Daniel Schlanger | Manhattan Consumer Protection Lawyer

Daniel Schlanger

Daniel Schlanger

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Language(s): English, Spanish

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Main Office

80 Broad Street
Suite 1301
New York, NY 10004

Office Hours

Monday - Friday9:00 AM - 6:30 PM

Other Locations

Our primary service areas are: New York City, Long Island, Westchester, Rockland, Putnam and surrounding areas.

About Daniel

Daniel Schlanger is a partner at Kakalec & Schlanger, LLP, where he heads the firm's consumer practice. His practice focuses on representing victims of unfair collection tactics, predatory lending, hidden fees, auto fraud, defective products, and other marketplace injustice.  The firm brings affirmative litigation (including class actions and significant individual claims) on behalf of consumers and also regularly represents consumers who have been sued on significant debts, including credit card debt, medical debt, auto loans, home loans, lines of credit, personal guarantees, etc.

Dan joined Kakalec & Schlanger, LLP's predecessor firm (Schlanger & Schlanger) in 2007 after working as a staff attorney at Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, where he was a member of that organization’s consumer law unit, and helped to found a program focused on wage and hour litigation on behalf of low-income workers. Prior to that, Dan clerked for the Hon. R. Lanier Anderson, III on the United States Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit.

Dan received his law degree from Harvard Law School, cum laude, in 2004. He received his undergraduate degree from Carleton College, magna cum laude, in 1994.

Contact Kakalec & Schlanger, LLP to learn more about our fee structure.

Experience

Member, Issues/Amicus Committee

National Association of Consumer Advocates

2015 - present

Member, Education Committee

National Association of Consumer Advocates

2014 - 2016

Member, Consumer Affairs Committee

New York City Bar Association

2013 - 2015

Co-Chair, Pro Bono Committee

Westchester County Bar Association

2011 - 2014

Member, Civil Courts Committee

New York City Bar Association

2011 - 2013

Member, Professional Responsibility Committee

New York City Bar Association

2009 - 2010

Admission

Verified New York

2006

Education

Carleton College

History

1994

Recognitions & Achievements

Associations
  • Member, New York State Bar
  • Member, National Association of Consumer Advocates
  • Member, Public Justice Foundation
  • Member, American Association for Justice
  • Member, American Bar Association
Honors / Awards
  • New York Metro Rising Star
    2014-2016
  • New York State Bar Association President's Award For Community Service
    2013
  • White Plains Rotary Club, Jim Gardner Business Ethics Award
    2013
  • Harvard Law School (): Cum Laude; Dean's Award For Community Service
    2004
  • Carleton College (): Magna Cum Laude; Dean's List ; Phi Beta Kappa
    1994 / 1990-1994

Notable Work

Cases

Class Actions

Coble, et al. v. Cohen & Slamowitz, et al., 11-CV-01037 (S.D.N.Y.) (FDCPA class action regarding alleged filing of fraudulent affidavits in tens of thousands of state court collection cases). See, 824 F. Supp. 2d 568 (S.D.N.Y. Oct. 11, 2011) (denying defendants’ motion to dismiss). In re Porsche Cars North America, Inc., Plastic Coolant Tubes Products Liability Litigation, 11-MD-2233 (N.D. Ohio) (multidistrict products liability class action) (member, executive committee). See, 880 F. Supp. 2d 801 (S.D. Ohio 2012); 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 88693 (S.D. Ohio June 30, 2014), aff’d summary order (6th Cir. 14-3421, 7/13/15); Madden v. Midland Funding et al., 11-CV-814 (S.D.N.Y.) (class action). See, 2015 U.S. App. 8483, 786 F.3d 246 (2d Cir. 2015) (reversing district court’s denial of class certification and holding that National Bank Act Preemption of state usury laws did not extend to non-bank taking assignment of loans from a national bank), rehearing denied 8/15/2015; Moy v. Eltman, Eltman & Cooper, P.C., 12-CV-02382 (E.D.N.Y.) (Approved FDCPA class action regarding allegedly false and misleading collection letters sent to judgment debtors.) De La Paz v. Rubin & Rothman, LLC, et al., 11-CV-9625 (S.D.N.Y.) (Approved FDCPA class action against high volume debt collection law firm involving alleged mistatements regarding debt collectors’ standing to sue, and alleged failure to meaningfully review state court collection pleadings.)

Publications

Author: “Assisting the Consumer Debtor (three article series), One On One (New York State Bar Association’s General Practice Quarterly Bulletin),

2010-2011


Quoted in “Old Debts That Won’t Die”, New York Times, July 30, (quoted

2010


Quoted in “Payback: Lawyers on Both Sides of Collection are Feeling Debt’s Sting”, American Bar Association Journal, December 1, ;

2010


Quoted in “A Warranty She Didn’t Want”, New York Times, May 7,

2011


Quoted in “Lawsuit revived against big debt collection firm in New York”, Reuters, May 22, .

2015

Questions & Answers

Please describe a case in the last year or two where you made a big difference.

We were recently counsel in a foreclosure defense matter involving a truly predatory, high-interest, high-cost refinance of a home loan. We counterclaimed under the Truth In Lending Act based on the failure to provide the borrowers with accurate loan disclosures at the loan closing. After seven years of litigation, during which we received favorable appellate rulings on both the consumers' right to rescind the loans and the consumers' right to attorney's fees, as well as a Court order holding the bank in contempt of court, the case resolved favorably.

How did you build a successful practice?

The core precepts of our consumer protection practice are passion, skill and caring. We are passionate about helping consumers; we pride ourselves on being leaders in the field of consumer protection who knowledgeable, skilled and able with regard to the relevant areas of law. We care deeply about our clients.

What should clients look for in a lawyer?

A commitment to ethics and treating people fairly; skill as a lawyer generally and in the particular areas of law relevant to the client's matter; experience.

How important is local knowledge to the success of your cases?

Our initial phone consultations typically aim to quickly figure out if the caller's case is a good fit for our firm and to provide basic information about the type of problem the caller is facing, if it is within our area of expertise. If the caller's problem seems to be a good fit, the next step is to arrange a longer, more detailed case evaluation meeting. Unlike many firms, our case evaluation process involves reviewing relevant documents in advance of the meeting. If the caller's problem is not one we can help with (e.g. because it involves a type of law that we don't practice), we are often able to refer the client out to lawyers we know who do handle that type of work, or guide the caller to other relevant resources.

What information can you provide in a free phone consultation?

We aim to collect basic information regarding the dispute - the who, what, when and where, so that we can determine whether we can assist the caller with his or her problem.

What information do you need in a free phone consultation?

There are few New York firms that bring our level of passion and expertise to advocacy on behalf of consumers. Our combination of deep experience with collection defense proceedings in New York, an extensive track record of federal affirmative claims under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Truth In Lending Act and other consumer protection statutes has allowed us to provide tremendous value to our clients.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

I immensely enjoy both the intellectual work of lawyering and the opportunity I have every day to use that skill set on behalf of people who have been treated unfairly.

What are your other interests in addition to law?

I have played acoustic and electric guitar for over 20 years and love playing, particularly with other musicians. I am an avid vegetable gardener. I love running, particularly trail running.

Are you involved in your community?

Yes. I am deeply involved in several communities. In terms of the legal and consumer advocate community, I sit on several bar committees dealing with these issues, including the Education Committee and the Issues Committee of the National Association of Consumer Advocates. I am also a proud member of my local Jewish community, and regularly attend religious services and other community events

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