When you're harassed by debt collectors, buried in credit report errors, or bombarded by illegal robocalls — you don't just need a lawyer. You need attorneys who wrote the rulebook. Our team of former CFPB, FTC, and state AG regulators has seen every trick in the industry. We know when they're lying. We know when they think they're compliant. And we know exactly how to prove they're not.
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Our senior attorneys spent years inside the agencies that regulate the debt collection and credit reporting industries. We don't guess what's a violation — we know exactly what the standards are, how they're enforced, and precisely where companies cut corners.
Our founding partners led investigations and enforcement actions at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. We've been on the other side of the table — and we know exactly what compliance failures look like when companies think no one is watching.
We prosecuted debt collectors under the FTC before CFPB existed. We understand the internal strategies debt collectors use to appear compliant while still violating consumers' rights — tactics that only insiders would recognize.
Multiple attorneys on our team served in State Attorney General offices running consumer protection divisions. We understand how state law compounds federal liability — and how to maximize every avenue of recovery for our clients.
If you believe your "compliance program" protects you — we've heard that before. We've held Fortune 500 financial institutions, national collection agencies, and major credit bureaus liable for violations they were certain they hadn't committed. Our attorneys will find the violation. We always do.
The FDCPA prohibits abusive, unfair, and deceptive practices by debt collectors. Violations carry statutory damages up to $1,000 per lawsuit plus actual damages and attorney's fees — paid by the debt collector.
Illegal robocalls and auto-dialed texts carry statutory damages of $500–$1,500 per call under the TCPA. If you've received unsolicited calls or texts, the damages can add up to six figures — fast.
Inaccurate credit reporting destroys lives — costing people jobs, homes, and loan approvals. The FCRA gives you powerful rights, and we enforce them aggressively. Willful violations can result in punitive damages.
We don't cherry-pick our results. Below is a representative sample of our case outcomes — including the cases that collectors thought they had locked down.
The collector claimed their scripted call language was fully FDCPA-compliant and had been reviewed by outside counsel. Our team — drawing on direct regulatory experience — identified that their "validation notice" language violated the "overshadowing" prohibition under §1692g(b). When we deposed their compliance officer, the case collapsed within 48 hours.
The defendant's legal team argued their dialing system was not an "Automatic Telephone Dialing System" under FCC regulations — a common and increasingly sophisticated defense post-Facebook v. Duguid. Our attorneys had participated in drafting FCC comment submissions on ATDS definitions. We dismantled their expert and secured a pre-trial settlement.
The credit bureau submitted a 200-page compliance report asserting their automated dispute system met every FCRA standard. Our attorneys — who helped draft the CFPB's examination procedures for credit reporting — identified that the bureau's "automated reinvestigation" was simply forwarding disputes without meaningful review. The jury found willful noncompliance. Punitive damages were awarded on top of actual damages.
The defendant purchased a debt portfolio and argued in good faith that the original creditor had obtained valid consent for the collection terms. We traced the chain of assignment through three portfolio sales and proved the debt was time-barred — and that the collector's attorneys knew it. The court found the lawsuit filing itself was a violation of §1692e(5).
Client received 312 robocalls over 8 months after explicitly revoking consent in writing. The defendant argued the consent revocation was not properly communicated under their "internal opt-out protocols." We subpoenaed their call logs and vendor contracts and demonstrated their opt-out system was deliberately designed to fail. Settlement reached before trial.
Client disputed a fraudulent account for 3 years. Both the furnisher and the credit bureau certified their investigations were "complete." We obtained internal e-mails showing the bank had flagged the account as potential fraud internally — yet continued to verify it as accurate to the bureaus. Case settled with complete deletion and full compensation for denied mortgage and lost income.
The collector had passed two separate compliance audits within the prior year and argued their practices were industry-standard. We demonstrated that "industry standard" is not an FDCPA defense. Their collection letters contained a subtle but material misrepresentation about the consumer's right to dispute — crafted to be just ambiguous enough to evade casual review. We found it. The jury agreed.
The defendant argued they had a "healthcare exemption" under TCPA rules and pointed to FCC guidance to support their position. Our attorneys — one of whom helped shape the FCC's healthcare exemption scope — demonstrated the exemption did not cover balance-due calls of the type placed. The "ironclad exemption" defense failed completely at summary judgment.
Every attorney at Shield Law Group brings government enforcement experience to your case. We've sat across from defendants like yours. We know exactly how they think — and exactly how to beat them.
Led supervisory examination and enforcement actions at the CFPB covering debt collection and credit reporting. Oversaw $800M+ in industry penalties before entering private practice. Recognized by Super Lawyers® six consecutive years.
Spent a decade at the FTC's Division of Financial Practices prosecuting credit reporting violations before joining Shield Law Group. Co-authored published analysis on FCRA reinvestigation standards cited in federal court decisions. Has deposed credit bureau executives at Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian.
Directed the telemarketing and robocall enforcement division of a major State Attorney General's office for 8 years. Personally responsible for injunctions against four of the largest robocall operations in the country. Has testified before Congress on TCPA reform and participates in FCC rulemaking comment proceedings.
Conducted on-site supervisory examinations of debt collection companies at the CFPB, reviewing compliance management systems, call recording archives, and collection letter libraries. Has personally reviewed thousands of debt collector compliance protocols — which is why she can identify a violation in minutes that other attorneys spend months trying to prove.
Tell us what happened. Our attorneys personally review every case — not paralegals, not intake coordinators. If we see a violation, we'll tell you immediately and explain your options.
We secure call recordings, written correspondence, credit reports, and internal company records through discovery. Our regulatory background lets us know exactly what to ask for — and what they don't want us to find.
We file in federal court with precision. Our complaints are thorough, well-documented, and designed to withstand every motion a defendant will throw. Defendants recognize our complaints — and take them seriously.
Whether by settlement or verdict, we fight to maximize your recovery. Under the FDCPA and FCRA, attorney's fees are paid by the defendant — not you. You pay nothing unless we win.
If you are a debt collector, credit bureau, creditor, or their legal counsel reviewing this website: understand that our attorneys have spent years inside the agencies that regulate your industry. We are intimately familiar with every compliance defense your attorneys will raise — because we helped develop the regulatory framework you operate under.
We review compliance documentation, call recording archives, letter templates, and vendor contracts with the trained eye of former regulators. Our discovery requests are surgical. Our depositions are thorough. And our win record speaks for itself.
Every violation has a cost. We make sure you pay it.
In most consumer protection cases, there is absolutely no cost to you unless we win. Under the FDCPA and FCRA, attorney's fees are awarded against the defendant when you prevail — meaning the debt collector or credit bureau pays our fees, not you. We also take TCPA cases on a contingency basis. You risk nothing by calling us today.
The fastest way to find out is through our free case review. Common indicators of a strong case include: receiving calls before 8am or after 9pm, being threatened with lawsuits, receiving robocalls you didn't consent to, having inaccurate information on your credit report that wasn't corrected after a dispute, or being contacted after asking a collector to stop. Even if you're not sure, contact us — many of our strongest cases came from clients who thought they "probably didn't have much."
Yes — and it often strengthens your case. Under the FCRA, disputing directly with the bureau or the furnisher is a prerequisite to certain claims and creates a documented record of their failure to properly investigate. If you've disputed and the error remains, you may already have the foundation for a willful noncompliance finding — which allows for punitive damages in addition to actual and statutory damages.
Of course they will — and some of them genuinely believe it. We've handled dozens of cases where collectors produced compliance audits, outside counsel opinions, and internal policy manuals asserting their full legal compliance. In each case, our regulatory background allowed us to identify violations that less experienced attorneys would have missed. "We were compliant" is something defendants say right up until discovery proves otherwise.
Many of our cases resolve in 3–9 months, particularly FDCPA and TCPA matters where the statutory violations are clear. FCRA cases involving significant actual damages (lost jobs, denied mortgages) may take 12–18 months but often result in higher recoveries. Class actions typically take longer. We will give you an honest timeline assessment during your free consultation.
Absolutely. The FDCPA protects you regardless of whether you actually owe the underlying debt. Even if you owe every penny, collectors must still follow the law. They cannot harass you, lie to you, use unfair practices, or violate your rights. The validity of the debt and the legality of the collection practices are completely separate legal questions. Many of our strongest FDCPA cases involved clients who genuinely owed the debt.
Every day that passes is a day a collector, creditor, or credit bureau continues to profit from violating your rights. Our attorneys are available now for a free, confidential case review. No obligation. No cost. Just answers.