AttorneysEd Center

Richard Lawson represents clients involved with government regulatory actions and civil litigation. Prior to joining the firm, Richard served the Florida Attorney General as the Director of the Consumer Protection Division, the unit responsible for enforcing Florida’s “little FTC Act,” the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA).

In that role, Richard worked in essentially every aspect of consumer protection, from advertising claims to digital tracking to travel promotions. Richard oversaw the agency’s privacy and data security enforcement actions, and the Division was responsible for enforcing the provisions of Florida’s data protection law. Richard also worked closely with other enforcement entities in the consumer protection arena, including multi-state attorney general investigations, the BBB and its self-regulatory arms, and the FTC. During his tenure, Florida became the first state to receive the FTC’s Partnership Award.

During his time in private practice, Richard has defended companies involved with matters as varied as data breaches, privacy issues with IoT devices, state financial regulatory matters, and telemarketing licensing.

While a native of Florida, Richard has also practiced in New York as a partner with Manatt Phelps & Phillips, an Assistant District Attorney in the Bronx, and as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York. In addition to his time with the Attorney General, Richard’s public service in Florida has also included serving as Deputy Chief of the Economic Crime Unit for the State Attorney’s Office in Tampa, Florida. Throughout his tenure in public service, Richard has tried over 300 nonjury trials and over 50 jury trials, involving issues as varied as racketeering, insurance fraud, identity theft, larceny, and a variety of other general criminal offenses.