Too many consumers have been harmed by powerful interests. Tycko & Zavareei LLP's experienced team of lawyers fights back, using smart, creative litigation strategies to seek justice and make the marketplace more fair.
Why Tycko & Zavareei LLP?
Too many consumers have been harmed by powerful interests. Tycko & Zavareei LLP's experienced team of lawyers fights back, using smart, creative litigation strategies to seek justice and make the marketplace more fair.
Kristen G. Simplicio is a Partner at Tycko & Zavareei LLP and has devoted her career to representing victims of illegal debt collection practices, false advertising, and corporate fraud. Over the last two years, Ms. Simplicio has secured a number of victories on behalf of homeowners as a result of her work representing plaintiffs in over a dozen cases filed around the country against mortgage loan servicers over fees charged in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and related state statutes. Ms. Simplicio has made important changes to the mortgage servicing industry, securing five settlements that have included not just refunds to affected borrowers but also agreements to stop charging these fees.
Ms. Simplicio’s work also includes a number of cases brought under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”). She is currently representing plaintiffs in RICO suits against a for-profit university over a deceptive scheme to enroll students into worthless online programs, and a bank over its conspiratorial role in collecting illegal payday loans from 140,000 victims around the country. And prior to joining Tycko & Zavareei LLP in 2020, she was the lead associate in a RICO case bought on behalf of small business owners against 18 defendants in the credit card processing industry. In connection with that case, she obtained a preliminary injunction halting an illegal $10 million debt collection scheme, and later, helped to secure two settlements that obtained refunds and changed practices for the victims.
Ms. Simplicio graduated cum laude from American University, Washington College of Law in 2007. She holds a bachelor’s degree from McGill University. She began her legal career at the United States Department of Labor, where she advised on regulations pertaining to group health insurance plans. Before and during law school, Ms. Simplicio worked for other plaintiffs’ law firms. While Ms. Simplicio is now based in Washington, DC, she spent the first decade of her practice in California, where she successfully litigated over a dozen false advertising cases against manufacturers of a variety of consumer products, including olive oil, flushable wipes, beverages, and chocolate. In connection with this work, she helped to obtain millions of dollars in refunds to consumers, as well as changed practices.
Currently representing plaintiffs in over a dozen cases filed around the country in cases alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and related state statutes. The plaintiffs in these cases allege that their mortgage loan servicers improperly assessed fees when they paid their mortgage over the phone or internet.
Currently representing a plaintiff in a putative class action lawsuit against Grand Canyon University and related individuals and entities. At issue in this RICO case is the for-profit school’s pattern of omitting the fact that it does not have the requisite accreditation needed to obtain professional licensure in a variety of fields.
Previously represented plaintiffs in three different lawsuits that alleged that several major olive oil manufacturers falsely advertised their olive oil as both “extra virgin” and “imported from Italy.” Class certification and classwide settlements were obtained in all three. In addition, the manufacturers agreed to changed practices, including removing the offending “Imported from Italy” claim from the label and adopting improved quality control procedures for the production and transport of the oil to preserve its extra virgin status.
Previously represented several small business owners in a lawsuit against 18 defendants in the credit card processing and equipment leasing industry. The business owners brought claims under RICO, alleging that they were fraudulently enrolled in overpriced equipment leases and targeted in an improper debt collection scheme. The case was resolved through two separate classwide settlements, which included refunds to affected business owners and changed practices.
Successfully defeated a motion to dismiss claims arising under California’s Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
Obtained approval of a classwide settlement and successfully defended on appeal over objections.
In the case where the defendant moved to federal court and then challenged the plaintiff’s Article III standing to obtain a public injunction, Ms. Simplicio successfully persuaded the court to remand the claims to state court.
Successfully defeated defendants’ motion to compel arbitration and obtained a classwide preliminary injunction enjoining unlawful RICO debt collection scheme.
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