Class Action

Gene M. Connell, Jr. has been a member of the law firm since 1983. With his vast experience in many legal areas, he has received an “AV” rating with Martindale Hubbell, the most prestigious lawyer rating service in the country. He has been involved in some of the largest class-action suits ever brought in South Carolina, one of which (Bass v. State of South Carolina) went all the way to the United States Supreme Court before it was successfully settled. He has also argued numerous appeals before the South Carolina Supreme Court, the South Carolina Court of Appeals, the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission Appellate Division, the United States District Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Additionally, he has served as an expert witness in class actions on the issue of attorneys’ fees in both state and federal courts. Mr. Connell’s trial practice has included being a Mediator for other lawyers and being appointed by the Circuit Court as a Special Referee (Special Judge) to hear cases. He was also selected as the “National Trial Lawyers Top 100” in 2014 and chosen ” Best of The Beach” Lawyer.

Craig has been a protecting consumers’ rights nationwide for more than 15 years, focusing his practice on lawsuits brought under consumer-protection statutes like the Fair Credit Reporting Act. He helps consumers enforce their rights regarding not only the inaccuracies that pervade credit and background-check reports, but also as to reporting companies’ and employers’ failures to abide by the law in selling and using those reports. He also has represented clients with problems relating to identity theft, mortgages, and disputes with auto sellers and finance companies. Litigating mainly class-action cases, Craig has represented thousands of consumers in successfully obtaining millions in benefits for class members and has been appointed class counsel by numerous courts across the country. He is licensed to practice law in four states, and maintains a national practice. As a member of the National Association of Consumer Advocates, Craig assists in educating other lawyers on all aspects of consumer litigation, from discovery, to raising and briefing key issues, and through settlement value and case resolution. He also serves as NACA’s Chair for Virginia, a position he has held since 2018. Before joining Consumer Litigation Associates, Craig practiced complex and class-action litigation for ten years at one of the country’s most-successful boutique firms. There, he developed extensive knowledge of the FCRA as well as class-action procedure, having handled nearly every aspect of consumer class actions from intake, to drafting complaints and discovery, successfully defeating dispositive motions, obtaining class certification, valuing cases, and negotiating settlements.

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.

Mitchell Burgess is originally from Southwest Missouri. Mitch completed his undergraduate degree at Drury University in Springfield double majoring in History and Political Science. He graduated in 1995, magna cum laude and as a member of the Honors Program. Mitch attended Law School at the University of Missouri - Columbia and received his Juris Doctorate in 1998. While at M.U., Mitch was a member of the Missouri Environmental Law & Policy Review and was published in 1997. After graduating from law school, Mitch clerked for the Honorable Judge Laura Stith on the Missouri Court of Appeals – Western District. Judge Stith now sits on the Missouri Supreme Court. Prior to opening his own law firm in the fall of 2004, Mitch worked for a highly successful Kansas City Plaintiffs litigation firm where he gained tremendous experience handling case across the county involving personal injury, pharmaceutical and product liability litigation. Since founding his own law firm in 2004, Mitch has repeatedly been recognized as one of the top Plaintiffs' Attorneys in the region. He has been named one of the "Best of the Bar" by the Kansas City Business Journal, a "SuperLawyer" by Superlawyers Magazine, and one of the "Top 40 Under 40" by the National Trial Lawyers Association. In 2010, Mitch was named one of the "Winningest" plaintiffs' attorneys by Missouri Lawyers Weekly and also was recognized for securing one of the Top 10 Plaintiffs wins that year. Mitch has had numerous successes in personal injury and class action litigation and has been appointed class counsel on dozens of class action cases.

My Interest in criminal law is rooted in one thing -- my desire to help people. I grew up in Midland, Texas, where I received a bachelor's degree in criminology from the University of Texas. Later, I was awarded an academic scholarship to the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan, where I made the Dean's List and honor roll and received my law degree. After completing a comprehensive internship at the East Lansing, Michigan, firm of Bodwin & Fuzak, P.C., I worked as a civil contract attorney for Daffer McDaniel, LLP in Austin, Texas on a large class action lawsuit. Afterward, I served as a criminal and family law attorney at an established law firm in Georgetown, Texas. The latter experience found me defending clients on the wide spectrum of criminal law charges I address in my current independent practice. My success in this area included helping clients suffering from mental illness receive a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. The tremendous experience and knowledge I gained in daily negotiations with local prosecutors and courts combined with my ongoing desire to help people protect their liberties in the face of criminal charges now drive everything I do in my own law office. I truly believe that you deserve the best legal representation you can get -- and that's what I provide.

Bill Hopkins was born and raised in Bishopville, South Carolina. He attended North Carolina State University where he received his B.S. degree in Textile Chemistry in 1988. After graduation, Bill worked for nearly three years for Springs Industries, Inc., a large textile company, at a dyeing and finishing plant in Lancaster, South Carolina. Bill was working as a third shift superintendent at the time he was accepted into law school at the University of South Carolina. During law school, Bill served as the Research Editor for the South Carolina Environmental Law Journal. It was also during law school that he began clerking for the law firm of Whaley, McCutchen, Blanton & Rhodes, LLP, one of the oldest and most prestigious litigation firms in South Carolina, which had originally been founded in 1936. Bill continued to work at the firm after graduation and ultimately became a partner in the firm and then was elected Managing Partner in 2005. Bill and the firm were selected by South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster to represent the State of South Carolina in lawsuits brought against several pharmaceutical companies regarding their reporting of false and inflated prices for drugs which resulted in overpayments by the State Medicaid and State Health Plan programs, known as the AWP litigation. Bill remained as the Managing Partner until December 31, 2007 when the firm dissolved after 71 years of continuous practice. Bill founded and started a new law firm called McCutchen Blanton Hopkins & Campbell, LLP, where he continued to practice with Thomas McCutchen and Hoover Blanton, two of the most well known leaders and stewards of the South Carolina Bar. Bill ran this law firm until November 1, 2010, when he joined the national law firm Beasley Allen Crow Methvin Portis & Miles, P.C. in Mongomery, Alabama in the Consumer Fraud section with an emphasis and focus on class action litigation. Bill has been active in various bar associations and organizations, including the South Carolina Bar. At the time he joined Beasley Allen, Bill was serving on the Professional Responsibility Committee and the Conventions Committee of the South Carolina Bar. Bill is currently serving as the Co-Chairman of the Class Action Litigation Group of the American Association for Justice. Bill served as the Chairman of the Employment Rights Section of the South Carolina Association for Justice for three years. In 2010 Bill Hopkins was elected to the South Carolina Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), which is a distinct recognition and privilege. ABOTA is a national organization of both plaintiff and defense trial attorneys which is committed to the preservation of trial by jury. To be eligible for consideration, an attorney must have tried at least 20 civil jury trials to jury verdict as lead counsel. Bill has tried over 70 civil cases to jury verdict as sole or lead counsel, in areas such as personal injury, business torts, fraud, products liability, trade secrets, unfair trade practices, insurance matters and employment. Bill has also had an active appellate practice and has argued 8 cases before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, including an en banc argument in the case of Ocheltree v. Scollon Productions, Inc., a seminal case regarding the law of sexual harassment, in which many organizations (including the EEOC) made appearances and submitted amicus briefs, and which case was the subject of numerous articles, including an article in the New York Times. Bill has also argued several cases before the South Carolina Court of Appeals and the South Carolina Supreme Court. Bill has also developed a successful class action practice, being appointed by several different courts as lead counsel or liaison counsel in many different class action cases.

Jeffrey Spencer founded the Spencer Law Firm in 2000 with the goal of helping individuals who need legal representation in complex litigation against large corporations and insurance companies. Since that time the Spencer Law Firm has recovered over $120 Million for clients and class members in cases ranging from employment and consumer class action litigation to individual personal injury cases. Mr. Spencer is an experienced litigator and has tried several cases to verdict. He argues frequently before the Court of Appeals and has published opinions from the California State Court of Appeal and the Federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Spencer has had great success litigating difficult high damages cases against some of the largest corporations and law firms in the country. At the same time he has maintained a small firm environment where clients always have an open channel of communication with the attorney directly responsible for their case. As a testament to the firm’s success, over 90% of the Spencer Law Firm’s cases come from client referrals. Mr. Spencer also receives frequent referrals of class action and civil litigation cases from other attorneys and is regularly consulted by other law firms regarding class action, personal injury, employment, consumer and business matters. Mr. Spencer is a member of the California State Bar and handles cases throughout the State of California and is admitted to the United States District Court for the State of California, Northern, Central , Southern and Eastern Districts and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Spencer is currently handling numerous class actions and individual actions throughout the State of California in State and Federal Court. Education:

For much of the past decade, Jeff has been recognized annually by his peers as a New York “Super Lawyer” (one of the Top 25 in Westchester County), and selected as one of US News & World Report’s “Best Lawyers in America” in the area of commercial litigation. He has also been named a lifetime member of “Elite Lawyers in America,” “The Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum,” and “Top Trial Lawyers in America.” He is a Fellow in the prestigious Litigation Counsel of America, and a member of the venerable American Bar Association Foundation. Jeff’s versatility with a wide array of subject matters has led to his handling of many high profile, difficult cases. Among other matters, Jeff successfully led the defense in federal court of a boat-builder wrongfully implicated in the “Ethan Allen” tragedy on Lake George in which twenty persons perished, winning summary judgment on the client’s behalf; prosecuted a $4.5 million jury verdict in Columbia County against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI); argued before the New Jersey Supreme Court the landmark consumer fraud class action, Lee v. Basic Research, which resulted in a unanimous, 9-0 opinion overturning the lower courts’ decisions denying class certification; and argued before the Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial Court the precedent setting case of Tyler v. Michaels which declared unlawful the collection of personal identifying information in connection with retail credit card transactions. Jeff’s reputation for excellent results and dogged preparation, make him a formidable adversary, regardless of which side of the aisle any particular dispute may place him. Jeff is no stranger to the Courtroom, and has successfully tried to verdict a diverse number of matters, including securing a defense verdict for Madison Square Garden and Amtrak in a federal jury trial in the Eastern District of New York; winning a multi-million dollar jury award in a state court breach of contract action in White Plains; prevailing in a nine month real estate fraud arbitration in New York City in which he recovered a multi-million dollar judgment; and securing on the eve of jury selection tens of millions of dollars for clients with catastrophic losses. Jeff’s experience in the sports, media and entertainment industries has also allowed for his successful handling of a variety of matters including claims of copyright infringement, trademark infringement, breach of television Executive Production Agreements, royalty disputes, and artist-management conflicts. Jeff has advised television broadcast journalists, senior media executives and executive producers on a wide range of issues concerning non-competes, first amendment rights, and compensation and severance disputes. Jeff led the successful prosecution of the wrongful death action of Baltimore Orioles’ pitcher Steve Bechler, helped extricate former light heavyweight World Champion boxer Reggie Johnson from an onerous promoter’s contract, and counseled the Estate of Tito Puente, the Latin Salsa King, in a misappropriation of name and likeness litigation. Jeff also spearheaded the successful prosecution of the United States Tennis Association’s (USTA) multimillion dollar breach of contract action against a sponsor of the US Open, as well as defended the USTA against a claim of disability discrimination which he successfully had dismissed, and successfully represented Heineken in a breach of contract action arising from a marketing services agreement. Jeff regularly counsels media and entertainment clients in contract negotiations, severance disputes, and intellectual property matters. Jeff’s skill with complex litigation has also helped the Firm to develop significant experience handling a diverse array of maritime and admiralty matters. Jeff has successfully defended boat builders, marinas, charter vessels, stevedores and other marine interests in both federal and state litigations throughout the Country. Among other successful outcomes, Jeff defended a marine terminal operator in a federal wrongful death action in Portland, Maine; represented a luxury yacht manufacturer in a premises liability action in federal court in New Jersey; defended a Manhattan sight-seeing tour operator against a personal injury claim; and handled a Society of Maritime Arbitrators (SMA) arbitration concerning the scope of a contractual indemnity between a terminal operator and a multinational transport company. The Firm’s experience includes handling claims arising under the Jones Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act, and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, as well as prosecuting exoneration from and limitation of liability actions. Jeff is a cum laude graduate of Dartmouth College, a graduate of Columbia Law School and began his career as a litigator at Cravath Swaine & Moore. He lives in West Harrison, New York, with his wife Lauren, a pediatrician, and their two children, one of whom works in New York City and the other who is attending college.

Mr. Moore is an experienced and aggressive complex litigator, having litigated class actions and other high stakes cases in state and federal courts for more than twenty five years. He is the sole member of the Law Offices of J. Mark Moore and is also Of Counsel to Gallo LLP. After obtaining his J.D. in 1995 from the UCLA School of Law, Mr. Moore spent his early career as an associate, and then a partner, at a national law firm where he defended major corporations in class actions alleging unfair and unlawful business and insurance practices, wage and hour claims and securities claims in California and other states. In 2006, Mr. Moore began representing consumers, borrowers and workers in class actions. He has been a partner in a number of boutique class action firms and, in addition to his solo practice, is presently Of Counsel to Gallo LLP. He sometimes represents hourly clients in business litigation matters on behalf of plaintiffs or defendants. Class action cases in which Mr. Moore served as lead or co-lead counsel for since 2006 have resulted in cash recoveries in excess of $100 million, not including other forms of relief. Mr. Moore is experienced in all aspects of litigation including appeals. He has litigated matters on behalf of individuals and companies, including significant business litigation disputes, and has pursued False Claims Act (“qui tam”) cases on behalf of whistleblowers with knowledge of fraud on the government. One such case, which he filed on behalf of a California online charter school teacher, led to a seven-figure settlement, a substantial whistleblower award and other relief benefiting the schools' students and the State. Mr. Moore obtained his B.A. in Business Economics, with honors, from UC Santa Barbara in 1992, and his J.D. in 1995 from the UCLA School of Law. He is licensed in California and admitted to practice before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and all of California's federal district courts. When not practicing law, Mr. Moore enjoys spending time with his family and traveling to exotic places.

Practice Areas: Consumer Class Action, Consumer Protection, Complex Civil Litigation Rachel Bentley has dedicated her practice to advocating on behalf of consumers who have been victims of corporate wrongdoing and scams. Ms. Bentley is an attorney with Gordon and Partners class action team and litigates consumer protection cases and complex consumer fraud class action cases. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Bentley prosecuted violations of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act as an Assistant Attorney General in the Consumer Protection Division of the Florida Attorney General’s Office. Before serving as an Assistant Attorney General, Ms. Bentley was the Senior Staff Attorney of the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, Inc.’s Consumer Advocacy Unit, where she protected the rights of disadvantaged members of the community and represented indigent consumers who were wronged by businesses and fraudsters. Ms. Bentley is a Co-Chair of the Florida Bar’s Consumer Protection Law Committee’s Legislative Subcommittee and serves on the Board of Directors of the Young Lawyers Section of the Palm Beach County Bar Association. She is a member of the National Association of Consumer Advocates and a scholar of the National Consumer Law Center. Ms. Bentley earned her undergraduate degree from Florida State University and Juris Doctor from Florida International University School of Law.