”
Prior to joining the CFPB, 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.
“After 15 years of public service, now is the right time for the next challenge in my career,” said Coleman. “Buckley was the obvious choice given its broad and deep bench of talented financial services regulatory and enforcement lawyers, and I look forward to working with its outstanding team.”
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.
With offices in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, and London, Buckley LLP offers premier enforcement, litigation, compliance, regulatory, and transactional services to financial services institutions and early stage and leading fintech and technology companies, as well as venture capital and private equity funds, investment companies, and corporate and individual clients throughout the world. "The best at what they do in the country." (Chambers USA)