We defend consumer finance companies in putative class actions, including prominent mortgage companies, banks and credit card issuers. Our practice is national, embracing nearly all 50 states. We handle the gamut of claims, including ones under TILA, RESPA, FDCPA, FCRA, ECOA, HOEPA, the Fair Housing Act, state unfair and deceptive practices statutes (UDAP), privacy laws and the common law. We also appear regularly as counsel to amicus curiae in important consumer finance cases, including those heard in the United States Supreme Court.

Through our team of industry specialists in Washington and Boston, we have defended over 75 nationwide or statewide putative class actions in the last several years. We are currently assisting clients with the defense of cases under RESPA concerning broker compensation, mortgage insurance and affiliate relationships; actions brought as a result of mortgage payoff-related charges being imposed; suits questioning practices and charges by mortgage and credit card creditors in consumer bankruptcies; so-called predatory lending disputes; and claims under fair lending laws. Many suits we defend present groundbreaking issues with wide industry impact. We also have handled broad challenges to our clients’ practices in particular arenas, including pricing, loan origination, default management, bankruptcy (including reaffirmations), collections and loan foreclosure.

We also provide representation before a variety of administrative agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission and state and local housing discrimination panels.

We do more than litigate. In anticipation of potential litigation, we assist clients with internal investigations, responding to pre-suit demands and developing internal company procedures, including those involving privacy and data security. Our trial lawyers work closely with corporate lawyers in our Boston and Washington offices, adding analysis of business practices and litigation risks to advice about compliance in the particular regulatory environment in which the industry operates.

Industry leaders recognize our expertise. We are often asked to represent amicus curaie parties, including well-known trade associations, and have filed amicus briefs in the United States Supreme Court, many federal circuit courts of appeal and a number of federal district courts. We appear frequently on legal education programs, and have co-chaired several seminars devoted to consumer financial services litigation.