Drawing on his deep experience in government service, Jeff Ehrlich represents clients in the consumer-finance space, providing advice and counseling to businesses that compete in markets governed by multiple state and federal agencies that enforce complex and often novel statutes and regulations.
Before joining McGuireWoods, Jeff served as deputy enforcement director for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). In that role, Jeff managed investigations and litigation in the CFPB’s four regional offices and headquarters. He directed over 100 enforcement actions against financial-services providers, fintech companies, and retailers, often partnering with other federal regulatory and enforcement agencies and state attorneys general.
Before joining the CFPB, Jeff was a trial attorney at the United States Department of Justice, an assistant county attorney for Miami-Dade County, Florida, and an associate at an AmLaw 100 firm in Washington, D.C. Jeff began his career as law clerk for the Honorable James Lawrence King, United States District Judge for the Southern District of Florida.
For the past several years, Jeff has taught a consumer-finance class at St. Thomas University College of Law and Florida International University College of Law.
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University of Michigan Law SchoolJD
cum laude
1994 -
University of MichiganBA
with high honors and distinction
1992
Member, American Bar Association
- Panelist, "Consumer Financial Services 101", Practising Law Institute, Practising Law Institute, October 3, 2023
- Speaker, "To JV or Not to JV, That is the Question", American Land Title Association, September 27, 2023
- Panelist, "The Latest with Affiliated Business Arrangements Under RESPA and Other Hot Topics", RESPRO30, Truckee, CA, May 22, 2023
- Panelist, "Old Dog, New Tricks: How Junk Fees Gave UDAAP More Bite", Conference on Consumer Finance Law, Chicago, IL, May 18, 2023
- Panelist, "Big Players, Big Problems: The CFPB’s Attention to Market Dominance", American Bar Association, Seattle, WA, April 28, 2023
- Moderator, Fintech and Bank Partnerships: Evolving Trends, March 16, 2023
- Panelist, "Pick Your Battles: Litigating with the CFPB", American Bar Association, New Orleans, LA, January 24, 2023
- Speaker, "CFPB Update", Career Education Colleges and Universities CEO Summit, Phoenix, AZ, November 3, 2022
- Panelist, "Look Before You Leap: Not All Leads Are Created Equal", Conference on Consumer Finance Law, Plano, TX, October 20, 2022
- Panelist, San Francisco Fintech Roundtable CLE and Reception, May 19, 2022
- Panelist, "CFPB Priorities", Consumer Financial Services: Post Election Update, Practising Law Institute, 2021
- Panelist, "CFPB Accomplishments and Priorities", Federal Regulators Speak, Practising Law Institute, 2019
- Panelist, "CFPB Accomplishments and Priorities", Retail Investors: The New Enforcement Frontier, Practising Law Institute, 2018, 2019
- Panelist, "The U.S. Regulatory Landscape", RegTech Compliance Transformed, American Banker, 2017
- Panelist, "Individual Liability and Related Forms of Secondary Liability", The American Bar Association’s Business Law Section, Consumer Financial Services Committee, Winter Meeting, 2017
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
Selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, Banking and Finance Law, 2024
Recipient, “2019 Director’s Mission Achievement Award,” presented for leadership excellence at the CFPB
Recipient, “2016 Director’s Mission Achievement Award,” presented for outstanding team contributions to the CFPB’s mission
Recipient, “2010 Assistant Attorney General’s Special Commendation for Outstanding Service”
- Author, FTC and CFPB Announce New Rules to Tackle Junk Fees, Consumer FinSights, October 16, 2023
- Author, Massachusetts Attorney General Increasing Enforcement in Car Repossession Space, Subject to Inquiry, August 28, 2023
- Author, Real-Estate Agents Who Participate in Joint Ventures Should Be Wary of the CFPB’s Recent Policy Statement on Abusive Conduct, Consumer Finsights, July 11, 2023
- Co-author, "NY State Legislature Dramatically Expand Power Plaintiffs Bar", New York Law Journal, June 15, 2023
- Author, U.S. Department of Education Launches Secret Shoppers Program to Investigate Colleges and Universities, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, March 16, 2023
- Co-author, Count on Continued Enforcement After Fifth Circuit CFPB Decision, Bloomberg Law, November 1, 2022
- Author, CFPB Charges Schools With “Abusive” Act of Denying Academic Transcripts to Students With Debts, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, October 12, 2022
- Author, Opportunity Financial Lawsuit Against California Regulator Continues Fight Over “True Lender” Rule, Consumer FinSights, May 12, 2022
- Author, The CFPB’s Interest in Examining Fintechs Likely Means More Naming and Shaming by the Agency, Subject to Inquiry, April 28, 2022
- Author, Federal Framework for Digital Asset Regulation Comes into Focus, Consumer FinSights, March 15, 2022