Peter J. Van Zandt has joined the law firm of LeClairRyan as a shareholder on the firm’s Business Litigation Practice Area team. He is joined by two associate attorneys, H. Paul Efstratis and Claudia L. Williams. All will be resident in the firm’s San Francisco office.

Handling matters throughout California for more than 20 years and having tried over 30 cases to verdict, Van Zandt represents financial institutions faced with consumer class and individual actions involving origination issues including claimed Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and Real Estate Settlement Procedure Act (RESPA) violations. He also handles matters involving loan servicing with claimed violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and California and Federal Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA). He regularly defends claims of wrongful foreclosure, particularly those involving consumers attempting unmeritorious foreclosure avoidance. His team is on the cutting edge of defenses to emerging consumer theories including promissory estoppel related to failed modification plans, bankruptcy adversary proceedings, erosion of the tender requirement when challenging foreclosures and issues related to compliance with newly enacted state and federal consumer protection statutes. Van Zandt’s team also represents automobile lenders defending against consumer litigation arising from the financing of vehicles.

A graduate of San Francisco Law School (J.D.) and Pitzer College (B.A.), Van Zandt is admitted to practice in California State and Federal courts. He is a member of the Bar Association of San Francisco, The Lawyers Club, the Los Angeles Bar Association, the Litigation Section of the American Bar Association, the Association of Defense Counsel and the American Inns of Court. He also serves as a Judge Pro Tem for the Santa Clara County Superior Court and the San Francisco Superior Court.

Efstratis represents financial institutions faced with consumer class and individual actions and origination matters involving claimed Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and Real Estate Settlement Procedure Act (RESPA) violations. He also handles matters involving loan servicing with claimed violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and California and Federal Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA). He also defends claims of wrongful foreclosure, with various aspects of contract and tort law litigation. Efstratis has participated in the trial of several cases to verdict and has handled mediations and settlement conferences throughout California. He is a graduate of Loyola Law School (J.D.) and the University of California, Berkley (B.A. and B.S.).

Williams also represents financial institutions, including loan servicers, in real estate, contract, tort, and consumer finance lawsuits. Ms. Williams handles matters involving claimed violations of California’s non-judicial foreclosure statutes, California’s Unfair Competition Law, and California and federal consumer finance statutes (CFDCPA, FDCPA, TILA, RESPA, and RICO). She is a graduate of the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law (J.D.) and Saint Mary’s College of California (B.S.E.).

www.leclairryan.com

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