Consumer Fraud Lawyer Interviews

New York, NY: The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been relentless in its pursuit of wrongdoers in the financial industry. Since 2011 it has recovered $975 million in enforcement actions ranging from elaborate investment schemes to financial advisors that work to benefit themselves rather than investors.

Washington, DC: Consumer advocates see potential storm clouds on the horizon and they are standing-at-the-ready to fight any forthcoming threat that might preclude consumers from using class action suits to pursue justice.

Dallas, Texas Veteran attorney Ethan Preston knows the world of class actions very well. He’s successfully represented thousands of people in consumer and small class action lawsuits as a Texas attorney through his firm Ethan Preston Law, where much of his focus is on consumer technology and consumer privacy cases.

Dallas, TX A Dallas doctor decided in 2009 to blow the whistle on a physician over a billing scam that was costing the healthcare system and American taxpayers millions and millions of dollars. Six years later, after a long investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ), Dr. Bijan Oughatiyan’s former employer, IPC Healthcare Inc., was ordered to pay $60 million plus interest, to settle a false claims case brought against the company based on the information the whistleblower doctor provided.

Washington, DC: “We even have qui tam whistleblower cases that involve doctors paying illegal runners to find people who are destitute on Medicare. They get a little treatment but the doctor bills for a lot,” says attorney Jason Brown. “They figure these people won’t complain but employees of that practice will blow the whistle.”

Los Angeles, CA: Several food supplements lawsuits claiming deceptive marketing and labelling have been filed against Jessica Alba’s Honest Company, arguing its products are "falsely" labeled as natural and plant-based. But what does “natural” mean? “From a liability standpoint, I don’t see the merit in these false advertising suits when there is no agreed upon definition of natural in the first place,” says attorney Ann Marie Mortimer, partner at Hunton & Williams law firm.

Regina, SK: Seems everybody from the small-time investor right on up to the office of Canada’s Prime Minister got sucked into a convoluted tax shelter scam that is alleged to have bilked Canadian investors out of billions of dollars.

Washington, DC: Consumers who frequently write checks know there are NSF fees charged when there are insufficient funds in their account to cover a transaction. What they may not know is that instead of their check simply being declined, it can be sent to a check re-presentment (also known as check recovery) company for processing, and the company might be illegally charging them re-presentment fees. Tycko & Zavareei LLP is investigating a possible lawsuit against some companies involved in the re-presentment process, for charging fees without adequately notifying consumers.

Costa Mesa, CA: Tinder, a global dating app’s website, is the focus of a a consumer rights class-action lawsuit launched in California.