Practice Chair

Sarah Auchterlonie

Shareholder

Background

Authority on consumer finance regulation and law. Decades of government bank regulatory service. Develops multidisciplinary solutions for consumer finance companies and banks. 

As chair of the firm’s Consumer Protection Group and with deep understanding of consumer finance law and markets, Sarah Auchterlonie ensures that transactions and consumer product offerings achieve her clients’ compliance, effectiveness and growth goals. As an advocate in Congress or with federal and state agencies, she brings decades of experience working with federal and state financial services and antitrust regulators. In litigation, Sarah has successfully tried and resolved cases in administrative, federal and state venues, and also provides expert testimony on consumer finance topics. Her strong technical skills in data science, economics and finance uniquely suit her to advising cutting-edge companies in complex financial markets. Whether she is developing contracts, policies and procedures, or advising consumer finance companies in investigations, licensing, investments, financing or mergers and acquisitions, Sarah brings creativity and a lexicon of consumer finance legal knowledge to bear for her clients.

A respected thought leader on consumer finance and banking, Sarah sits on the Colorado Banking Board, the supervisory authority over Colorado-chartered banks, trusts and money transmitters. She is also the co-author of the legal treatise, Consumer Finance Law and Compliance, published by BNA. Previously, she was a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Thrift Supervision in Washington, D.C. during the financial crisis and an acting deputy enforcement director and one of the founding employees of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Practices:

Industries:

TRENDING ISSUES:

Representative Matters

  • Advised  a regional retailer in a matter with the Colorado Attorney General’s Uniform Consumer Credit Code Administrator in an investigation regarding its “house account” loans and another retailer with regard to installation practices and insurance. In both instances, the UCCC Administrator closed the examinations after she agreed that the practices in question complied with the Code and applicable federal law.

  • Advise a cryptocurrency trading and portfolio management platform in its licensing, compliance management, examinations and regulatory inquiries with issues involving securities, BSA/AML, money transmissions, and consumer protection.

  • Advised a nationwide debt buyer in a matter with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that resulted in a consent order related to the debt collection activities of third party agencies. We advocated that the client’s own collection practices were compliant and that its past third party oversight failures were due a former executive. In addition, we advise several other firms in the mortgage, credit rehabilitation, home renovation loan, and debt collection industries on investigations and regulatory relations with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

 

Insights & Publications

Insights & Publications

Credentials

Education

  • J.D., 2002, Washington University in St. Louis School of Law
  • B.L.S., 1998, University of South Dakota, Phi Beta Kappa

Admissions

  • Colorado
  • Washington, D.C.
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C.
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas

Community Involvement

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Board of Directors, Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver

Board Chair, Board of Directors, Colorado State Banking Board

Former Adjunct Professor, Sturm College of Law, University of Denver

Former Cub Scout Den Leader, Boy Scouts of America

Recognition

AWARDS

“Sarah’s an encyclopedia on consumer finance.”– Chambers USA, 2025

“Sarah is really great to work with; she’s very knowledgeable, responsive and pragmatic.” “Sarah Auchterlonie is extremely knowledgeable. She provides options where applicable, always listing the associated risk, if any. She’s a forward thinker, understanding our industry and future potential issues.” – Chambers, USA, 2023

5280 Top Lawyers, 2025

The Best Lawyers in America, 2021-2026

Chambers USA, 2023-2025

Meet more team members