Douglas Thompson is the leader of the Class and Derivative Actions Client Service Group.  Mr. Thompson represents financial services institutions defending against putative consumer class action matters in federal and state courts.  These matters include claims under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), Truth in Lending Act (TILA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA), Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA), Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), as well as state unfair and deceptive acts or practices (UDAP) statutes.  In connection with these matters, he has been admitted pro hac vice in several federal district courts. 

Mr. Thompson also represents financial services and insurance clients in a variety of complex commercial litigation disputes.  He has represented clients both in defending unfair competition, breach of contract and trade secret claims and in asserting claims for alleged violations of representation and warranties and related operational claims. 

Mr. Thompson has counseled clients in financial services related regulatory and government agency investigations.  He also has had strategic responsibility for class actions asserting federal and state securities law claims, shareholder derivative actions, ERISA and employment wage and hour class actions. 

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Thompson was litigation counsel for Bank of America and Countrywide Financial Corporation.  In his role as managing director and general counsel, litigation, he managed Countrywide’s nationwide portfolio of litigation with annual litigation budget exceeding $80 million and approximately 50 litigation personnel. Following the 2008 Bank of America acquisition, Mr. Thompson helped integrate the home loans and insurance litigation department and litigation portfolio.  His extensive in-house experience enables Mr. Thompson to focus litigation strategy and resources to address the issues most critical to institutional clients. 

Mr. Thompson has counseled clients in implementing quantitative risk assessment protocols, electronic discovery/ESI protocols, preferred litigation provider networks, and legal matter management technology.  He is experienced in developing alternative pricing for litigation and has represented class action clients under such arrangements.

Select Representations

• Defeated class certification of putative class action pending in Southern District of California federal court alleging national bank entity's purported wrongful breach of contract arising from loan modification offers and loss mitigation efforts

• Obtained dismissal of putative class action alleging unfair and deceptive loan servicing practices for national loan servicer in Guam federal court

• Obtained dismissal of putative national FDCPA class action for national loan servicer in Indiana federal court

• Obtained dismissal of putative California statewide class action, alleging claims for improper late charges, for national bank subsidiary in federal court

• Defeated class certification and obtained individual summary judgment in putative California statewide class action against national lender alleging improper loan origination practices

• Obtained summary judgment in putative Ohio federal court statewide class action matter alleging claims against national lender and loan servicer in connection with forced place insurance and loan origination and servicing

• Obtained dismissal of commercial arbitration matter for insurance services company in claims asserting multi-million dollar claims for trade secret misappropriation and breach of insurance producer agreement

• Obtained favorable individual settlements for national mortgage lending entities and appraisal management company in multiple putative class action matters filed in various federal courts asserting claims for alleged RICO and RESPA violations in connection with home purchase finance and valuation

• Obtained favorable individual settlement for national mortgage trustee and servicer in putative Illinois class action asserting allegations of unfair practices in connection with REO properties

• Favorably resolved multi-plaintiff claims filed in Southern District of California federal court alleging RICO conspiracy and loan origination claims in connection with Florida property developments

• Representation of national servicer in connection with putative class claims alleging improper payment processing

Bar and Court Admissions

California, 1991

United States District Courts for the Central, Eastern, Northern and Southern Districts of California

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Education

Pepperdine University, J.D., 1991

Tufts University, B.A., cum laude, 1987

Publications

• “Class Action Update: The Increasing Scrutiny of Class Settlements and Other Developments,” The Business Lawyer, Vol. 60, No. 2, February 2005 (co-author)

Speeches and Seminars

• "Dodd-Frank Section 1031 & UDAP Claims: Defining Unfair, Deceptive or Abusive Practice Claims and What The New Standards Mean in the Hands of the CFPB," speaker, American Conference Institute Consumer Finance Class Actions & Litigation Conference, January 2012 

• "Making Home Affordable? An Analysis of Litigation Over Loan Modification: Best Defenses and Settlement Techniques," speaker, American Conference Institute Consumer Finance Class Actions & Litigation Conference, January 2011

• “Truth-in-Lending: Responding to the Continuing Evolution of TILA and Its Case Law,” speaker, American Conference Institute Consumer Finance Class Actions & Litigation Conference, January 2010
• “Managing the Current and Future Waves of Discriminatory and Predatory Lending/Servicing Cases,” panelist/moderator, American Conference Institute Consumer Finance Litigation & Class Actions Conference, January 2009
• “Class Action Reform: One Year Later,” speaker/panelist, Association of Corporate Counsel-Southern California MCLE Conference, January 2006
• “Litigating Consumer Class Actions Involving Bankruptcies, Foreclosures & Defaults,” speaker/panelist, American Conference Institute Consumer Finance Litigation & Class Actions Conference, September 2005
• “Managing Litigation from the Loan Servicer’s Perspective,” speaker/panelist, Mortgage Bankers Association of America National Servicing Conference, June 2000
• Participant, Mortgage Bankers Association of America Class Action Litigation Working Groups, 1998-2002

Professional Affiliations

• American Bar Association, Litigation and Business Law Sections
• Los Angeles County Bar Association
• Association of Corporate Counsel (2003-2008)

Civic Involvement and Honors

• Constitutional Rights Foundation – Director, 2005-present
• Civil Justice Association of California – Director, 2003-2008
• Governor-Elect Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Transition Working Group for Civil Justice – Member, 2003