Photo of Julie D. Hoffmeister

Julie is a partner primarily focusing on financial services litigation. She defends consumer-facing companies of all types in individual claims and class actions, including claims under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). Julie also applies her litigation knowledge in assisting businesses in developing compliance processes and procedures for the myriad federal consumer protection laws.

On August 15, 2017, the Ninth Circuit issued its decision on remand in Spokeo, reversing and remanding the case to the District Court after finding that the named Plaintiff, Thomas Robins, has standing to pursue his claims.

Background

In Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins, Plaintiff Robins sued the “people search engine” for alleged violations

On August 4, the Brooklyn Events Center, LLC d/b/a Barclays Center, Levy Premium Foodservice Limited Partnership, and Professional Sports Catering LLC were hit with a putative class action alleging that the businesses use discriminatory criminal history screening policies to deny employment to qualified job applicants.

According to the complaint, the named plaintiff, Felipe

The New Jersey legislature recently passed a bill that places restrictions on retailers’ ability to collect and use personal information gleaned from driver’s licenses.  The bill, known as the Personal Information and Privacy Protection Act, is intended to give consumers more control and security over their personal information.  A copy of the bill can be

In a long-running Telephone Consumer Protection Act class action, Missouri District Judge Catherine Perry recently granted defendant Vein Centers for Excellence Inc.’s motion to decertify the class. 

As background, Vein Centers is a marketing firm that provides graphic design and other services to doctors.  The named plaintiff, St. Louis Heart Center, Inc., filed this putative

The Cheesecake Factory Restaurants, Inc. recently asked a New York federal district judge to dismiss a putative Fair and Accurate Transactions Act putative class action that accuses the restaurant chain of printing too many credit card numbers on consumers’ receipts.  Relying on the Supreme Court’s decision in Spokeo, Cheesecake Factory argues that the class

A Wisconsin federal magistrate judge denied the United States Postal Services’ attempt to dismiss a Fair Credit Reporting Act putative class action, holding that the plaintiff’s complaint sufficiently alleged an injury-in-fact. 

According to the complaint, plaintiff Rondo Tyus applied for a security clearance to work at the USPS.  The USPS obtained a criminal background report,

In what appears to be never-ending litigation, a New Jersey Federal District Court upheld a plaintiff’s summary judgment motion on remand from the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, holding that the defendant law firm’s lack of attorney meaningful involvement created a particularized and concrete injury sufficient for the plaintiff to maintain

According to a new class action Complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, Discover Bank (“Discover”) and Kohn Law Firm S.C. (“Kohn”) violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) by publishing consumers’ credit scores as part of state court collection actions

On May 23, 2017, in Whalen v. Michaels Stores, Inc., the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued a summary order affirming the district court’s dismissal of a putative data breach class action based on lack of Article III standing.

As background, the named plaintiff Mary Jane Whalen made credit card purchases

On April 7, defendants Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, Inc. and ZMF Restaurants LLC again urged a New York federal court judge to dismiss a Fair and Accurate Transactions Act putative class action based on the Supreme Court’s decision in Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins. 

In Fullwood v. Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, Inc., plaintiff Cynthia Fullwood alleged