Stephen Hayes is a Co-Managing Partner at Relman Colfax. Stephen originally joined the firm in 2011 and returned in 2018 after several years at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). He practices in both the civil rights counseling and litigation groups, with an emphasis on fair lending and fair housing, consumer protection, regulatory compliance, and financial technology issues.

Much of Stephen’s work focuses on encouraging best-in-class practices on a range of civil rights and consumer protection issues, including increasing access to responsible credit for historically underserved populations. Stephen has also represented individuals and organizations in numerous discrimination actions, including as part of a team that successfully advocated on behalf of students in a reverse redlining class action against a for-profit college.

Prior to rejoining the firm, Stephen served in the Legal Division of the CFPB. He contributed to various rulemakings and agency programs, including the payday lending rulemaking, Home Mortgage Disclosure Act rulemakings, and the Bureau’s No-Action Letter program. Stephen also worked on UDAAP, ECOA, FCRA and other supervisory and enforcement actions. He received awards from both the CFPB and the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council. While in law school, Stephen was awarded the John Ordronaux Prize for highest academic average in his class.

Stephen has presented at numerous legal conferences and universities, including at events held by the American Bar Association, American Bankers Association, Consumer Bankers Association, FinRegLab, Mortgage Bankers Association, National Community Reinvestment Coalition, National Consumer Law Center, National Fair Housing Alliance, Practising Law Institute, the Lincoln Commission on Human Rights, and Howard University School of Law.