FCRA Case Valuation eCourse Part 1: What is my Credit Reporting Case Worth?

Justin Baxter is an AV rated trial lawyer with Baxter & Baxter, LLP, in Portland. He received an $18.5 million verdict against Equifax, a $200,000 verdict against Equifax, a $95,000 verdict against TRS Home Furnishings under the Oregon Unlawful Debt Collection Practices Act, and a $100,000 verdict against a debt buyer and collection law firm under the FDCPA.

Suzanne Begnoche represents plaintiffs in matters involving identity theft, security breaches, unfair credit reporting, and unfair debt collection. Now in private practice, she was previously a staff attorney handling consumer matters at Legal Aid of North Carolina.  She is a graduate of Duke University and University of North Carolina School of Law. 

Penny Hays Cauley (Samford University, J.D.) has been representing consumers for twenty years. In 2006, she opened Hays Cauley, P.C., a law firm dedicated to representing consumers, with a particular focus in fair credit reporting, fair debt collection practices, and TCPA claims. She was lead counsel in Jamon Brim v. Midland Credit Management, Inc., a §1681s-2(b) claim, which resulted in a jury verdict of $100,000 in compensatory damages and $623,180 in punitive damages for violations of the FCRA.

David Chami is the managing partner for the Price Law Group. Under his supervision, the firm files hundreds of cases each year under the FCRA, FDCPA, and Bankruptcy Discharge violations.  In the past two years, David has argued in front of the 6th Circuit, 8th Circuit, and 9th Circuit courts of appeal obtaining reversals of summary judgment or motions to dismiss in five of the seven appeals in addition to the reversal that his firm obtained in Losch v. Experian in the 11th Circuit. 

Jared Lee is the managing partner at Jackson Lee. He’s served as the chair of Florida’s Consumer Protection Committee. Jared attended Florida State College of Law. He’s had the privilege to represent consumers in obtaining sizable recoveries through trial, arbitration, and settlement, including multiple seven-figure outcomes. Jared serves as an adjunct professor for the Florida State University College of Law Juris Master program.

Alexis Lehmann was an attorney at Francis Mailman Soumilas, P.C., who represented individual consumers’ rights under the FCRA and the FDCPA. Alexis is also an active member on the Executive Board for the Justice Rising Advocates. Prior to joining the firm, Alexis worked as a civil litigator for local and state law enforcement officers handling cases under Title VII, The Americans With Disabilities Act, The Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the First Amendment Free Speech and Petition clause.

Hans Lodge is senior counsel at Berger Montague, leading the firm’s individual FCRA practice. Hans has litigated numerous individual and class cases throughout the country. Hans is a zealous advocate and is dedicated to protecting the rights of consumers in and out of court. Hans assists consumers who have been denied jobs or housing due to inaccurate criminal history information reporting in their employment and tenant screening background check reports. Hans also assists consumers who have been denied credit due to inaccurate information reporting in their credit reports. Hans is an aggressive and strategic litigator who has a reputation of working tirelessly to get favorable outcomes for his clients.

Matthew Loker is the founder of Loker Law, APC and is Professor of Contracts at the San Luis Obispo College of Law. Prior to moving to California, Matthew attended the University of Toledo in Ohio where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Law and Social Thought with a concentration in Spanish. Immediately after obtaining his undergraduate degree, Matthew went to law school at California Western School of Law. While there, Matthew served as the President of the Entertainment & Sports Law Society as well as Vice President of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Society. In practice, 100% of the cases handled by Loker Law, APC are consumer related. Said cases range from defending consumers that have been sued by creditors or debt collectors to large Multi-District Class Actions. Specifically, a majority of Matthew’s practice focuses on the FDCPA, the FCRA, the TCPA, California’s Identity Theft Act, and false advertising claims.

Tony Love founded Love Consumer Law (LCL) to provide Georgia consumers with the legal protection and representation they are entitled to and deserve. He has over 28 years of litigation experience in state and federal courts throughout the United States. He represented one of the country’s largest consumer reporting agencies in several thousand Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) cases over twenty years. He was a member of the trial practice groups of several major law firms, including over fourteen years with King & Spalding. Tony has represented clients in FCRA and personal injury jury trials through verdict. In addition to his decades-long experience in the credit reporting field, Tony has also handled personal injury cases for both plaintiffs and defendants and served as in-house counsel for a mortgage servicing company. Tony received his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and his law degree from Georgia State College of Law.

Mark D. Mailman has concentrated his practice in consumer protection litigation since co-founding his firm, Francis & Mailman, P.C. in 1998. Mark has litigated thousands of FCRA and FDCPA cases. He has been certified to serve as class counsel by state and federal courts in both contested and settlement class actions. In October 2018, Mark was awarded the 2018 Consumer Attorney of the Year award from NACA.

Craig Marchiando focuses his practice on representing consumers in lawsuits brought under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Litigating mainly class action cases, Craig has represented thousands of consumers in successfully obtaining benefits under the FCRA’s broad protections and has been appointed class counsel by numerous courts across the country. In 2019 alone, Craig’s cases have yielded more than $5 million in relief to nationwide classes of consumers. Craig has also handled all aspects of individual FCRA cases, from client intake, to discovery and motions practice, to trials and post-trial proceedings.

Evan S. Rothfarb is an accomplished litigator whose complex litigation experience includes both class action lawsuits and multi-district litigation. Evan is a graduate of Cornell Law School. He began his legal career as an associate in a small New York City litigation firm, specializing in commercial litigation and class actions. Subsequently, he founded a litigation firm, where he represented individuals and businesses in a variety of commercial actions. In 2017, Evan brought his considerable litigation skills to Schlanger Law Group, putting his extensive experience to work in the consumer protection, identity theft, and consumer class action arenas.

As founder of the Law Office of Adam G. Singer, PLLC, Adam has focused his practice on helping consumers enforce their Fair Credit rights.  Most frequently, Adam's cases involve the defamatory fallout from negative credit reporting that arises from identity theft or mixed files.   Adam earned a B.A., summa cum laude at Washington University and a J.D., cum laude at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.  Adam began his legal career as a law clerk to the Hon. Sidney H. Stein, U.S.D.J. in the S.D.N.Y. and as an associate at the law firms of Skadden Arps and Akin Gump before starting his own consumer practice.  

Stephanie Tatar has been a consumer advocate since graduating cum laude from DePaul University, College of Law. Prior to founding The Tatar Law Firm, Ms. Tatar gained extensive litigation and appellate experience with firms in Chicago and Los Angeles. During her career, she has successfully fought debt collectors, credit reporting agencies, creditors, manufacturers, and car dealers.

Courtney Weiner is a solo practitioner representing consumers primarily in Washington, DC and Maryland in consumer finance matters, including FCRA, FDCPA, RESPA, TILA, and student loans. Prior to opening her firm, Courtney honed her litigation skills in a variety of settings, ranging from the U.S. Department of Justice to some of the top litigation firms in the country. Courtney is a member of the boards of Tzedek DC, the DC Bar, and the DC Bar Pro Bono Center. Courtney graduated from Columbia Law School and Princeton University and is a native of Washington, DC.