Why Tycko & Zavareei LLP?
Tycko & Zavareei LLP has top attorneys, many of whom practiced at the most prestigious defense firms before joining the plaintiffs' side, which gives them an edge in litigating complex consumer class actions and fraud on the government cases against well-resourced and heavily lawyered defendants.
Anna C. Haac is a Partner in Tycko & Zavareei LLP’s Washington, D.C. office. She focuses her practice on consumer protection class actions and whistleblower litigation. Her prior experience at Covington & Burling LLP, one of the nation’s most prestigious defense-side law firms, gives her a unique advantage when representing plaintiffs against large companies in complex cases. Since arriving at Tycko & Zavareei LLP, Ms. Haac has represented consumers in a wide range of practice areas. These areas include predatory payday loans and other financial service practices, product liability, false labeling, and other deceptive and unfair trade practices. Her whistleblower practice involves claims for fraud on federal and state governments across an equally broad spectrum of industries, including customs fraud, health care fraud, and government contracting fraud.
Ms. Haac has helped secure multimillion-dollar relief on behalf of the classes and whistleblowers she represents. In addition, she has been instrumental in securing key appellate victories. A recent example of this is the landmark decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which held as a matter of first impression that the evasion of customs duties for failing to mark imported goods with their foreign country of origin gives rise to a claim under the False Claims Act. Ms. Haac also serves as the D.C. Co-Chair of the National Association of Consumer Advocates and previously served as Co-Chair of the Antitrust and Consumer Law Section Steering Committee of the D.C. Bar.
Ms. Haac earned her law degree cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School in 2006 and went on to clerk for the Honorable Catherine C. Blake of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. Prior to law school, Ms. Haac graduated with a B.A. in political science with the highest distinction from the Honors Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Named as class counsel in litigation concerning one of the largest unlawful tribal lending schemes, asserting federal RICO and state law claims and obtaining multiple settlements against owners, architects, and participants in the lending enterprise totaling over $100 million in cash, $600 million in debt cancellation, and significant additional non-monetary relief for consumer borrowers. The presiding district court judge overseeing the settlements opined, “Mr. Bennett, Ms. Kelly, and Ms. Haac have appeared before this Court numerous times on behalf of this class and others. They have distinguished themselves nationwide, but, more importantly, in the Eastern District of Virginia as premiere consumer litigation counsel. . . . Tycko and Zavareei . . . has been named as class counsel and lead counsel and settlement class counsel by our own court and at least 40 other class actions in state and federal court, and I have appointed them previously to serve as class counsel. Their experience as previous class counsel and with complex cases involving accused predatory financial practices has certainly been an asset in matters before this court.” And the judge presiding over the bankruptcy portion of the settlement opined that the case was “the most hard-fought bankruptcy case that [the Court] presided over in [] 17 years as a judge” litigated by “some of the best lawyers in America.”
Represent borrowers in cases alleging violations of state statutes requiring interest to be paid on mortgage escrow accounts.
Represent District of Columbia in a case against large oil companies alleging consumer protection violations based on omissions and misrepresentations regarding the role the companies and their products played in climate change.
Successfully settled a suite of false advertising cases against olive oil manufacturers for misleading country of origin claims and misrepresenting lower grade olive oil as extra virgin.
Appointed class counsel in a contested class action involving product defect claims against a large U.S. manufacturer.
Developed specialized expertise litigating a variety of customs fraud cases involving violations of the country of origin marking requirements and evasion of antidumping and countervailing duties.
Holding as a matter of first impression that the evasion of customs duties for failing to mark imported goods with their foreign country of origin gives rise to a claim under the False Claims Act, as amended in 2009 (petition for certiorari to the Supreme Court denied)
Certifying a contested multi-state consumer protection class on behalf of consumers who had purchased allegedly defective General Electric microwaves whose glass doors spontaneously shattered.
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