Hinshaw Client Success Named Among "Top Ten Most Influential ARM Cases" of 2020 by Collector Magazine

A significant win by Hinshaw client Merchants Credit Guide Co. at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit was named one of the "Top Ten Most Influential Cases" for the Accounts Receivable Management industry in 2020 by Collector Magazine. The putative class action case involved a decisive victory on an FDCPA claim that centered on a credit reporting method that is widely used in the credit and collections industry. David Schultz, Jennifer Weller, and Stephen Swofford represented Merchants Credit on the successful dismissal of this case at the district court level and on appeal.

Here's how ACA International explained its view of the significance of the decision:

ACA applauds both Merchants and [Hinshaw] on the successful appeal of this matter and on creating new precedent in the 7th Circuit that will benefit the industry at large. Cases like this are the reason that ACA established the Industry Advancement Fund: to help members and our industry succeed by establishing positive precedent on technical cases, particularly where the consumer bar has used consumer protection statutes as a sword to extract damages rather than a shield to protect consumers.

In 2019, Collector Magazine recognized a win Hinshaw secured on behalf of client Portfolio Recovery Associates as one of its Top 10 Most Influential Cases in that year.