[co-author: Susan Ryan]

On March 7, Fishman Group PC President Marc Fishman pled no contest on behalf of the firm to stealing client assets by filing false proofs of service in collections cases. Previously, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel charged the Michigan collections law firm and its attorneys with one count of maintaining a criminal enterprise. Per the court order, the Fishman Group must pay nearly $150,000 in full restitution to all improperly garnished debtors.

Afterwards, AG Nessel remarked: “The perpetrators of these crimes represent some of the worst of what the legal profession has to offer. For their own financial gain, these attorneys preyed on vulnerable people who lacked sufficient knowledge about the legal system. I’m grateful for the work of our attorneys in the Financial Crimes Division of the Department of Attorney General for securing this plea.”

Why It Matters

While relatively quiet in pursuing individual consumer protection actions, AG Nessel may become more emboldened to seek these actions given the charges against and subsequent no-contest plea from the Fishman Group.