John Cole Gayle, Jr.: Consumer Law Pioneer

A lifelong resident of Virginia, John Cole Gayle, Jr., attended Hampden Sydney College. After graduating cum laude with a B.A. in 1976, John attended T.C. Williams Law School at the University of Richmond, where he won the Barnett Moot Court Competition and was a member of the school's National Moot Court team. He passed the Virginia Bar in 1979.

As a young attorney, John began working for the legal concerns of everyday people, quickly discovering that many laws left those who needed legal help the most with little legal recourse against wealthy corporate defendants.

John founded his law firm, The Consumer Law Group, P.C. of Richmond, Virginia, in 2003.  He is a nationally known expert on Consumer Law.  He has concentrated his practice in consumer law for over 30 years.  His practice primarily involves the Lemon Law, fraudulent contracts, consumer credit problems, debt problems, and he has an active Fair Debt Collection Practices Act practice as well. 

John is the author of the 1988, 1990, and 1998 legislative amendments of the Motor Vehicle Warranty Enforcement Act (Virginia's Lemon Law).  He has written articles on Virginia's Lemon Law for various periodicals and testified before the Virginia General Assembly General Laws Subcommitees.  He is also a frequent teacher for continuing legal education programs on consumer law, lemon law, and litigation for the Virginia CLE, he has lectured on miscellaneous automobile issues at both National Consumer Law Center conference and the National Association of Consumer Advocates (NACA) conferences.  He has also appeared on local and national TV and radio programs on numerous occasions and appeared on ABC World News Tonight regarding the problems with arbitration agreements in a news piece entitled, "The Fine Print", he has also appeared on America Now.

He is chair of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association Legislative Subcommittee on Consumer Law and is the State Coordinator of Virginia for the National Association of Consumer Advocates.  He is a past vestryman of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, where he facilitates adult Christian education classes and is on the Outreach and Adult Christian Education Committees.  He enjoys all outdoor activities, including tennis, squash, (his wife will no longer let him ride bikes), and hiking.  He is married to Lora Lenhart Gayle, has two children, Lia and Cole, dogs - Anna and Ranger and Socks the cat. 

 

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