Laura E. Vendzules

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Partner
Business Litigation

Biography

Laura has more than 27 years of experience in complex commercial litigation matters in state and federal courts. She advises clients and litigates cases involving contract disputes, fraud and other business torts, trade secret issues, defamation and media law.

Laura also has a robust national class action practice, and serves as co-chair of Blank Rome’s class action team. She defends consumer class actions involving claims under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”), Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (“RESPA”), Truth in Lending Act (“TILA”), various state consumer protection laws, and other state and federal laws relating to unfair and deceptive lending and consumer trade practices.

She represents clients in all phases of civil litigation, including pre-trial, trial, and appellate proceedings.

Related Services

Related Industries

Experience

  • Represented the receiver ad litem in a hedge fund fraud case that recovered $250 million in damages for investors.
  • Represented leading metropolitan newspapers, reporters and editors in multiple cases involving defamation/first amendment issues.
  • Represented employers and employees in matters involving misappropriation and protection of trade secrets, enforcement of restrictive covenants, unfair competition and corporate raiding.

CLASS ACTION MATTERS

  • Obtained dismissal of a putative nationwide consumer class action alleging violations of Pennsylvania’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law (“UTPCPL”) and the Fair Credit Extension Uniformity Act (“FCEUA”).
  • Recently participated in oral argument before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on issues certified from the Third Circuit Court of Appeals regarding the scope of the UTPCPL.
  • Defended entities in class actions alleging violations of RESPA, the Mortgage Satisfaction Act (“MSA”) and breach of contract claims.
  • Defended loan servicers and lending institutions in multiple class actions alleging violations of FDCPA and various state consumer protection statutes.
  • Recently obtained order denying class certification of class of persons alleging FDCPA and Florida’s Consumer Collection Practices Act.
  • Defended mortgage loan servicers and banks against several borrower class actions alleging that notes and mortgages were unenforceable based on the statutes of limitations and/or repose.
  • Obtained a denial of class certification based on the inadequacy of counsel in an FDCPA class action.
  • Represented the CEO of a Fortune 500 food, facilities, and clothing provider in class action litigation relating to a proposed $22 billion going-private transaction.
  • Represented a Philadelphia health insurance company and its subsidiaries in complex individual and class action litigation arising out of the misrepresentation by a physician of his psychiatric credentials.

News & Views

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Recognitions

  • 2016 recipient of "Top Woman in Law," from The Legal Intelligencer
  • 2014 recipient of "Leadership Excellence in Law" Award from the National Diversity Council
  • AV® Preeminent™, listed by Martindale-Hubbell

Affiliations

Memberships

  • American Bar Association
  • Philadelphia Bar Association
Professional Activities

Laura is a former member of the board of directors of the Philadelphia Diversity Law Group and the Support Center for Child Advocates.

Credentials

Admissions

  • Pennsylvania
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
  • U.S. District Court - Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court - Western District of Pennsylvania
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

Education

  • Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey at Camden, BA, magna cum laude
  • Rutgers University School of Law, Camden, JD

A description of the standard or methodology on which the accolades are based can be found here.