Pilgrim Christakis LLP, a Chicago-based financial services litigation boutique, has announced the promotion of Alan Ritchie to partner. Alan formerly served as an associate at the firm for 5 ½ years. 

Alan joined Pilgrim Christakis after beginning his career at Severson & Werson, PC in Irvine, California. He has been representing the consumer financial services industry in courts and arbitrations around the country for nearly a decade, and regularly represents clients in complex matters involving consumer protection, data privacy and security, and commercial disputes. His clients operate nationwide and include banks, credit card companies, financial technology companies, cryptocurrency exchanges, automotive and personal property finance companies, accounts receivable firms, and mortgage originators and servicers. 
 
“Alan has demonstrated excellence, ingenuity and superior client service since the day he joined the firm,” said partner Katrina Christakis. “He combines exceptional advocacy skills with business acumen, achieving results across the board in the most cost-effective manner. We are thrilled to welcome Alan as a Partner.”
 
Partner Jeff Pilgrim, added, “Our clients, who include some of the world’s most sophisticated financial institutions, require attorneys who understand the complexities of their businesses and the legal and regulatory environment they operate in. Alan is a superbly talented lawyer with keen industry insights that our clients value.”
 
Alan is a frequent presenter at legal and financial services conferences on litigation trends, emerging legal issues, and the impact of recent court decisions. He also has authored articles that have appeared in legal publications regarding consumer class actions, Article III standing, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Truth in Lending Act, and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. 
 
Alan earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Northwestern University (2011), where he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Alan played for the Northwestern University Rugby Football Club for four years and was selected as a United States Rugby Sevens Collegiate All Star in 2009.  
 
Alan then earned his Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, where he was an editor of the Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review, a legal writing tutor, and counseled nonprofit startups on corporate law and tax issues as an intern at the Loyola Nonprofit Tax and Transaction Clinic.  
 
Alan grew up in Sandwich, Illinois, and currently resides in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago. 
 
He is an active member of various professional associations, including the American Bar Association’s Consumer Financial Services Committee, the Conference on Consumer Finance Law, and the Chicago Bar Association, where he currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Consumer Credit Committee. He regularly presents at the Chicago Bar Association and Chicago Public Library’s Law at the Library series. He also is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Mortgage Bankers Association, ACA International, and the Receivables Management Association International. 
 
About Pilgrim Christakis LLP 
Pilgrim Christakis is a Chicago-based litigation boutique representing banks, creditors, financial technology companies, loan servicers, payment processors, and debt collectors in individual and class action cases in state and federal courts around the country.