BuckleySandler LLP, a leading financial services and criminal and civil enforcement defense law firm, announced today that Richard E. Gottlieb, a highly regarded class action defense litigator with over 25 years of experience, has joined the firm as a Partner. Fredrick S. Levin, a notable class action and securities litigator, and Brett J. Natarelli, a consumer financial services litigator, will be joining the firm as a Partner and an Associate respectively. Gottlieb and Levin will be co-located in BuckleySandler’s Los Angeles and soon-to-be-opened Chicago office and Natarelli will be resident in the firm’s Chicago office.
“Richard and I have worked together on client matters for almost 20 years. He is one of the country’s most accomplished class action litigators serving banks, mortgage companies and other consumer financial services firms and we are fortunate to have him join our team. Richard, Fredrick and Brett are talented and multifaceted financial services litigators who will complement our national platform and expand our capability to represent clients in major class action cases, ‘bet the company’ litigation and enforcement matters particularly in California and Illinois, two very important jurisdictions for financial services litigation,” said Andrew L. Sandler, Chairman and Executive Partner of BuckleySandler LLP. “Their expertise in consumer class action litigation defense, government enforcement actions and regulatory compliance will provide great value to our clients.”
“We are thrilled to join one of the nation’s most distinguished financial services law firms and to help expand its national litigation, enforcement and regulatory compliance practices,” noted Gottlieb. “BuckleySandler has an unparalleled consumer litigation, enforcement, compliance and transactional practice and is an ideal place to grow my practice and bring enhanced value to clients.”
Clinton R. Rockwell, head of BuckleySandler’s Los Angeles office, added, “We are excited to have Richard and Fredrick join the Firm. They significantly increase our California litigation capabilities and the overall breadth of our West Coast financial services practice.”
As former head of the Financial Industry Group and chair of the firm’s National Consumer Financial Services practice at Dykema Gossett PLLC, Gottlieb managed oversight of the firm’s various financial institution practice areas while devoting his practice exclusively to counseling and representation of financial institutions, retailers and insurance companies, notably in defense of class actions. Gottlieb, an experienced litigator who represents clients primarily in the defense of class action suits alleging false or deceptive lending practices and statutory consumer lending violations, also has substantial experience in arbitrations, regulatory matters (including market conduct examinations) and administrative proceedings before federal and state agencies. He is a recognized leader in the field, having been elected by his peers as a Fellow of the American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers. He is a frequent lecturer on consumer financial services, class actions and trial practice matters, and is an active member of various bar and trade associations. Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business has described Gottlieb as “incredibly client focused” and “among the best” in a crowded field. Gottlieb holds a juris doctor from the State University of New York at Buffalo, an LL.M. from Georgetown University and a B.A. cum laude from Vanderbilt University.
Levin’s practice has focused on defending financial institutions in consumer and securities class action litigation. He spent 19 years at Mayer Brown in both Chicago and Los Angeles and most recently was a Member of Dykema. He represents local, national and multinational corporations in trial and appeals courts in complex commercial and consumer financial services litigation. He received his juris doctor from the University of Michigan and a B.A. cum laude from Princeton University.
Natarelli’s practice focuses on consumer financial litigation and compliance matters. He defends financial institutions in class action litigation including cases arising under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and the federal HAMP loan modification program, among other areas, and litigates all manner of consumer financial issues in the context of handling complex contested mortgage foreclosures. He received his juris doctor from the University of Chicago and a B.A. cum laude from Benedictine University and practiced at Dykema for five years.
