Fredrick S. Levin

Fredrick S. Levin has over 30 years of experience representing individual and corporate clients in high-stakes class action and complex civil litigation throughout the country. Mr. Levin, a partner in the Los Angeles office of Buckley LLP, spearheads the firm’s California Litigation practice, representing financial services industry clients in consumer class actions arising under federal and state consumer protection statutes. Mr. Levin also regularly represents clients in enforcement matters before the California Department of Financial Protection & Innovation and advises corporate clients on regulatory and compliance issues.  He also advises clients on the drafting and enforcement of consumer and commercial arbitration agreements and other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

In addition, Mr. Levin has represented corporate and individual clients in a wide array of national and transnational commercial disputes involving contract enforcement, corporate governance, debt collection, intellectual property, mergers and acquisitions, real estate, and securities. Mr. Levin also has an active appellate practice and has briefed and argued numerous cases in federal and state courts throughout the United States. Mr. Levin is co-located in the firm’s Chicago office and practices regularly in Illinois and Michigan.

Experience

• Defense of multiple individual and putative class actions alleging violation of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the California Invasion of Privacy Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA), the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Fair Housing Act (FHA), and state unfair and deceptive trade practices or acts statutes such as California Business & Professions Code § 17200, the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act, and New York Gen. Bus. Law § 349
   
• Defense of individual and class actions arising out of the mortgage foreclosure crisis including alleged improper imposition of lender-placed mortgage insurance
   
• Defense of numerous individual and class actions alleging violations of federal and state securities laws including defense of bank directors and officers
   
• Representation of banks and nonbanks in civil litigation or enforcement proceedings brought by state agencies such as the California Department of Financial Protection & Innovation
   
• Representation of multiple bank defendants in suits by a successor to the largest private purchaser of mortgage loans, seeking damages and indemnification arising out of the sale of billions of dollars in mortgage loans into residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS)
   
• Representation of individuals and business entities as plaintiffs or defendants in complex civil litigation including, among others, the representation of international clients seeking relief in California arising from international commercial loan defaults, bank-fraud, and money-laundering; defense of an international bank against claims under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute; defense of an underwriter in a three-week $400 million securities fraud trial under California Blue Sky law; defense of an asset-based commercial lender in an $80 million lender-liability action; defense of a television station and its officers and directors in a $300 million breach of contract and fraud action; defense of a television network and a watch manufacturer in separate “reverse confusion” trademark infringement actions, and representation of the author and owner of a famous vodka brand in claims involving copyright, trademark and patent infringement

Mr. Levin is a frequent author and lecturer on litigation and compliance issues regarding the consumer financial services industry including on topics such as federal preemption under the Dodd-Frank Act, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) mortgage servicing rules, the CFPB’s proposed arbitration rule, residential mortgage backed securities litigation, management of multi-jurisdictional litigation, enforcement of jury trial waivers, the use of American discovery in support of foreign litigation, and damages measurement.

Mr. Levin received his J.D. from the University of Michigan and his A.B. from Princeton University.