For Debt Collectors

Attorney Robert Arleo has always strived to ensure that any FDCPA claim he alleged on behalf of a consumer was meritorious. It has always been very important to him to ensure that his consumer clients were the type of persons whom Congress intended to protect when it passed the FDCPA. Attorney Arleo has handled hundreds of FDCPA matters on behalf of consumers since 1993 and he has never been adjudged by any court of commencing an FDCPA lawsuit in bad faith or for the purpose of harassing a debt collector.

Unfortunately, there have been many instances of consumer abuse of the FDCPA during recent years. Instead of using the FDCPA to protect themselves against abusive debt collectors, many consumers have abused the FDCPA for the purposes of obtaining unwarranted money from debt collectors and liquidating legitimately owed personal debts. These consumers are not the “least sophisticated consumer” which the FDCPA is designed to protect. Many of these consumers will seek pre-suit settlements in amounts which are unjustified with full knowledge that the costs of defending an FDCPA lawsuit will more than likely compel the debt collector to settle the claim by paying a legally unjustifiable amount of money just to avoid the "costs of defense."

Attorney Robert Arleo has been successful in deterring consumer attorneys from filing FDCPA lawsuits. He has also been successful in convincing consumer attorneys to dismiss FDCPA lawsuits without any payment by the debt collector.

Please note: Past results do not predict future outcome.

Services offered to debt collectors:

Trial Defense

If an FDCPA lawsuit has completed the discovery phase and has been scheduled for trial attorney Arleo will consider representing a debt collector at trial.

Opposing Motion for Attorney's Fees

If a debt collector is faced with a motion for attorneys fees, and believes that the fee request is excessive and otherwise unwarranted, attorney Arleo will consider assisting a debt collector opposing a fees motion. Attorney Arleo opposed a motion for attorneys fees and costs in a federal FDCPA class action lawsuit against a large collection law firm. The District Court Judge adopted a recommendation by the Magistrate Judge which reduced by 30% the amount of fees sought by the Plaintiff's attorneys. Importantly, the Plaintiff’s attorneys were also prohibited from seeking any further fees despite the fact that the parties had entered into a class settlement agreement and that notice had yet to be sent to a class of approximately 1,500 people.

Realistic Fees

Attorney Arleo charges reasonable flat fees which enables debt collectors to defend FDCPA claims without risking potentially high hourly-billed fees which render fighting FDCPA claims economically unfeasible. Debt collectors should be aware that consumers are well aware of the potential high costs of “by-the-hour” defense fees. In contrast, reasonable flat fees allow debt collectors to defend FDCPA cases and otherwise send a message that they will not be used as an ATM machine for consumers.

Attorney Arleo represents only those debt collectors who are truly interested in engaging in ethical debt collection and complying with the strict mandates of the FDCPA and other consumer protection statutes.

Please note: Past results do not predict future outcome.