Donald Petersen

I SUE debt collectors. I represent people in individual and class actions because they received : (1) robo calls from debt collectors, creditors and telemarketers who violate the Telephone Consumer Protection Act ("TCPA"); and (2) debt collectors who violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ("FDCPA") when they attempt to collect a consumer debt.

Clients often hire me to represent them against debt collectors for many different violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and other laws which govern debt collectors' conduct. My clients' problems have included :(1) collection letters which violate the FDCPA; (2) demanding more than the amount owed; (3) false threats of arrest; (4) false threats to sue; (5) calls from the debt collector to employers, friends, neighbors, and relatives; (6) misrepresentations concerning the debt; (7) collection lawsuits filed after the statute of limitations had expired; (8) telephone messages and cell phone calls which were improper; and (9) collection letters which are needlessly confusing to consumers.

Many of my clients hired me to represent them against debt collectors and other creditors who failed to update their credit report, continued to call or write them and even sued them attempting to collect discharged debts.

My clients' credit reporting problems include other people's accounts appearing on my clients' reports (e.g., "mismerged" accounts), identity theft, and credit reports which are inaccurate after the client discharged their debts in bankruptcy. I also represent people whose credit reports have been accessed without a purpose permitted by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

I do not represent any businesses against consumers.

Finally, I represent relators in qui tam actions brought under the False Claims Act (often referred to as "whistleblower" cases) and represented the qui tam relators,

Duke University School of Law

J.D. | Law

1985 - 1988

Honors: J.D. with Honors; Project Editor, Law & Contemporary Problems

Rollins College

M.B.A. (1984) | Finance

1981 - 1984

Honors: With Honors; Received Corporate Council Award

University of Central Florida

B.S. (1980) | Business Management

1978 - 1980

Honors: Summa Cum Laude; Beta Gamma Sigma

Contributor : "La Coe's Pleadings Under the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure"

Thomson Reuters

May 31, 2006

Contributor : "Consumer Law Pleadings"

National Consumer Law Center

July 31, 2005

"Why Employees Bring Whistleblower Cases"

Corporate Compliance Officer

September 30, 1999

"Southern District of Florida Follows Altai" in Computer Law Newsletter

Florida Bar Computer Law Committee

July 15, 1995

Project Editor "Vice" Vol. 51, No. 1 (Winter 1988)

Law & Contemporary Problems

February 1, 1988

"Employee Rights In The Workplace", Central Florida Live with George Crossley, Orlando, FL

December 5, 1994

WTGL (Channel 45)

Charter Hospital Settles Whistleblower Lawsuit For $ 4.758 Million, Investigative Reports With Tony Pippitone, Orlando, FL

August 1, 1998

WKMG (Channel 6)

Using The Qui Tam Provisions of the False Claims Act to Punish, Deter and Prevent Health Care Fraud, Winter Seminar, Daytona Beach, FL

October 24, 1999

Florida Employment Lawyers Association

Using The Qui Tam Provisions of the False Claims Act to Punish, Deter and Prevent Health Care Fraud, HealthCon 2000, Toronto, Canada

June 19, 2000

National Association of Health Care Consultants

Qui Tam False Claims Actions Against Health Care Providers, "Compliance : The Real Picture", Orlando, FL

October 17, 2001

Medical Coding Seminar

Identity Theft, "Real Talk With Kietta", Orlando, FL

April 15, 2005

UPN Syndicated Talk Show

Regular Guest, "Ask An Attorney", Locally syndicated weekly radio program (Central Florida)

March 4, 2008

Testifying Expert concerning consumer's attorney's fees, Capital One v. J.S., Deland, FL

August 3, 2009

County Court in and for Volusia County, FL

Payday Loan Collection Harassment, 6 O'Clock News, Orlando, FL

September 2, 2012

WFTV (Channel 9)

Testifying Expert concerning consumer's attorney's fees, HFC Collection Center v. S.A., Orlando, FL

October 1, 2013

County Court, Orange County Florida

Recent Influential Consumer Law Cases : Fair Debt Collection Act and Fair Credit Reporting Act Cases, The Florida Bar 2014 Annual Convention, Orlando, FL

June 1, 2014

The Florida Bar Committee on Consumer Protection

Certificate of Appreciation

Legal Advocacy Center of Central Florida

2010

Certificate of appreciation awarded for training LACCF staff attorneys in debt defense cases and actively assisting them in serving their legal services clients.

Corporate Council Award

Crummer School of Business (Rollins College)

1984

G. Tom Wiley Scholarship

Martin Marietta Management Club

1980

National Association of Consumer Advocates

Member

2001 - Current

Florida

Since 1988

Middle District Of Florida

Since 1989

6th Circuit

Since 1996

11th Circuit

Since 1993

U.S. Court of Claims

Since 1995

• Free Consultation
  Consumer finance is a broad area and I may or may not be able to help you. But I will not charge you for a brief conversation about your potential case and I will tell you whether I believe your case would be suitable for me to represent you on a contingency fee basis.
• Contingent Fees
  I represent most of my clients on a contingency fee basis.

• Telephone Consumer Protection Act ("TCPA")
• Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ("FDCPA")
• Class Actions
• Bankruptcy Discharge Violations (Calls, Bills, Credit Reports, Etc.)
• Consumer Debt Collection Defense

• Fair Credit Reporting Act ("FCRA")