Experienced Consumer Financial Services Attorney Lori Sommerfield Joins Ballard Spahr in Minneapolis

Lori Sommerfield—a seasoned consumer financial services attorney with over two decades of legal and compliance risk management experience—has joined Ballard Spahr as of counsel in Minneapolis, firm Chair Mark Stewart announced today.

Ms. Sommerfield has a unique background as both an attorney and a senior compliance risk officer for a major bank. She has previously held positions as in-house and outside counsel for both bank and nonbank clients, and she began her career as a staff attorney at the FDIC in Washington, D.C., where she helped to formulate banking policy and regulations. Most recently, Ms. Sommerfield served as Executive Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Consumer Banking at TCF National Bank, a regional bank. Ms. Sommerfield has deep expertise in fair and responsible lending (FRL) issues, and has designed, built, and managed corporate FRL compliance programs for major national lenders.

“Lori’s multidimensional career has given her a vantage point that’s unique in our industry,” said Alan S. Kaplinsky, co-leader of Ballard Spahr’s Consumer Financial Services Group. “She has worked extensively with both banks and nonbanks to help them offer customers a wide array of products and services, and she has recently worked with bank and marketplace lender partnerships to bring online lending products to market. Lori brings to our Group even more depth, especially in the area of fair lending compliance. We’re thrilled to have her on our team.”

Ms. Sommerfield helps clients manage consumer regulatory compliance issues and operational risk concerns such as privacy, vendor management, and e-commerce. She advises clients about the full array of federal and state consumer financial services laws, including unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices laws. She has defended fair lending investigations and enforcement actions by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and U.S. Department of Justice, and has successfully managed client relationships with those agencies, as well as federal and state banking agencies.

The attorneys in Ballard Spahr’s Consumer Financial Services Group—more than 100 across the country—advise on regulatory matters, assist in the design and documentation of credit products, and represent clients in class actions, government regulatory enforcement proceedings, and other lawsuits nationwide. The Group is nationally recognized for excellence and is ranked in the national Band One by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.