Allison Schoenthal

Allison Schoenthal

PartnerCo-Chair of Banking and Consumer Financial Services
Allison Schoenthal
New York
+1 212 459 7183

Allison Schoenthal is a partner in the firm’s Financial Industry group, Co-Chair of the Banking and Consumer Financial Services practice and the New York head of the Consumer Financial Services Litigation practice. She represents banks, trusts, lenders, government-sponsored enterprises, private equity firms, and loan servicers in consumer finance litigation and enforcement matters.

Allison is known for being “pragmatic in problem-solving litigation” and having “a wealth of knowledge in the consumer finance space,” according to Chambers USA. With more than two decades of experience representing financial services clients, Allison was recognized by The Legal 500 US in 2023 as “one of the best litigators and thought leaders” in consumer finance and “on the regulatory regime where she is the absolute best.”

Her experience includes individual and class action lawsuits, regulatory counseling and investigations, and defending against enforcement actions by state and federal regulators. She has handled more than 1,000 state and federal consumer finance matters, defending clients against claims under RESPA, TILA, FDCPA, TCPA, HOEPA, FCA, DPA, UDAP/UDAAP, among other statutes and laws. Allison and her team have obtained important rulings for financial institutions, and have a favorable track record representing clients in the lending industry.

Experience

Allison’s representative experience includes:

  • Represent banks in class actions and mass arbitrations involving overdraft fees, non-sufficient fund fees, convenience fees, and fee disclosures
  • Represented loan servicer in CFPB investigation and enforcement action and state regulator inquiries relating to loss mitigation practices
  • Successfully resolved HUD inquiries, including discrimination complaints and investigations
  • Create favorable law for lenders in New York state and federal appellate courts in forward and reverse mortgage foreclosure actions
  • Affirmed in Second Circuit dismissal of class action alleging violations of FDCPA due to allegedly misleading debt validation notices*
  • Represented the owner in a multimillion-dollar real estate and construction dispute between contractors, building owners, and investors*
  • Successfully defended, through appeal, precedent-setting class actions concerning validity of automatic renewal and late-fee provisions*
  • Obtained dismissal of a qui tam complaint against loan servicer asserting violations of the retaliation provisions of the False Claims Act and Dodd Frank Act*

*Denotes experience prior to joining Goodwin.

Professional Experience

Prior to joining Goodwin, Allison was most recently a partner at Hogan Lovells in New York, where she built and led the firm’s Consumer Financial Litigation practice.

Professional Activities

Allison is a member of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, where she serves on the New York Foreclosure Task Force and previously served on the E-Discovery Working Group and the Committee on Professional Ethics. She is also a member of the New York State Bar Association.

Allison currently serves on the Banking Editorial Advisory Board for Law360, and on the Board of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA-NYC), an organization that advocates for children and youth in the New York City foster care system, and the Board of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) New York.

Credentials

Education

JD2000

Fordham University School of Law

BA1997

University of Virginia

Admissions

Bars

  • New York

Courts

  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. Supreme Court

Recognition & Awards

For five consecutive years, Allison has been Chambers USA-ranked nationwide for Consumer Finance Litigation. Chambers USA notes that Allison is “very talented and highly competent,” “pragmatic in problem-solving litigation,” and “prides herself on providing the absolute best client service. That means understanding the client’s business to determine the best outcome for the client both legally and business-wise." In 2023 and 2024, Allison was selected as a Next Generation Partner by The Legal 500 US. She has also been recognized as one of Crain’s Notable Women in Law and by Law360 as an MVP for Banking. Allison was also selected to the American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers.

Publications

Allison has been quoted in The New York Times, Newsday, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Inside Mortgage Finance, Law360, and the New York Law Journal on consumer finance and mortgage-related issues and also regularly speaks at key industry conferences. She is also a regular author of thought leadership pieces on consumer finance issues.

Allison’s recent publications include,