Richard Lawson

Richard Lawson is from Tampa, Florida, and serves as Executive Director of the Constitutional Litigation Partnership. During the last 20 years, Lawson has handled cases involving fraudulent and deceptive practices across the county. He is an experienced litigator who has tried more than 50 jury trials, and clients facing complex legal challenges are able to draw on his years of courtroom experience to successfully navigate the most complex civil disputes and government investigations. Before joining AFPI, Lawson served in the Office of the Florida Attorney General as the Director of the Consumer Protection Division. This unit is responsible for enforcing Florida’s “little FTC Act,” the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA). In this role, Lawson handled matters as diverse as deceptive marketing, enforcement of financial regulations, and data security. He also worked closely with other state attorney general offices and the Federal Trade Commission; during his tenure, Florida became the first state to receive the FTC’s Partnership Award. Though a native of Florida, Lawson has also practiced in New York as a partner with a national law firm, 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, Lawson’s public service in Florida also included serving as Deputy Chief of the Economic Crime Unit for the State Attorney’s Office in Tampa, Florida. Lawson is admitted to practice law in Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia. In his free time, Lawson enjoys reading history books, listening to operas, and chauffeuring his three children to their various engagements.