Consumer & Commercial Litigation
Ulmer & Berne provides in-depth litigation expertise to financial service providers in all aspects of consumer and commercial litigation. We have represented clients in virtually every type of consumer and financial litigation, including truth-in-lending and consumer disclosure, financial privacy, credit reporting and identity theft, federal preemption, electronic delivery of consumer financial services, credit discrimination, residential and commercial real estate and secured lending, secured financing, unfair or deceptive practices, deposit products and payment systems, commercial lending law and lender liability.
Because our litigators deal with financial institutions on a regular basis, we are adept at addressing the unique structural, regulatory and document production and retention issues that face financial institutions in litigation. We strive to provide quick answers to legal questions and informed strategic advice with less research time.
Ulmer & Berne also represents financial institutions in their trustee capacities, both as personal and as indenture trustees. Our trust litigation experience includes claims for breach of fiduciary duty, violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, trustee negligence and breach of contract.
Examples of our recent matters include:
- Obtained favorable jury verdict on behalf of national bank defendant on claims of aiding and abetting a Ponzi scheme after defeating motion for class certification and obtaining dismissal on preliminary motion of seven other defendant banks and financial institutions on $65 million UCC and conspiracy to defraud claims in federal court action arising from handling of customer accounts.
- Obtained dismissal of FDCPA and state RICO claims in putative class action against a financial institution and its attorneys alleging irregularities in state court foreclosure actions.
- Secured the dismissal on a preliminary motion of four national banks and their holding companies in multi-million dollar putative class action involving National Bank Act preemption issues arising from claims that defendant banks improperly charged fees in garnishment proceedings in violation of state law.
- Obtained dismissal on motion of putative class action alleging violations of Ohio UCC and Retail Installment Sales Act in auto repo activities on basis of federal preemption.
- Successfully defended national bank in multistate litigation by 300 individual plaintiffs alleging securities violations and fraud arising from bank’s loans to investors in defunct company.
- Successfully represented a large national bank in putative class action alleging violations of the Electronic Funds Transfer Act (EFTA); all claims dismissed at summary judgment stage by district court and affirmed by Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
- Successfully represented a large national bank and its executives accused of causing $40 million+ in damages to a major customer based on alleged violations of various federal securities laws and lending laws in Seattle state court suit.
- Defended a national banking institution accused of breach of fiduciary duty under ERISA for failing to timely invest participants’ contributions to the pension and profit sharing plan of a major insurance company.
Ulmer Partner Frances Floriano Goins Published in Law360 on Election Litigation
In a recent Law360 article, Ulmer Partner Frances Floriano Goins discusses the lawsuits that the Trump campaign and the Republican Party have filed in swing states to challenge majority vote counts and the myth that the U.S. Supreme Court is the final arbiter of disputed presidential election results. To read...
November 12, 2020
Booker T. Coleman, Jr. Promoted to Counsel
Ulmer & Berne LLP is pleased to announce the promotion of Booker T. Coleman, Jr. to Counsel, effective January 1, 2020. Coleman is a business litigator based in the firm’s Chicago office. “Since joining Ulmer, Booker has demonstrated his dedication to our clients and his skill in helping them with their critical...
December 19, 2019
Ulmer Announces Election of Three New Partners
Ulmer & Berne LLP is pleased to announce the election of three partners to the firm, effective January 1, 2020. This class of new partners includes attorneys with backgrounds in diverse legal disciplines and who reflect Ulmer’s commitment to providing sophisticated advice and counsel. “We are happy to welcome Kristin,...
November 20, 2019
Frances Floriano Goins Elected to Beck Center for the Arts Board of Directors
Ulmer & Berne LLP is pleased to announce that Partner Frances Floriano Goins has been elected to the Board of Directors of Beck Center for the Arts, a nonprofit performing arts and arts education organization dedicated to inspiring and enriching the quality of life for Northeast Ohioans. Beck Center for the Arts...
July 31, 2019
Judge Rules FINRA Lacks Jurisdiction in Futures Clearing Firm Arbitration
From Ulmer’s Broker-Dealer Law Corner Blog By Kenneth F. Berg I am fortunate to have Ken Berg, a commodities regulatory guru, just down the hall from me, so I’ve never had to learn that stuff too well. But, here, as you will see, there can be considerable overlap between the securities and the...
June 19, 2019
Ulmer Attorneys Selected to 2019 Illinois Super Lawyers List
Ulmer & Berne LLP is pleased to announce that five attorneys from its Chicago office have been selected to the 2019 list of Illinois Super Lawyers. The list features the top attorneys in the state, chosen for their demonstrated excellence in the practice of law. Of those named from Ulmer,...
January 24, 2019
Frances Floriano Goins Interviewed in Global Data Review on Possible Facebook FTC Scrutiny
Ulmer Partner Frances Floriano Goins was recently interviewed for a Global Data Review article entitled, “Facebook could face FTC scrutiny, say privacy lawyers.” Goins provided her insights following The New York Times’ discovery that Facebook has been giving other companies access to users’ personal data and whether this violated Facebook’s...
January 03, 2019
Booker Coleman Appointed to Chicago Bar Association’s Judicial Evaluation Committee
Ulmer & Berne LLP is pleased to announce that Booker T. Coleman, Jr. has been appointed to serve on the Investigative Division of the Chicago Bar Association’s (CBA) Judicial Evaluation Committee (JEC). The JEC provides an invaluable service to the bench, the bar, and the public through its evaluations of...
December 17, 2018
Ken Berg Quoted in Law360 on Lorenzo Case
With Justice Brett Kavanaugh recusing himself from the Lorenzo case, which involved forwarded misstatements before the U.S. Supreme Court, attorneys paid close attention to Monday’s oral arguments for any unexpected leanings by the other eight justices. Please click here to read what experts, including Ulmer Partner Kenneth F. Berg, paid...
December 03, 2018
Ulmer is pleased to announce that Partner Paul R. Harris has been appointed president of the Saint Ignatius High School Alumni Executive Council for 2018-2019. Harris’ commitment to his alma mater and other organizations in Cleveland is reflective of Ulmer’s broad dedication to improving the communities in which we live....
September 26, 2018
Ulmer Partner Marvin L. Karp to Receive 2018 Ritter Award from the Ohio State Bar Foundation
Prestigious award honors Karp’s lifetime of service in the practice of law Ulmer & Berne LLP is proud to announce that Retired Partner Marvin L. Karp has been selected as the winner of the coveted Ritter Award for 2018 by the Ohio State Bar Foundation (OSBF). The award is the highest honor...
September 25, 2018
For five years in a row, Ulmer & Berne LLP partner Frances Floriano Goins has been recognized as one of the nation’s top female litigators by being named in Benchmark’s Top 250 Women in Litigation. This year Goins is recognized as one of only five female litigators in the state of Ohio to...
August 30, 2018
Ulmer Partners Named to Benchmark Litigation’s 40 & Under Hot List 2018
Paul Harris and Joshua Klarfeld Recognized Among Nation’s Best Up-And-Coming Litigators Ulmer & Berne LLP proudly announces that two of its partners, Paul R. Harris and Joshua A. Klarfeld, have been named to Benchmark Litigation’s “40 & Under Hot List 2018.” This marks the second year in a row that...
August 07, 2018
D.C. Circuit Decision Restricts TCPA Litigation
In a highly anticipated decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Court recently issued a groundbreaking decision that impacts Telephone Consumer Sales Practices Act of 1991 (TCPA) litigation. At issue in the appeal was the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 2015 Omnibus Declaratory Ruling and Order (FCC’s 2015...
March 20, 2018
House Passes Package of Mortgage Bills Including Changes to TRID and “Madden Fix”
Congress voted largely along party lines to pass two bills on February 14 that impact the mortgage industry. The first consisted of a package of revisions to existing rules, including the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (“RESPA”). The second resolved an issue related to secondary mortgage market sales. TRID Improvement...
February 19, 2018
Ken Berg Quoted in Investment News and Pensions & Investments for his Expert Opinion on SEC Issues
Ulmer Partner, Ken Berg, is in the news. Ken is quoted in the Investment News article, “Supreme Court review of SEC judges could roil pending cases.” The article describes how a Supreme Court case on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s use of internal judges could put more than 100 pending...
January 22, 2018
Goins Receives 2017 Diversity Award from the Diversity Law Institute
Ulmer Partner Frances Floriano Goins received a 2017 Diversity Award from the Diversity Law Institute (DLI). The presentation was made on November 3 at the 2017 Diversity Law Institute Summit & Awards in Philadelphia. DLI Diversity Awards are given annually to a select number of individuals, law firms and companies...
November 21, 2017
Senate Votes to Block CFPB Arbitration Rule
On Tuesday, the Senate, with a tie breaking vote from Vice President Pence, voted to block the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) Arbitration Rule. The Arbitration Rule would have barred companies from requiring consumers to enter into new contracts after March 2018 that contained mandatory arbitration clauses. The CFPB promulgated...
October 26, 2017
Arbitration Rule Now Effective
Despite initial criticism, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) Arbitration Rule became effective on Monday, September 18, 2017. Compliance with the rule will be required March 19, 2018. While companies will have until March 2018 to comply with the Rule, once a rule goes into effect, the only way to...
September 19, 2017
Benchmark Litigation Recognizes Three Ulmer Attorneys Among Elite in Latest Rankings
Ulmer & Berne LLP partner Frances Floriano Goins was named to the Benchmark Top 250 Women in Litigation. Ulmer partners Paul R. Harris and Joshua A. Klarfeld were included in Benchmark’s Under 40 Hot List 2017. Individual recognition for Goins, Harris, and Klarfeld comes on the heels of Ulmer’s department-wide...
August 03, 2017
Congress, OCC and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at Odds Over New Arbitration Rule
On Monday, the acting head of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Keith Noreika, requested that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) delay publishing its final Arbitration Rule. Noreika requested the delay to review whether the new rule and the threat of increased class actions will present a...
July 18, 2017
SCOTUS Clarifies Definition of “Debt Collectors” in Santander
In a recent unanimous decision the United States Supreme Court held that a company that collects purchased debts is not subject to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”). Henson et al. v. Santander Consumer USA Inc. Writing for the Court, Justice Gorsuch focused on the statutory language of the FDCPA...
June 13, 2017
The Financial Choice Act—Much Ado About Nothing
From Ulmer’s Broker Dealer Law Corner Blog While most of DC was watching the Comey hearing, the House of Representatives passed the Financial CHOICE Act, which would significantly alter the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Dodd-Frank created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The Financial CHOICE Act...
June 09, 2017
Important U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Clarifies Proper Pursuit of Debt in Bankruptcy Proceedings
Debt collectors scored a win on Monday when the United States Supreme Court ruled that pursuing stale debt is not a violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”). The case of Midland Funding LLC v Aleida Johnson addressed an ongoing issue for creditors, debt collectors and consumers. As debts age,...
May 18, 2017
Unsolicited Contact Alone Creates Concrete Harm to Consumers
The consumer class action landscape changed radically last May following the United States Supreme Court ruling in Spokeo v. Robins that plaintiffs must establish concrete harm and not rely solely on statutory violations to support their standing to sue in federal court. Absent a concrete injury, a party cannot maintain a claim...
April 26, 2017
Latest CFPB Report Reveals Consumers’ Steady Focus on Mortgage Issues
Earlier this month, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued its monthly complaint snapshot report, which highlights consumer complaints about the mortgage servicing industry. The CFPB publishes these reports on a monthly basis, providing information about complaint volume and listing complaints by industry and state. Through January 1, 2017, the...
February 23, 2017
CFPB Survey Sheds Light on Consumers’ Views of Collections
Ulmer Client Alert In the first ever survey of its kind, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) asked nearly 11,000 consumers about their experiences with collections over the past year. Twenty percent of the consumers surveyed responded and provided unique insights into the American consumer’s view of the debt collection...
January 17, 2017
Ulmer Expands Consumer & Commercial Litigation and Financial Regulatory Team
Ulmer & Berne LLP is pleased to announce the additions of George Hicks and Jennifer Monty Rieker as Counsel in its Consumer & Commercial Litigation Practice. Based in Ulmer’s Cleveland office, both attorneys joined the firm from the Cleveland office of Weltman, Weinberg & Reis, Co., LPA. “George and Jennifer...
January 11, 2017
Ulmer & Berne Attorneys Mentioned in Coverage of Alcohol Content Litigation
“Anheuser-Busch Win in Alcohol Content Suit Affirmed,” Law360 March 22, 2016 “Anheuser-Busch Freed from Watered-Down Beer MDL,” Law360 June 2, 2016
June 02, 2016
Ulmer & Berne is ranked in 39 categories in the 2016 U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” rankings. Among these, the firm earns U.S. News – Best Lawyers highest rankings in 21 categories. The firm also ranks nationally in 16 categories. Firms included in the 2016 “Best Law...
November 02, 2015
Six Ulmer & Berne Attorneys Recognized as Benchmark Litigation Stars
Ulmer & Berne announces that six of the firm’s partners have been recognized in the 2016 edition of Benchmark Litigation as “State Litigation Stars,” a designation given to those individuals who were recommended consistently as reputable and effective litigators by clients and peers. The following Ulmer & Berne attorneys were...
October 15, 2015
New Leadership Energizes Ulmer & Berne’s Nationally Recognized Business Litigation Department
[View Video] Tapping its pipeline of trial-tested litigators, Ulmer & Berne is announcing that three accomplished partners will lead the firm’s respected Business Litigation Practice Group. Cleveland-based partners Jeffrey S. Dunlap and Paul R. Harris will serve as Co-Chairs alongside Cincinnati-based partner Robin D. Miller, who will act as Vice...
August 13, 2015
Ulmer & Berne Earns Top Rankings in Chambers USA
Ulmer & Berne is recognized for the 13th consecutive year as a leading law firm in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. In the 2015 edition, Chambers USA recognizes 14 of the firm’s partners, including a Band 1 ranking for Michael N. Ungar, chair of Ulmer & Berne’s Litigation...
May 19, 2015
Ulmer & Berne Attorneys Recognized as Benchmark Litigation Stars
Ulmer & Berne LLP announces that four of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized in the 2015 edition of Benchmark Litigation as “State Litigation Stars.” The following Ulmer & Berne attorneys were selected in their jurisdictions: Frances Floriano Goins – State Litigation Star-Cleveland Jeffrey F. Peck – State Litigation Star-Cincinnati...
September 17, 2014
Michael Ungar Featured in Cleveland Jewish News
“Michael Nathan Ungar | Ulmer & Berne LLP” Cleveland Jewish News January 15, 2015 Perennial Super Lawyer Michael Nathan Ungar considers settlement of a dispute embroiling Case Western University among his most memorable cases of 2014. Read the full article »
January 15, 2015
Ulmer & Berne LLP is ranked in 40 categories in the 2015 U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” rankings. Among these, the firm earns U.S. News – Best Lawyers’ highest ranking in 23 categories. The firm also ranks nationally in 17 categories. Ulmer & Berne achieved a “Metropolitan Tier...
November 03, 2014
BTI Consulting Group Ranks Ulmer & Berne a “Litigation Powerhouse”
Ulmer & Berne LLP has been ranked within the top 10 percent of all law firms by The BTI Consulting Group, one of the nation’s leading legal industry research firms, in their recently published 2015 BTI Litigation Outlook report. The firm was selected as a “Litigation Powerhouse” and is named...
October 23, 2014
Ulmer & Berne Named Ohio Firm of the Year by Benchmark Litigation
Ulmer & Berne LLP was named 2014 Ohio Firm of the Year by Benchmark Litigation at the second annual Benchmark Litigation US Awards held at the Essex Hotel in New York City on January 29, 2014. The US Benchmark Awards were based on a six-month research period involving extensive interviews...
January 30, 2014