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Ethan’s practice focuses on financial services litigation and compliance counseling, as well as digital assets and blockchain technology. With a long track record of successful litigation results across the U.S., both bank and non-bank clients rely on him for comprehensive advice throughout their business cycle.

On October 26, the Eastern District of Wisconsin issued a ruling dismissing a Fair Credit Reporting Act case. In Garland v. Marine Credit Union, the Court granted summary judgment in favor of the debt collector, holding the dispute was a legal issue such that the consumer could not establish a factual inaccuracy in the

On October 29, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals issued a long-awaited ruling in a Fair Debt Collection Practices Act case involving the disclosure of the amount due in a collection letter.  In Derosa v. CAC Financial, the Court affirmed summary judgment in favor of the debt collector and held that, if a debt

On October 18, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington granted a motion to compel arbitration filed by student loan servicer Navient Solutions, LLC because the arbitration provision in the promissory note signed by the plaintiff was broad enough to capture future credit reporting disputes.  The case is Howard v. Navient Solutions

Despite two controlling decisions by the Second Circuit in Avila and Taylor, claims involving the “amount of debt” disclosure under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”) continue to evolve thanks to the relentless efforts by the New York plaintiffs’ bar.  But these permutations of the “amount of debt” claims continue to be successfully

Citing Seventh Circuit precedent, the Eastern District of Wisconsin recently held the broad scope of the Fair Credit Reporting Act’s permissible purpose includes use that disregards an attempted restriction requested by the consumer.

In Long v. Bergstrom Victory Lane, Inc., No. 18-cv-688, 2018 WL 4829192 (E.D. Wis. Oct. 4, 2018), consumer Emily Long alleged

Employers and consumer reporting agencies beware: a change to a commonly used form required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”) becomes effective on September 21, 2018, and the price of non-compliance could be class action lawsuits.

On September 21, 2018, the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act’s changes to the FCRA Summary

Currently, some courts allow borrowers to bring Fair Debt Collection Practices Act claims for non-judicial foreclosures while other courts do not, but that is about to change. On June 28, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the appeal of Dennis Obduskey, a Colorado borrower arguing that the FDCPA should apply to non-judicial foreclosures.

In a case of first impression, the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan held that direct-to-voicemail messages qualify as a “call” under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.  The Court’s opinion thus subjects another modern technology to the requirements of express consent and other strictures of the TCPA.

Defendant debt collector Dyck-O’Neal,

The Southern District of West Virginia recently held that the reporting of an account being paid through a Chapter 13 bankruptcy plan as having an outstanding balance or past due payments does not violate the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Plaintiffs Angela and Robert Barry alleged that Farm Bureau Bank FSB continued to report their account