Josh Burlingham

Josh Burlingham is a senior attorney in Goodwin’s Financial Services practice and an Editor for the firm’s Financial Services News Roundup, specializing in Fintech and Consumer Financial Services to counsel incumbent and emerging banks, non-depository financial institutions, and fintech clients on consumer financial laws, compliance, and transactional matters.

Josh advises financial institutions, fintechs, mortgage lenders and servicers, credit card issuers, payment providers, lead generation platforms, and other consumer finance companies who are or may become subject to state or federal consumer financial laws to navigate these laws and their related supervisory and enforcement processes. He works closely with clients to develop and implement tailored compliance programs, prepare for regulatory examinations, and manage legal risks related to product development, marketing, servicing, and collections. He also counsels clients on state licensing and regulatory requirements and interactions, including with respect to lender, loan broker, debt collector, and money transmitter licensing laws.

Josh also maintains an active transactional practice, advising clients on the regulatory risks and considerations associated with mergers, acquisitions, and investments in the consumer financial services sector. He conducts regulatory due diligence and negotiates key terms in transactions involving banks, lenders, servicers, fintech platforms, and other financial service providers. In addition, he advises on the structuring and documentation of bank partnerships and third-party service provider relationships, helping clients align their contracts with federal and state regulatory requirements and expectations. Through this work, Josh ensures his clients are positioned to complete transactions efficiently, avoid regulatory pitfalls, and maintain compliance as they scale or evolve their business models.

Before joining Goodwin, Josh served in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) Office of Supervision, Enforcement & Fair Lending (SEFL). There, he led examinations of some of the nation’s largest banks and financial institutions for compliance with federal consumer financial laws, including the Truth in Lending Act (TILA); Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA); Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA); Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA); Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA); Truth in Savings Act (TISA); Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA); Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA); Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA); and the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) regarding unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices (UDAAP). His work also involved evaluating institutions’ compliance management systems (CMS)—board and management oversight, policies and procedures, training, monitoring and audit, consumer complaint response, and third-party service provider oversight—providing supervisory observations and prescribing required corrective action.

Josh received a Client Advocacy Award in 2016 for his work on behalf of clients applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and two awards at the CFPB in recognition of exceptional performance or service.

Josh serves as an Editor for Goodwin’s Financial Services News Roundup, which highlights important legal, regulatory, and business developments related to financial services and banking.

His other recent publications include:

• Author, “Consumer Finance Cos. Must Seriously Consider Complaints,” Law 360, October 2023
• Author, “CFPB Advisory Opinion Details RESPA Implications For Mortgage Comparison Websites,” Westlaw Today, February 2023
• Author, “CFPB Says Creditors Must Provide Reasons For Taking Adverse Action, Even when Relying On AI,” Westlaw Today, June 2022