So yesterday was Selection Sunday again. That means we’re already deep into 2024 and the Madness of March is upon us again.
TCPAWorld has seen its share of madness over the last 365 days, and if there is one PLAIN trend it is that regulators are becoming an increasing risks to businesses right along side a spike in TCPA litigation.
I remember 6-7 years ago when I spoke on panels about the TCPA the acknowledged focus was on litigation risk as there was very little regulatory risk out there. But that has changed dramatically over the last year.
With the launch of the FTC telemarketing sweep back in July, 2023 regulatory risk has absolutely spiked. And the Commission’s new ruling (unconstitutionally?) requiring businesses to maintain calling and consent records will likely to lead to even more enforcement in 2024.
Thankfully the Czar backed them off a bit with that TREMENDOUS performance at the open meeting. You’re welcome!:
Our amazing YouTube channel has over 170 amazing videos!
But the FTC is just half the regulatory puzzle right now. The FCC has also been aggressively pursuing enforcement actions for the last year or so. Indeed, 2023 saw THREE NINE-FIGURE penalties get issued.
So the risk is higher than ever on the regulatory side.
And yet TCPA litigation risk spiked in 2023 as well. Thanks to WebRecon we know TCPA class litigation last year over 18%.
Plus January, 2024 opened up with a 50% increase in filings from 2023!!! My goodness.
Rather obviously, therefore, understanding the fast-moving TCPAWorld is critical. TCPAWorld.com’s numbers are off the chart– readership is up 90% from last year!!!!!– and our YouTube channel has more followers than 85% of the AmLaw 100. So yeah… Troutman Amin, LLP is in demand.
But beyond sound legal counsel you also need to know thine enemy. And that’s where our annual power rankings come in.
Each year this list is populated with the MOST dangerous Plaintiff’s lawyers in the country. Lawyers that should NEVER be taken lightly and who are CREDIBLE threats to go all the way.
For those who are new to the rankings, these are not objective in any true sense of the word. They are simply my general sense of which lawyers are the most dangerous TODAY in light of everything I know about them–i.e. their capabilities, drive, knowhow, focus and volume of filings. Most of these lawyers I have litigated against for years–and in many cases I have handled dozens of cases against them. So my rankings hold tremendous weight–even if they are less than scientific.
Indeed, this year we have a NEW number one– which is the first time that has happened since I started the rankings back in 2022.
So buckle up and enjoy everybody. Without further adieu… here are your 2024 rankings of the most dangerous TCPA plaintiff’s lawyers on the planet!
10. Daniel Hutchinson/Jonathan Selbin Lieff Cabraser
Slipping for the second year in a row the folks at Lieff Cabraser are barely hanging on to their rankings in the Top 10. The main reason–I just haven’t seen enough filings from these guys.
Make no mistake though, they are still extremely dangerous–and competitive. Following last year’s rankings Hutchinson wrote to me stating: “My law partner Jonathan (not John) Selbin noticed your observation that we’ve been a bit quiet this year and suggested that I reach out to remedy that. We’ve been a bit preoccupied obtaining over $55 million in TCPA settlements against National Grid and DIRECTV. Claimants in the latter are getting $1,689.48 or $844.74 per call (depending on the vendor).” So you know they’ll notice the drop down to the 10th spot here.
Then again their other law partner Liz Cabraser just joined the board of NCLC–so you can expect to hear a lot more from these guys in 2024. Basically guarantee they will move up again in 2025. But for now, they are number 10 on the list.
Another dangerous firm slipping down the rankings is Bursor and Fisher.
Back in 2022 they were near the top of the list due to a massive crush job against Rash Curtis & Associates that saw the firm deliver the largest TCPA settlement of all time.
They celebrated by handing out half million dollar bonuses to associates– bonuses that make #biglaw blush— but once again I haven’t really seen anything big from them over the last 365 days.
That said, these guys are MONSTERS, so do be on the look out for them. Remember, they once even got a major defense firm to switch sides and help them.
8. Keith Keogh, Keogh Law, LTD
Moving up a couple of slots is Keith Keogh.
This guy has always been dangerous–he still holds the record for the highest-per-class member TCPA settlement of all time– and he is the essence of smooth in the law. If you were going to cast one TCPAWorld lawyer to play the ultra hip smooth talking courtroom advocate for a Netflix series, he’d be the guy.
And 2024 saw his filing numbers begin to creep upward again after a couple of years of taking it easy. So I am slightly nervous that he may start making big strides in his TCPA practice again. He is far too dangerous to be taken lightly–smart, calculating, and very experienced. Do not take a filing by Keogh lightly.
Slipping down the list this year is the boogey man himself.
WITHOUT QUESTION Jay is the most dangerous lawyer on this list in a vacuum. But in the context of the TCPA he may actually be a bit overrated coming in at number 7.
Why?
Because his shop just doesnt file very many of these anymore. Then again, Edelson PC still owns the largest privacy jury verdict in history with their TCPA trial trouncing of Visalus.
So TCPA is still his thing.
The guy has about 50 lawyers at his shop now and helps state regulator to pursue claims that they (the government!) don’t have resource to bring. He is absolutely top drawer and his firm continues to do things no other plaintiff’s firm could dream of– but just not too much in the TCPA space right now (thank goodness.)
Still if there is one guy you do NOT want to see on a TCPA complaint it is Jay Edelson. THE DUDE LITERALLY HAS THE SAME NICKNAME AS JOHN WICK. You’ve been warned.
6. Dr. Evil and the guys at LawHQ
Making the biggest leap in this year’s rankings are the guys over at LawHQ.
These guys are absolutely brilliant and the only brake to their success is the ability to add lawyers fast enough (I can relate.)
They dreamed up an anti-robocall app that they use to bring in clients. Then they sue with their strongest claiming holding back 10-15 other plaintiffs in their pocket. its nuts. Plus this guy–Tom Alvord– thinks he can scale the practice of law and bring in “millions” of clients to file TCPA suits.
I’m serious. I call him Dr. Evil.
His deal is that he splits the money “fifty fifty” with the consumer after they retain him by “swiping right” on robocalls in the app. Again, its nuts. But just nuts enough to work. And it seems to be.
LawHQ is the hottest thing on the rise in TCPAWorld right now and a real rocket ship poised to break into the rankings next year and really upset a few folks.
If you missed our podcast interview with these guys you owe it to yourself to check it out:
Another huge leap is for this guy–Manny Hiraldo.
I have to be honest I never thought I’d see him this high up on the list. Previously known for a high-volume-low-settlement dollar practice Manny has really turned a corner recently.
He just went toe-to-toe with the Czar in a class certification filing and, while I don’t like his chances on the motion, he has performed admirably in the case and demonstrated an absolute commitment to going all the way. Plus he has proven himself to be an aggressive class litigator–not just a capable one.
Manny has really put his foot down and decided he is going to dig in and push TCPA class cases hard and deep into discovery and beyond. So be on the look out for this guy.
4. Avi Kaufman, Kaufman, PA
So there is a big gap between number five and the rest of our list this year. The top four guys are the real monsters in the TCPAWorld woods, and that starts with Avi Kaufman.
Down a couple of spots from 2023 Avi continues to be a very serious threat in TCPAWorld. Sharp, aggressive, focused–and well funded.
You may recall 2022 was a banner year for the guy. He made about $10MM in fees in a 400 day period as his war on real estate brokerages cashed in, and it was just nuts.
He is still out there filing a massive number of cases and aggressively pursuing them. The only reason he is down a bit on this year’s list is because he didn’t have any big splashy wins that I can think of last year. But he still has a massive pile of money and a huge pipeline of cases he is litigating so… he’s doing ok.
As I said last year “[d]on’t let his seeming lack of sophistication fool you. Kaufman PA is well funded, and Avi is a smart advocate.” Now, more than ever, take any filings from his office seriously.
3. Anthony Paronich, Paronich Law PC
Holding steady at number three, the “Wolf of TCPAWorld” the wolf has had another great year.
I can’t count all the money the guy has made this year as he is willing to take six figure individual wins with a quickness and pad his warchest while he pursue the big class victories he is known for. Safe to say, however, that he made millions in 2023–just a matter of how many millions.
As I have said before Paronich has a well-earned reputation as a ruthless litigator and a shrewd negotiator. He somehow manages a large volume of cases with a relatively limited infrastructure while remaining a threat to “go all the way.”
The longer I litigate against him the more respect I gain for his strategic thinking. I used to think of him more as a brilliant tactition–and he is–but his long game vision has gotten much better as well.
Plus he is smart enough to know when he’s beat–which actually might be his most dangerous trait. He never gets hung up on bad cases or arguments. He simply goes limp and waits for the next one. Its actually rather impressive.
Also, Paronich was a VERY compelling first guest on the new Deserve to Win podcast–and if you haven’t listened to what he has to say. YOU SHOULD.
Any way you look at it, however, when the Wolf comes stalking, don’t open the door.
2. Mike Greenwald, Greenwald Davidson Radbil, PLLC
He has finally been dethroned.
Since the start of the power rankings back in 2022 Mike Greenwald has been “Mr. Nuber One.” And for good reason. There is just no better lawyer out there.
The guy is gifted in the true sense of the word. Super human intelligence– just like me. He’s more of a comic book villain than a real life lawyer. The one guy in the game that might be able to ou think me head to head. I am telling you, he is that good.
But…
BUT…
Thank goodness he is taking this whole “early retirement” thing fairly seriously. He has a great big boat and a great big family life and he is leaning into it. I respect it–and I hope he keeps finding joy in that instead of in beating up on TCPA defendants.
For the unaware, Greenwald invented the wrong number TCPA class action–the most dangerous kind of suit. He is undefeated in certification efforts on this theory– UNDEFEATED!–and the Czar has only beaten him using extremely esoteric legal doctrines that most lawyers have never heard of.
Basically if Greenwald comes after you, you’re generally in a ton of trouble. Unless its fishing season.
For those of you who missed my podcast episode with the guy you HAVE to give this thing a watch. This is the most dangerous man in TCPAWorld folks talking with our team:
The folks at Greenwald Davidson Radbil, PLLC remain the ultimate monsters lurking in the TCPAWorld woods. By the time they sue you, it may already be too late.
As I said last year: “when I give TCPA compliance advice its often the GDR firm I have in the back of my mind when I’m trying to help folks to avoid devastating exposure. When you’re even in the Czar’s head you definitely have earned your top spot on the TCPAWorld POWER Rankings.”
True then. True now. But just not good enough to hang on to number one.
That slot goes to…
1. Abbas Kazerounain, Kazerouni Law Group
The “Godfather” of TCPA class actions has risen to the number one spot in our rankings–and that just makes good sense.
Abbas was one of the original architects of the entire concept of mass TCPA suits and he is an absolute TCPAWorld legend. And the fact that he’s a pretty good guy just makes it all that much harder to stomach his endless success.
While he is best known as the guy who brought the world the stunning Marks appellate victory Abbas is known in TCPAWorld circles as the guy who has cracked more companies for multi-million dollar settlements than any other living person.
In the past he was a bit lower on the list because he had seemingly moved away from TCPA to focus on managing his vast real estate holdings, but 2023 saw a clear and dedicated return by Abbas to the TCPA game.
The guy has over 20 lawyers working for him, a vast background in the space, a brilliant mind, a sharp wit, and a tenacity that cannot be overlooked. From a pure brainpan perspective he probably isn’t the IQ-hound Jay or Mike are, but the guy has heart and commitment to spare.
Plus TCPAWorld is the house that Abbas built to a certain degree–you can expect him to defend his turf and with his recent surge of TCPA class filings I full expect 2024 to be his most dangerous year yet.
For those of you who want to get to know Abbas better you can watch him on the Deserve to Win podcast below:
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Well folks that’s it. Hope you enjoyed!
And be sure to get your tickets for the Law Conference of Champions July 15, 2024 in Irvine, CA before they sell out!!!!
Until next year.
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