PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
RODDY KLEIN & RYAN – BOSTON, MA
January 2001 – present
Roddy Klein & Ryan is a nationally known litigation firm specializing in consumer class actions with a particular focus on consumer financial services litigation. Mr. Klein is a partner in the firm.
NATIONAL CONSUMER LAW CENTER -- BOSTON, MA
1991 – 2000
Mr. Klein was a Senior Attorney and Director of the Center’s Sustainable Homeownership Initiative. He was responsible for managing a wide range of grants and contracts, for writing
many of the Center’s well known publications on consumer law, and for various consulting and advocacy projects. His legislative advocacy included successfully lobbying Congress in 1994 in support of the Homeownership and Equity Protection Act (HOEPA) and organizing opposition to credit industry efforts to revise the nation’s bankruptcy laws. Mr. Klein also served as co-counsel or as a consultant in more than 200 class action and individual consumer cases.
NEW HAMPSHIRE LEGAL ASSISTANCE – MANCHESTER, NH.
1991
Mr. Klein was managing attorney supervising an office of six attorneys and three legal advocates. He litigated predatory lending cases and contested bankruptcy issues.
COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES, INC. -- PHILADELPHIA, PA.
1985 – 1991
Mr. Klein specialized in housing, consumer, bankruptcy, utility, and domestic violence law for low-income Philadelphians in a preeminent legal services program. During his tenure, Mr. Klein tried more than 40 cases in various courts primarily addressing consumers' claims against finance companies for unfair lending practices.
LAW CLERK TO THE HONORABLE BRUCE I. FOX, UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA
September, 1987 - September, 1988
EDUCATION
J.D. Rutgers University - Newark, 1985 (Editor in Chief: Civil Rights Law Journal)
B.A. Yale University, 1980
BAR ADMISSIONS
United States Supreme Court
Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (inactive)
Supreme Court of New Hampshire (inactive)
First Circuit Court of Appeals
Second Circuit Court of Appeals
Third Circuit Court of Appeals
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
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American Bankruptcy Institute (Board of Directors – 1999-2000)
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Coalition for Consumer Bankruptcy Education (Board of Directors)
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National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (Director, 1991-97)
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Lawyers Clearinghouse on Affordable Hsg. and Homelessness (Steering Committee, 1992-95)
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Boston Bar Association (member and former co-chair Class Action Subcommittee)
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Trial Lawyers for Public Justice (member) (nominee for Trial Lawyer of the Year –2004)
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Representative Litigation Projects
Court Appointed Co-Lead Counsel, In Re Ameriquest Mortgage Co. Mortgage Lending Practices Litigation, MDL No. 1715 (N.D. Ill.) (pending challenge to subprime mortgage lending practices).
Court Appointed Co-Lead Counsel, In Re Wells Fargo Mortgage Lending Practices Litigation, 08-cv-1930 MMC (N.D. Cal.) (pending challenges to discriminatory mortgage lending practices).
In re Household Lending Litigation, Case No. C 02-1240 CW (N.D. Cal.) (settlement of nationwide class action based on predatory lending practices).
Curry v. Fairbanks Capital Corporation, 2004 WL 3322609, 03-10875-DPW (D. Mass.) (settlement of nationwide class action based on predatory loan servicing practices).
Coleman v. General Motors Acceptance Corp., et al., 3-98-0211 (M.D.Tenn.) (class action settlement in case of first impression on the application of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act to discriminatory auto financing practices).
Mey v. Herbalife International, Inc., Civil Action Number, 01-263M (Ohio County, W. VA) (class settlement of claims under the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act).
Pettway v. Harmon Law Offices PC, C.A. No. 03-10932 (D. Mass) (class settlement of claims for overcharges against foreclosure law firm).
Vieau v. AGFA Corp. et al., C.A. No. 06-11320 (D. Mass) (class action settlement in connection with failure to provide necessary maintenance and service to lessors of digital photographic processing equipment).
Mendez v. Island Finance Corporation, 03-1075-JAF (D. P.R.) (settlement of class action alleging violations of the Truth in Lending Act).
Kent et al. v. Western Massachusetts Electric Co., HAMPCV 2001-00232 (Ma. Sup.) (settlement of consumer claims related to utility overcharge based on misclassification of billing rate).
Dwyer et al. v. NSTAR, Inc. et al., No. SUCV2001-01817 (Ma. Sup.) (settlement of consumer claims related to utility overcharge).
Cason v. Nissan Motors Acceptance Corp., et al., 3-98-0223 (M.D.Tenn.) (settlement of class action case on the application of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act to discriminatory auto financing practices).
Mazola, et al. v. May Co. Dep’t. Stores, Inc., C.A. 97-10872 NG (D. Mass.) (successful class action litigation obtaining restitution and damages for consumers affected by unlawful bankruptcy reaffirmation practices).
In re: Ocwen Loan Servicing, LLC Mortgage Servicing Litigation, 491 F.3d 638 (7th Cir. 2007).
In re Hoskins, 102 F.3d 311 (7th Cir. 1996).
Lomas Mortgage Co. v. Louis, 82 F. 3rd 1 (1st Cir. 1995).
Counsel for Amicus Curiae, Field v. Mans, 516 U.S. 59 (1995).
Pettway v. Harmon Law Offices, P.C., 2005 WL 2365331, (D. Mass. 2005).
Scott v. Fairbanks Credit Corp., 284 F. Supp. 2d 880 (S. D. Ohio, 2003).
Myers v. Federal Home Loan Mortgage Co., 175 B.R. 122 (Bankr. D. Mass. 1994).
In re Fleet, 122 B.R. 910 (Bankr. E.D. Pa. 1990).
In re Milbourne, 108 B.R. 522 (Bankr. E.D. Pa. 1989).
In re Russell, 72 B.R. 855 (Bankr. E.D. Pa. 1987).
Expert Witness
United States Congress, Senate Banking Committee, Consumer Credit and Bankruptcy (April, 1999).
United States Congress, Joint Subcommittee on Court Oversight, House and Senate Judiciary Committees, Reforming American Bankruptcy Laws (March, 1999).
Mallory v. Mortgage America, et al., United States District Court for the District of West Virginia, (February, 1999) (mortgage lending abuses).
United States Congress, Senate Committee on Aging, Consumer Counseling and Prevention of Lending Abuses Involving Elderly Homeowners (January, 1999).
Interclaim Holdings Ltd, et al. v. Down et al., Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta, Supreme Court of British Columbia (1999) (telemarketing fraud claims by United States residents against insolvent Canadian companies).
Lopez v. Delta Funding, et al., United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (December, 1998) (high rate home equity lending abuses affecting elderly borrowers).
United States Congress, Senate Banking Committee, Senate Oversight Hearing on Bankruptcy(March 1998).
National Bankruptcy Review Commission, Reforming the Consumer Bankruptcy System (hearings during January, 1997 to October, 1997).
Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, Investigation of Unfair and Deceptive Mortgage Lending Practices (November, 1997).
United States Congress, Senate Judiciary Committee, Proposed Consumer Bankruptcy Amendments (June, 1994).
Representative Publications
Editor, Consumer Bankruptcy Law and Practice, The Consumer Credit and Legal Practice Series (National Consumer Law Center, 6th ed. 2000).
Repossessions and Foreclosures, (National Consumer Law Center, 4th ed. 1999).
Contributing Author, Truth in Lending, (National Consumer Law Center, 4th ed. 2000).
Surviving Debt: A Guide for Consumers, (3rd ed. 1999).
“Remedies for Discharge Violations” American Bankruptcy Institute Law Journal (November/December 2000).
“Means Tested Bankruptcy: What Would It Mean?” 28 U. Memphis Law Rev. 711 (Spring,1998).
52 Consumer Finance Law Quarterly Rep. 185 (Spring, 1998).
“Consumer Bankruptcy in the Balance: The National Bankruptcy Review Commission’s Recommendations Tilt Toward Creditors” 5 Amer. Bankr. Inst. Law Rev. 293 (Winter, 1997).
“Circuit Court Allows Stripdown of Mortgage on Multi-family Residence”, Norton Bankruptcy Law Adviser (June, 1996).
“Preventing Home Equity Lending Fraud,” 7 Loyola Consumer Law Rev. 126 (Summer, 1995).
“Self Representation in the Bankruptcy Courts: The Massachusetts Experience”, National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges Endowment for Education and the National Consumer Law Center (1994).
"Preventing Foreclosures: Spotting Loan Scams Involving Low-Income Homeowners", 27 Clearinghouse Review 116 (June, 1993).
Representative Seminars
“Mortgage Lending Update,” Consumer Financial Services Litigation Institute, Practising Law Institute (March, 2008).
“Litigation Update,” Subprime Credit Crisis: Everything You Need to Know, Practising Law Institute (March, 2008).
“Introduction to Consumer Class Actions,” Consumer Rights Litigation Conference (October, 2007).
“Predatory Lending,” Consumer Financial Services Litigation Seminar, Practicing Law Institute (April, 2005).
“Predatory Lending as a Fair Housing Issue ,” New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center (June 2004).
“Preventing Predatory Lending,” Milwaukee Fair Housing Center (June 2004).
“Mortgage Servicing Issues,” Consumer Financial Services Litigation Seminar, Practicing Law Institute (April, 2004).
“Predatory Mortgage Loans and Bankruptcy,” American Bankruptcy Institute (July, 2003).
“Preserving the American Dream,” A series of seminars on foreclosure prevention and financial literacy for Housing Counselors, Neighborhood Reinvestment Institute (1998-2000).
“Bankruptcy Law and Practice Seminar,” Office for Continuing Legal Education, Stetson University Law School (December, 1999).
“Consumer Bankruptcy in Transition,” 8th Annual Consumer Rights Litigation Conference, (November, 1999).
“Bankruptcy Reform Legislative Update,” Connecticut Bar Association (November, 1999).
“Defending Foreclosures & Utility Terminations,” MCLE (November, 1999). “Preventing Predatory Lending and Preserving Homeownership,” Neighborhood Reinvestment Institute (June, 1999).
“Consumers in Debt: The Personal Bankruptcy Crisis,” American Bar Association, (April, 1998).
“Preserving the American Dream: Loss Mitigation for Homeowners,” A series of 10 trainings for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (1997 – 1998).