Agenda / Content Covered

1. Developing Your Collection Strategy
   10:00 - 10:45, Lynda L. Laing
   
   1. Understanding the Nature of the Debt & the Debtor
   2. Is the Debt Collectible? If So, What's it Worth?
   3. Discovering Assets & Skip Tracing
   4. What Will the Job Require?
      1. The Easy Cases
      2. The Bad Cases
      3. The Ugly Cases
   5. Keeping the Client in the Loop
   6. Making Contact with the Debtor
2. Navigating the FDCPA
   10:45 - 11:45, Ernest H. Kohlmyer
   
   1. Key Definitions & Scope
   2. Procedural Considerations & Damages
   3. Prohibited Practices & Requirements
   4. Understanding False, Deceptive & Misleading Representations
   5. Bona Fide Error, Risk Mitigation & Internal Best Practices
   6. Common FDCPA Violations Attorneys are Making - Hypos & Guidance
3. Top 5 FDCPA Cases You Need to Know
   12:00 - 12:30, Ernest H. Kohlmyer
   
4. Staying Ahead of the Regulation F Amendments
   12:30 - 1:00, Lynda L. Laing
   
5. Considering & Pursuing Settlement
   1:30 - 2:00, Ronald S. Weiss
   
   1. Settlement Timing & Strategy
   2. Negotiation/Communication Best Practices
   3. Settlement Agreement - Key Clauses & Considerations
6. Litigating the Case
   2:00 - 3:00, Ronald S. Weiss
   
   1. Filing & Service Considerations
   2. Contents of the Petition
   3. Getting the Most out of Discovery
   4. Proving Up the Claim
   5. Securing Judgment
   6. A Word on Counterclaims
7. Post-Judgment Collection Techniques
   3:15 - 4:00, Lynda L. Laing
   
   1. You Got a Judgment, Now What?
   2. Using Liens
   3. Bank & Wage Garnishment Best Practices
   4. Levying Assets
   5. Dealing with Debtor Bankruptcy
   6. Working with Law Enforcement - Practice Tips
8. Ethics in Debt Collection
   4:00 - 5:00, Ronald S. Weiss
   
   1. Informal Social Media Investigation Missteps
   2. Keeping Zeal in Check
   3. Preserving Confidentiality in Communications
   4. Malpractice & Liability Concerns
   5. Attorney Fee Best Practices

Accreditation Details:

ERNEST H. KOHLMYER is a partner with Shepard, Smith, Kohlmyer & Hand, P.A. He practices in the areas of FDCPA and FCRA defense on behalf of collection agencies and credit grantors in the state of Florida. Mr. Kohlmyer also represents governmental entities in the central areas of civil rights and constitutional law. He is a regular speaker on the areas of debt collection and credit bureau reporting issues for the Florida Collectors Association and ACA International. Mr. Kohlmyer has been a member of ACA International's Member's Attorney Program (MAP) (former chairman), and has served as Florida's state unit representative. He currently serves on the ACA Legislative Council, and is a board member for the ACA International Foundation. Mr. Kohlmyer is licensed in both the state and federal courts in Florida and Georgia. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Kohlmyer earned his B.S. degree from Florida State University and his J.D. degree from the University of Dayton School of Law.

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 served on the Board of Editors of the Rhode Island Bar Journal and has written articles and lectured on bankruptcy, collections, and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. She is a frequent lecturer for National Business Institute on skip tracing and cyber tracking. She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the Rhode Island and American bar associations, the Commercial Law League of America, and the American Bankruptcy Institute. Ms. Laing served as chairperson of the Bench Bar Committee for the Rhode Island Bar Association. She earned her A.B. degree from Albion College and her J.D. degree from Case Western Reserve University Law School.

RONALD S. WEISS is a partner in the Kansas City law firm of Berman, DeLeve, Kuchan & Chapman, L.C. He practices in the areas of bankruptcy and commercial litigation. Mr. Weiss wrote the chapter on general executions in The Missouri Bar Handbook and Attachments on Debtor/Creditors' Rights, and the chapter on bankruptcy in The Missouri Bar Practical Skills Handbook. He also is a contributing writer to The Missouri Bar Bankruptcy Practice Handbook. Mr. Weiss has been a lecturer for The Missouri Bar seminars and for the National Association of Credit Management in the Kansas City Bar Young Lawyers Trial Practice Program. He has served as chair of the Midwestern Bankruptcy Institute. Mr. Weiss is a member of The Missouri Bar, the American Bar Association, the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, the Commercial Law League of America, and the American Bankruptcy Institute. He earned his B.A. and J.D. degrees from the University of Missouri.