Dara
Tarkowski

• Complex Commercial Litigation: Represented plaintiff debt purchaser in connection with a breach of contract matter worth over $50 Million. Dara acted as lead trial counsel where the arbitration went to full hearing and verdict with a full recovery.

• Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA): Represented 14 defendants and obtained full dismissal with prejudice, including debt collector, debt buyers and certain principals in connection with a class action complaint alleging numerous violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Alabama common law.

• Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA): Represented debt collection agency and obtained full dismissal with prejudice of TCPA “honeypot” case seeking millions of dollars in damages.

• Complex Commercial Litigation: Represented client and obtained summary judgment in connection with its claim of conversion related to the improper acquisition and retention of confidential information.

• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB): Represented clients under supervision of the CFPB; created compliance management systems and drafted policies and procedures.

• FDCPA: Represented five defendants and successfully moved to compel arbitration of purported FDCPA class action, including debt buyers, servicer and individual.

• FDCPA: Represented debt collection firm and successfully obtained dismissal of FDCPA complaint based on plaintiff’s lack of standing and inability to trace any purported damages to alleged statutory violation

• Internal Investigations: Represented public and private companies and conducted internal investigations regarding state and federal regulatory issues for institutions of higher education and financial services companies (including banks and non-banks), including guiding clients through self-disclosures to regulators.

• CFPB: Represent clients in connection with CFPB and state regulatory audits.

• Whistleblower Employment Discrimination Claim: Represented corporate flight department of privately held health care company in defense brought under Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century (AIR21) 49 U.S.C. §42121.

• Federal Lanham Act: Represented a Chicago wholesaler, several related retailers, and their individual owners, in successful pursuit of claims for violation of Act 15 U.S.C § 1125 and related common law claims alleging they had been caught selling counterfeit versions of “TOP”-brand cigarette rolling papers.

• Spoliation of Evidence: Represented clients and successfully briefed and argued motions for sanctions for spoliation of evidence resulting in clients being awarded over $400,000 for opponent’s misconduct.

• Spoliation of Evidence: Represented clients and managed several forensic inspections of electronic devices, successfully pursuing and securing sanctions awards on behalf of clients related to the spoliation of evidence.

• Zambrana v. Pressler and Pressler, LLP, et al., Case No. 16-cv-2907, 2016 WL 7046820 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 2, 2016)

• Bass v. Blitt and Gaines, P.C., Case No. 16-cv-6874, 2016 WL 6877729 (N.D. Ill. Nov. 22, 2016)

• Telephone Science Corporation v. Asset Recovery Solutions, No. 15 C 5182, 2016 WL 4179150 (Aug. 8, 2016)

• Telephone Science Corporation v. Asset Recovery Solutions, No. 15 C 5182, 2016 WL 47916 (Jan. 5, 2016)

• Stewart v. Bureaus Investment Group, LLC, et al., Case No. 3:10-CV-1019-WKW, 2015 WL 7572312 (Nov. 24, 2015)

• Top Tobacco, L.P. et al. v. Midwestern Cash & Carry, LLC, et al., No. 11 C4460, 2014 WL 243431 (N.D. Ill., Jan. 22, 2014)

• Collection Recovery Solutions, Moderator, “Legislative and Regulatory Update,” Four Seasons Las Vegas, May 11, 2023

• Citi Digital Money Symposium, Panelist, “The Rise of ChatGpT: A Gamechanger for Financial Services,” London, UK, March 30, 2023 

• Finovate Fall, Mastermind Keynote, “Crypto Regulation,” September 11, 2023

• ABA Business Law Section Spring Meeting, Panelist,  “Fintech True North: American and Canadian Policy Approaches to Digital Currency and Fintech,” Vancouver, BC, March 28-30, 2019

• Credit and Collections News Conference, Panelist, “AI in Collections - Disrupt or Be Disrupted,”  Ritz-Carlton, Lake Oconee, GA,  March 26, 2019

•  RMA Annual Conference, panelist,  “Blockchain, Innovation Applications, Digital Wallets and Cryptocurrency in Receivables Management,” Las Vegas, NV, February 6, 2019 

• Relativityfest, panelist, "Cybersecurity for Attorneys," October 2, 2018

• General Counsel Roundtable, RMA Executive Summit, Panelist, "Current Issues in the Debt Collection Industry; Top Litigation Risks-Understanding Current Legal Trends," August 2, 2018

• General Counsel Roundtable, RMA Executive Summit, Panelist, "Market Trends: Fintech, Blockchain, and Cryptocurrency," August 1, 2018

• General Counsel Roundtable, RMA Executive Summit, Panelist, "General Counsel Roundtable: Legal and Compliance Workshop," July 31, 2018

• Receivables Management Association International (RMA), speaker, "The Debt Buyer Identity Crisis: Active, Passive or Something Different?" March 23, 2018

• ARMA Metro NYC Chapter Conference, Panelist, "What To Do When Law Enforcement Knocks on the Door? Responding to Search Warrants, CIDS, and Grand Jury Subpoenas for Corporate Records and Data," March 6, 2018

• PLUS D&O Symposium, Speaker," Emerging Exposures - What Do You Know?" February 2, 2018

• Co-Author, “Board of Director and Audit Committee Issues,” Chapter 21 of The General Counsel’s Guide to Government Investigations, published by The Government Investigations and Civil Litigation Institute, October 2017

• RMA Executive Summit, Speaker, “Data Security Breaches – Obligations in a Cyber-Sensitive Regulatory Environment” August 1, 2017

• RMA Executive Summit, Speaker, “Adapting to Change: A General Counsel’s Perspective,” Speaker, “Data Security Breaches – Obligations in a Cyber-Sensitive Regulatory Environment,” August 1, 2017

• FinTEx, Author, “The Changing Landscape of Cybersecurity Regulation and What It Means for FinTech,” July 17, 2017

• FinTEx Chicago, Panelist, “The Changing Landscape of Cybersecurity Regulation,” July 11, 2017

• DBA International 2017 Annual Conference, Speaker, “Litigating Spokeo: Practice Tips and Practical Realities - Is It Helpful to Us?” February 8, 2017

• DBA Magazine, Author, “A Debt Buyer’s Quick Reference Guide for Cancellation of Debt,” Fall 2016

• DBA Executive Summit, Speaker, “DBA Current Issues: Top Litigation Risks for Debt Buyers and How to Avoid Them,” August 4, 2016

• DBA Executive Summit, Speaker, “Breaking Down the EFTA - What You Can Do Today to Make Compliant Payment Plans,” August 2, 2016

• DBA International Annual Conference: Moving Forward Together, Speaker, “Telephone Consumer Protection Act: Recent Trends and Update,” February 10, 2016

• Annual Consumer Finance Services Conference, Speaker, “State Regulation of Debt Collectors/Debt Buyers,” November 20, 2015

• ABA Business Law Section Annual Meeting, Speaker, “Debt Collection Litigation and Legislative Update,” September 19, 2015

• Collect 2015 Conference by Interactive Intelligence, Speaker, “Ask the Attorney,” August 16-18, 2015

• 18th Annual DBA International Conference, Speaker, “Benchmarking Your CFPB Readiness: Policy and Procedures,” February 2015

• 18th Annual DBA International Conference, Speaker, “Electronic Payment Options & Regulation E Compliance,” February 2015

• “Importance of Auditing Service Providers to Avoid REG E Issues,” DBA Magazine, Fall 2014

• CBA Consumer Credit Committee Meeting, Speaker, “CFPB Supervisory Audits- Preparation Tips,” September 3, 2014

• Interactions 2014: Interactive Intelligence Global Conference, Speaker, “The CFPB Rulemaking Process” and “CFPB Supervisory Audit Process- Preparing Your Organization’s Compliance Management Systems,” June 3-4, 2014

• Cryptic Crypto , June 27, 2019
• Hold Your Breaches , August 1, 2019
• Network Learning , November 14, 2019
• Merger Madness , February 27, 2020
• Special Episode, Breaking Banks News , April 14, 2020