LITIGATION FORUM TRACK: FCRA/FDCPA and TCPA (Closed to Media)

Aaron Chastain, AMP

Partner, Bradley

Aaron Chastain is a partner in the Birmingham office of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP and a member of the firm’s Banking and Financial Services Practice Group. He represents a number of financial services companies, including mortgage originators and servicers, student lenders, money transmitters, and banks. Although his background is in litigation, he has developed a significant level of experience with state and federal laws governing financial services companies and often assists his clients with compliance and licensing issues.

Anoush Garakani, Esq.

Partner, Alston & Bird, LLP

Anoush Garakani, co-leader of Alston & Bird’s Consumer Financial Services Team, advises on mortgage banking and consumer finance and concentrates on counseling clients on compliance with federal and state consumer financial protection laws and regulations. He has been recognized since 2021 by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® for his work in Corporate Governance and Compliance Law. Clients trust Anoush’s guidance when facing challenges surrounding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) Mortgage Servicing Rules, Fair Credit Reporting Act, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Truth in Lending Act, and the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. He is experienced with federal and state prohibitions against unfair and deceptive acts or practices and laws and regulations related to mortgage origination and servicing, debt collection, retail installment sales contracts, telemarketing, and use of autodialer systems. Anoush also assists clients with performing regulatory compliance due diligence for investments or acquisitions related to consumer financial products, such as mortgage loans and secured and unsecured consumer loans. Anoush clerked for the Federal Trade Commission’s Division of Financial Practices.

Timothy P. Ofak

Partner, Weiner Brodsky Kider PC

Tim is a Partner with Weiner Brodsky Kider PC. He represents companies in the financial services and mortgage industries nationwide in federal and state litigation and government investigations. Tim’s practice includes general business and commercial litigation, including contract disputes, defending consumer class actions, suits under state consumer protection statutes, and claims under various federal statutes, including the False Claims Act, HMDA, CFPA, RESPA, TILA, FCRA, TCPA, FDCPA, EFTA, and PFCRA. Tim also advises clients in connection with investigations and enforcement actions brought by federal and state agencies, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Mark E. Rooney, Esq.

Partner, Hudson Cook, LLP

Mark helps consumer finance companies address and resolve contentious consumer disputes through negotiated settlements, arbitration, and individual and class litigation. He has defended clients in litigation and arbitration arising under a wide variety of state and federal consumer protection statutes including the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Fair Housing Act (FHA), Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA), state unfair and deceptive practices laws, and other consumer protection laws. His clients include debt collectors, banks, mortgage servicers, and auto and installment lenders. Mark also regularly assists clients in response to government agency investigations and enforcement actions, primarily before the CFPB.