1 Chapter 8 Fair Debt Collection Practices Act Class Action: Deposition and Class Certification Memo (TX) Stephen Gardner is an attorney in private practice since 1992 specializing in consumer litigation. His office is at 6060 North Central Expy., Ste. 560, Dallas, Texas 75206, (214) 800- 2830, Fax: (214) 800-2834, [email protected]. He focuses on consumer class actions and on representing individuals and such organizations as the Center for Auto Safety and the Center for Science in the Public Inter est. He received his B.A. in 1972 and J.D. in 1975 from the University of Texas. From 1992-1995, Gardner was the Assistant Dean of Clinical Education and visiting assistant professor of law at Southern Methodist University. He was an assistant attorney general in Texas and New York, from 1982 until 1991, and was involved in major consumer protection initiatives against such companies as AAMCO, Mobil Oil, Kellogg Company, and TCZ Cable. In 1991, Mr. Gardner coordinated efforts of numerous attorneys general and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate and bring law enforcement actions against TRW and other major consumer reporting age ncies for violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. He became of counsel, National Consumer Law Center, in 2002. His publications includeHow Green Were My Values: Regulation of Environmental Marketing Claims, Toledo Law Review (1991); See Dick and Jane Sue: A Primer on State Consumer Protection Laws, American Law Institute 1992; Caveat Vendor (editor), State Bar ofTexas 1980-1982. He is coauthor of National Consumer Law Center, Practice of Consumer Lawand a contributing author of National Consumer Law Center’s Consumer Class Actions and Unfair and Deceptive Acts and Practices, and H. Newberg & A. Conte, Newberg On Class Actions (4th ed. 2002). Mr. Gardner is a member of the Board of Directors, Consumers Union of the United States, 1997- 2002 and was a member of the Consumer Advisory Council, Federal Reserve Board, 1986-1989, and was a Consumer Law Fellow, National Consumer Law Center, 1980. The Center for Science in the Public Interest inducted Mr. Gardner into their Nutrition Action Hall ofFame in 1991. He was named to Adweek Magazine's Top Ten Enemies of Advertising in 1991 and received the National Association of Attorneys General's Marvan Award in 1988. Section 8.1 is a memorandum in support of certifying a Fair Debt Collection Practices Act class action seeking statutory damages. 1 The collection letters were allegedly sent by an unlicensed collector, 2 were confusing about their source, and i ncluded false threats. Section 8.2 is the deposition of the corporate representative for the collection agency. 1 See National Consumer Law Center, Consumer Class Actions Ch. 9 (5th Ed. 2002). 2 But see National Consumer Law Center, Fair Debt Collection Practices § 5.5.8.4 (5th Ed. 2004).