Stuart M. Collis is managing partner with Collis, Griffor & Hendra PC. He practices in the areas of collections/creditor's rights, civil litigation, commercial litigation, family law, divorce, child custody, paternity, criminal law, driver's license restoration and DUI/OWI/drunk driving. Mr. Collis is a trained mediator and has extensive experience with case evaluation procedures. He has also served on a number of state and national organizations, including NABA, WCBA, MCBA, CLLA, and the Michigan Department of Agriculture's Companion Animal Committee. Mr. Collis has been published extensively, including several republications. He has created and presented numerous educational sessions for interested organizations. Mr. Collis earned his B.A. degree from the University of Michigan and his J.D. degree, cum laude, from Western Michigan University.
Crystal M. Duplay is an attorney with Frost Echols LLC. She has devoted her career to the creditor's rights practice area and advocates on behalf of clients in all aspects of collections. Ms. Duplay earned her B.A. degree from Baldwin Wallace University and her J.D. degree from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University. She frequently presents on various debt collection issues. Ms. Duplay is currently the secretary of the Ohio Creditor's Attorney Association and has served as a director for the National Creditor's Bar Association. She is licensed to practice law in Ohio, Wisconsin, U.S. District Court Northern District of Ohio and Supreme Court of the United States.
Lynda L. Laing is a partner in the law firm of Strauss, Factor, Laing & Lyons in Providence, Rhode Island, where her practice concentrates in the areas of collections and litigation. Ms. Laing is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Rhode Island and American bar associations, Commercial Law League of America, and American Bankruptcy Institute. She served as chairperson of the Bench Bar Committee for the Rhode Island Bar Association. Ms. Laing earned her A.B. degree from Albion College and her J.D. degree from Case Western Reserve University Law School.
Bruce N. Menkes is a partner in the Chicago law firm of Mandell Menkes LLC, where he represents lenders, merchants and equipment lessors. He helps clients with a wide variety of consumer and commercial finance matters; including negotiating and documenting co-brand and other payment card agreements for retailers, preparing agreements for lending and leasing transactions, and advising on privacy, data security and regulatory compliance issues. Mr. Menkes also litigates consumer and commercial finance disputes, including defending consumer class actions suits alleging violations of consumer fraud laws, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Truth in Lending Act. He is a past chair of the Debt Collection Practices and Bankruptcy Subcommittee of the Consumer Financial Services Committee of the American Bar Association. Mr. Menkes has written numerous articles, including "The FDCPA and the First Amendment" (
Consumer Finance Law Quarterly Report, 2011). He earned his B.A. degree, highest honors, from William & Mary and his J.D. degree from the University of Chicago. Mr. Menkes is admitted to practice law in Illinois, before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (member of the Trial Bar), U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court.
James W. Sandy is an experienced trial and appellate lawyer with Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, who represents individuals, small businesses, and Fortune 500 companies in all aspects of civil and commercial litigation. Financial services companies of varying sizes have engaged Mr. Sandy based on his significant experience handling complex class action disputes in state and federal courts, in matters with financial exposure reaching seven figures. His primary focus is on assisting and advising national mortgage servicing companies, auto finance companies, banks, and small businesses in cases involving federal and state regulatory matters, arbitrations, consumer complaints filed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and state and federal lawsuits. Mr. Sandy regularly defends lawsuits brought under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act and other state UDAAP laws, Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), and Truth in Lending Act (TILA) in both state and federal courts. He also assists mortgage and auto finance clients with compliance matters, including protecting consumer data and privacy, as well as navigating the various complicated state regulatory regimes at play in the financial services context. Mr. Sandy is an experienced appellate advocate, having handled more than 80 appellate matters. He has delivered oral arguments before all 12 state appellate courts in Ohio, as well as before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Sandy also advises clients on general corporate and business matters including entity formation, corporate governance, and vendor and service agreements.
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