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Timothy A. Butler

Tim Butler helps companies thrive by developing tailored strategies to address their regulatory compliance challenges and vigorously defending them in government enforcement actions and bet-the-company lawsuits.

A former prosecuting attorney for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and former senior official in the Georgia Attorney General’s Office, Tim has led the defense of dozens of government investigations and enforcement actions brought by the FTC, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and the various state attorneys general. Tim also regularly defends clients in bet-the-company lawsuits, including complex business disputes and consumer class actions alleging privacy, false advertising, and unfair or deceptive business practice claims.

Tim is an experienced guide for companies struggling with regulatory complexity. He offers clear advice that helps his clients meet the demands of the ever-growing set of laws and regulations governing data privacy and cybersecurity, advertising and marketing practices, and consumer financial products and services. Clients rely on Tim’s business-minded and practical strategies to address their most difficult regulatory compliance challenges.

A graduate of the University of Chicago and Stanford Law School, Tim is a prolific author and regularly speaks to industry and trade groups about the evolving privacy landscape, about cutting-edge issues affecting payments and fintech companies, and about developments at the FTC, the CFPB, and within the state attorneys general community.

On July 10, 2026, New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) finalized and adopted its “Click-to-Cancel Rule,” which takes effect on Oct. 1, 2026.

Continue Reading NYC Finalizes Click-to-Cancel and Hotel Junk Fees Rules, Proposes New Junk Fees Rule

President Trump has nominated Brian Johnson, a Capital One executive and former CFPB official, to serve as the Bureau’s next director. His nomination signals continued regulatory restraint at the federal level, while state actors move to fill the enforcement gap.

Continue Reading Brian Johnson Nominated as New CFPB Director

California’s DFPI reached a $1 million settlement with Yotta Technologies over alleged false FDIC insurance representations connected to the Synapse bankruptcy, signaling heightened state scrutiny of fintech-bank partnerships and banking-as-a-service models.
Continue Reading California DFPI Announces $1M Settlement with Yotta for ‘FDIC Insurance’ Misrepresentations

On May 1, 2026, the CFPB finalized a revised Section 1071 rule under ECOA, narrowing covered institutions, products, and required data points from the 2023 Rule, with a single compliance date of Jan. 1, 2028. Financial institutions may wish to begin assessing coverage status and compliance readiness.

Continue Reading CFPB Final Rule Narrows Small Business Lending Data Collection Requirements

On March 12, 2026, the Federal Trade Commission issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking public comment on a proposed rulemaking to address potential unfair or deceptive fee practices in connection with rental housing.

Continue Reading FTC Seeks Comment on Potential Rule to Address Unfair or Deceptive Rental Housing Fee Practices

On Oct. 29, 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) withdrew its proposed rule that would have required certain nonbank financial companies subject to its supervisory jurisdiction to submit annual reports about their use of terms and conditions that attempt to waive or limit consumer rights and protections.
Continue Reading CFPB Withdraws ‘Fine Print’ Rule

Open banking frameworks are transforming how consumer financial data is shared and utilized, thanks to collaboration among financial institutions, technology companies, and regulators. With the CFPB revisiting the 2024 Final Rule under the Dodd-Frank Act, stakeholders are weighing in on the future of consumer data access and financial innovation.
Continue Reading CFPB Reopens Its Open Banking Rule for Comment