Consumer finance is one of the most heavily regulated and rapidly changing sectors in the economy. The companies, funds, and policymakers who navigate it well have one thing in common: they have knowledgeable advocates in the room. CivicForm Consulting brings 20 years of consumer finance policy experience — regulator, legislative drafter, advocate — to the companies and institutions shaping this market.
How CivicForm Helps
Coalition-Building & Advocacy Campaigns
Campaigns to advance or defeat legislation don’t win on the merits alone — they win on coalition, strategy, and timing. Brent brings a 20-year track record of spearheading and executing successful state-level advocacy campaigns, both advancing good public policy and defeating ill-considered legislation. Brent is a known and trusted voice among consumer advocates and industry alike.
Rapid Response & Proactive Communications — OpEds, Letters to the Editor & More
When negative media hits, CivicForm can move quickly — developing and deploying disciplined, consumer-aware messaging that reframes the narrative, anticipates adversarial arguments, and positions clients to respond with credibility and control. CivicForm can also work with you on proactive media, which includes any form of writing intended to advance a point of view, including op-eds, letters to the editor, columns, speeches, testimony, reports, position papers, blurbs, and web content.
Legislative Testimony & Public Representation
Legislative testimony, Congressional briefings, and representation at conferences. Also available for expert witness engagements in consumer finance matters. Legislators, advocates, and regulators already recognize Brent because he often helped write the rules they’re considering.
Product Review & Testing
A real-world and practical point of view across the product lifecycle — expansion, new features, interface changes, live deployment — giving your team insights on the users your product is meant to serve.
Industry Forecasting
Regulatory and legislative forecasting for asset managers and institutional investors with exposure to consumer finance markets. CivicForm translates policy signals into actionable intelligence — helping investors understand where regulation is headed before it moves.
Values + Philosophy
“I believe in pragmatic policy — solutions that work for real people in real circumstances, not idealized ones. The choice is between having knowledgeable advocates shaping innovation or leaving that work to others.”
— Brent Adams, Founder
Brent Adams, Founder & Principal
20 years shaping, enforcing, and advocating for fair small business and consumer finance policy in Illinois and nationally.
— Helping, not exploiting, the downtrodden
— Addressing the injustices of the past
— Being honest and kind
— Welcoming healthy debate and disagreement
— Showing courtesy and respect, even in professional disagreement
“CivicForm is selective by design. I’ve spent 20 years fighting predatory practices — I’m not going to undo that with the clients I take. If I’m in the room for you, that means something: the people in that room know I wouldn’t be there otherwise.” Brent Adams
