LaFonda Willis

LaFonda Willis is an associate in DWT's Banking and Financial Services Practice Group and leverages her business acumen, people skills, and diverse experience to help clients with enforcement, supervisory, regulatory, and litigation matters in the banking, payments, and financial services industries.

Prior to joining DWT, LaFonda was a federal law clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. As a federal law clerk, LaFonda reviewed and analyzed pleadings in administrative, civil, and criminal matters and drafted orders and opinions for cases arising under and implicating federal asset forfeiture statutes, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and the "alphabet soup" of federal consumer financial laws, including the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Unfair, Deceptive, or Abusive Acts or Practices (UDAAP) and similar state statutes, and the Dodd-Frank Act.

Before clerking for federal judges, LaFonda was an honors law clerk at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection, a federal regulator that enforces federal competition and consumer protection laws. She was also a summer associate at the D.C. Office of the Attorney General, the chief legal office of the District of Columbia, charged with enforcing the laws of the District and promoting the public interest. In addition, during law school, LaFonda spent considerable time conducting investigations, drafting motions, and helping clients prepare for depositions and overcome allegations of conspiracy and fraud at the Miami Public Defender's Office, the Federal Public Defender for the District of Columbia, and the Detroit office of the Federal Defender for the Eastern District of Michigan. LaFonda also served as summer counsel at Harvard Law School, where she represented indigent clients in various civil litigation matters before Boston courts.

LaFonda's rich experiences, sharp skill set, and strategic approach to problem-solving empower her to design and deliver thoughtful and creative solutions to the nuanced and complex challenges that clients face.

LaFonda's colleagues in the legal profession describe her as a "true Renaissance woman" who is "extremely intelligent, knowledgeable, and likable." LaFonda's savvy and sophistication also shows up in her diversity, equity, and inclusion work. LaFonda is a past recipient of the GWAC Bar Association's President's Award for her service on the Board of Directors as Law Firm and Corporate Counsel Chair. And in August 2023, she received a Presidential appointment from the first Native American President of the American Bar Association. LaFonda is currently a Special Advisor to the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession, Co-Chair of the ABA Securities Litigation and Consumer Regulatory/Litigation Subcommittees of the Litigation Section's Woman Advocate Committee, and a trusted and active member of the ABA's Business Law Section.