KBK Legal in the News

May 11-14, 2022: Adam McNeile is Committee Co-Chair for the Automotive Track at the 2022 NACA Spring Training. Mr. McNeile spoke on "Resolution in Lemon Law Cases" and "Pre-Suit Investigation In A Dealer Fraud Case."

April 12, 2022: Kristin Kemnitzer and Adam McNeile give "Drafting an Effective CLRA Letter" presentation to Public Counsel.

March 18, 2022: Kristin Kemnitzer participates as panelist on "Arbitration, UDAP Litigation, and Class Actions" at PLI's 27th Annual Consumer Financial Services Institute.

December 7, 2021: Kristin Kemnitzer participates as panelist on "Arbitration, UDAP Litigation, and Class Actions" at PLI's 26th Annual Consumer Financial Services Institute.

December 6, 2021: Kristin Kemnitzer and Adam McNeile give "ABC's of Auto Fraud" presentation at the National Consumer Law Center Consumer Rights Litigation Conference.

October 6, 2021: Kristin Kemnitzer and Adam McNeile present as guest lecturers on the Rees-Levering Automobile Sales Finance Act at the USC Gould School of Law for the Consumer Law course.

August 23, 2021: KBK obtained an appellate victory in the case of Safe Credit Union v. Diaz, with the 3rd Appellate District affirming an order regarding the credit union's motion to strike and Anti-SLAPP motion. The underlying action concerns the credit union's failure to comply with repossession notice requirements contained in the Rees-Levering Act.

April 15, 2021: Kristin Kemnitzer presents on "Public-Private Partnering on Auto Cases" at the 2021 NACA Spring Training.

April 5, 2021: KBK obtained an appellate victory in the case of Miliate v. San Diego House of Motorcycles, with the 4th Appellate District, Division One, affirming an order regarding a motorcycle dealership's motion to compel arbitration. The underlying action concerns a motorcycle dealership failing to comply with California's single-document rule contained in the Rees-Levering Act.

April 5, 2021: Adam McNeile presents on "Lifecycle of an Auto Fraud Case" at the 2021 NACA Spring Training.

February 7, 2021: Adam McNeile and KBK Legal's clients in the case of Oosthuizen v. Bank of America appear on CBS Bay Area to discuss Bank of America's failure to adequately administer California unemployment benefits recipients' accounts, leading to massive fraud.

November 16, 2020: Kristin Kemnitzer serves as moderator on panel for "Settling Car Cases: Lessons Learned During the Pandemic" at the National Consumer Law Center Consumer Rights Litigation Conference.

November 9, 2020: Adam McNeile gives "Introduction to Dealership Fraud" presentation at the National Consumer Law Center Consumer Rights Litigation Conference.

September 16, 2020: Kristin Kemnitzer and Adam McNeile give presentation at Berkeley Law on "Running Your Own Law Firm."

September 15, 2020: The 4th Appellate District, Division Three, certified the case of Mejia v. DACM, Inc. for publication in the Official Reports following receipt of requests for publication from Center for Consumer Law and Economic Justice, National Consumer Law Center, Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, Housing and Economic Rights Advocates, and UC Consumer Law Clinic. This landmark decision is now citable in all California courts.

August 24, 2020: KBK obtained an appellate victory in the case of Mejia v. DACM, Inc., with the 4th Appellate District, Division Three, affirming an order denying a motorcycle dealership's motion to compel arbitration. The underlying action concerns a motorcycle dealership failing to comply with California's single-document rule contained in the Rees-Levering Act.

June 8, 2020: Adam McNeile spoke as a panelist at a NACA conference regarding Automotive Dealer Add-On Litigation.

May 18, 2020: Kristin Kemnitzer publishes an article in Plaintiff's Magazine entitled "The Silver Lining of Practicing Law During the Pandemic."

April 21, 2020: Adam McNeile and Kristin Kemnitzer publish an article in Law360 entitled "California Auto Defect Law Makes the Roads Safer For Everyone."

March 3, 2020: Kristin Kemnitzer hosted an MCLE training for Public Counsel and the Department of Consumer Affairs on the Rees-Levering Automobile Sales Finance Act

February 10, 2020: Kristin Kemnitzer spoke as a panelist at the Practising Law Institute conference entitled "Helping Homeowners Facing Fair Lending Problems in Home Repairs and Improvements: Overview of Rights and Options."

January 26, 2020: Mark Chavez was quoted in the San Jose Mercury News in an article concerning Beneficial State Bank's high rate of defaults and suits against law income auto-loan borrowers. Mr. Chavez commented on the fact that the high interest rates used by Tom Steyer's bank were "self-defeating" if the purpose of the bank was to "help people lift themselves up."

January 7, 2020: Mark Chavez was quoted in a Law360 in an article entitled "California Attorney Accused of Flouting Court Order After $12M Fine." The article addressed Mr. Chavez's case of Estakhrian et al. v. Obenstine et al., case number 2:11-cv-03480 (C.D. Cal.). Plaintiffs filed an Ex Parte Application for Order to Show Cause re Contempt, alleging that Defendant Obenstine flagrantly violated the Court's prior orders. Mr. Chavez told Law360 that Defendant Obenstine's alleged behavior represented an "extreme situation" in which Obenstine "needlessly disturbed and aggravated a bunch of people without any basis for doing so. . . Most lawyers would never dream of engaging in this kind of conduct with people who they know are represented by other lawyers."

December 5, 2019: KBK Legal was named as Housing and Economic Rights Advocates' ("HERA") Community Hero at HERA's 15th Annual Gala. KBK Legal frequently co-counsels on cases with HERA involving consumer issues such as California's mortgage anti-deficiency statutes, illegal repossessions, and unlawful door-to-door sales.

November 14, 2019 Kristin Kemnitzer was invited for the third year in a row to speak at the National Consumer Law Center annual Consumer Rights Litigation Conference in Boston on the topic of auto fraud, along with co-panelist Bernard Brown.