David J. Philipps

Senior Partner & Co-Founder

David J. Philipps has over 30 years of experience as a consumer litigator, on both an individual and class basis, advocating for consumers who have been defrauded in various ways. Mr. Philipps is most well-known for his strong advocacy for consumers who have been subjected to abusive and illegal actions by debt collectors.

From 1987-1988, he served as a law clerk to Justice Benjamin K. Miller of the Illinois Supreme Court. In 1988, he joined the Beeler, Schad & Diamond, P.C. firm in Chicago, Illinois, where his practice consisted of securities fraud and consumer litigation, where he began litigating for consumers under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. In 1999, he co-founded a law firm, which is now known as Philipps & Philipps, Ltd., in Southwest suburban Chicago.

In his practice, Mr. Philipps has represented thousands of consumers in federal court under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”) in both individual cases and class actions. Mr. Philipps has been an active member of the National Association of Consumer Advocates since its founding in 1995 and has been a featured speaker on the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act on numerous occasions.

Education:

Juris Doctorate, University of Illinois College of Law, 1987
Bachelor’s of Arts, History, Political Science, and Honors Program, Loyola University Chicago, 1984

Bar Admission:

United States Supreme Court
State of Illinois
State of Alabama
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
Illinois Northern District
Illinois Central District
Illinois Southern District
Indiana Northern District
Indiana Southern District
Missouri Eastern District
New York Western District
Oklahoma Western District
Tennessee Eastern District
Wisconsin Western District

David J. Philipps Press

David Philipps featured on ‘Next Lawyer Up’ Podcast
Attorney David Philipps is featured on Ron Sykstus podcast Next Lawyer Up.

Trump Administration proposal aids Debt Collectors
Consumer advocates say the proposal appears designed to shield debt collectors from lawsuits rather than help consumers.
– Washington Post

Do you know who owns your debt?
How the debt-buying and debt-collection industries put the squeeze on Americans.
– GQ Magazine

David J. Philipps Speaking Engagements

National Association of Consumer Advocates/National Consumer Law Center Consumer Rights Litigation Conference
October 26-29, 2023, Chicago, Illinois
“FDCPA Appellate Developments”

National Association of Consumer Advocates Spring Training Conference
May 2-5, 2023, New Orleans, Louisiana
“FDCPA Appellate Developments the National Association of Consumer Advocates”

National Consumer Law Center Consumer Rights Litigation Conference
October 19-20, 2021, Washington, D.C.
“FDCPA Developments”

National Association of Consumer Advocates Spring Training
May 4, 2021, Virtual
“How To Prepare For Mediation”

National Association of Consumer Advocates FDCPA Conference
March 8-12, 2021, Virtual
“FDCPA Developments”

National Consumer Law Center Consumer Rights Litigation Conference
November 9-20, 2020, Virtual
“FDCPA Developments”

National Association of Consumer Advocates/National Consumer Law Center Spring Training Fair Debt Conference Webinar
March 30, 2020
“Electronic Communications in Debt Collection”

National Association of Consumer Advocates/National Consumer Law Center Spring Training
March, 11 2020, Virtual
“Appellate Developments”
“The CFPB’s Proposed Time-Barred Debt Disclosures”

 

David J. Philipps Additional Speaking Engagements

National Association of Consumer Advocates/National Consumer Law Center Consumer Rights Consumer Rights Litigation Conference
November 11-12, 2019, Boston, Massachusetts,
“Ethical Pursuit and Handling of Cy Pres Awards”
“FDCPA Appellate Developments”

National Consumer Law Center FDCPA – 2019 Conference
March 11, 2019
“Workshop: FDCPA Claims Based on Written Communications”
David Philipps, Mary Philipps, and Angie Robertson (Philipps & Philipps, Ltd.)
“FDCPA Developments” David Philipps

Consumer Law Center and National Association of Consumer Advocates
2018 Fair Debt Collection Practices Conference
Chicago Illinois – March 19 & 20, 2018
“Appellate Developments”

National Consumer Law Center and National Association of Consumer Advocates
2017 Consumer Rights Litigation Conference
Washington D.C. – November 15-18, 2017
“FDCPA Appellate Developments”

Illinois Legal Advocates 2017 Training
September 7, 2017
CLE Presentation, “The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Legal Aid”

National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys
2017 Annual Convention
Orlando, FL
May 3-7, 2017
“FDCPA Intensive”

National Consumer Law Center and National Association of Consumer Advocates
2016 Fair Debt Collection Practices Conference
New Orleans, LA
March 27 & 28, 2017
“Selecting, Developing, Valuing Letter and Overcharge Cases”;
“FDCPA Developments”;
“Spokeo and FDCPA and TCPA Cases”

National Consumer Law Center
Consumer Rights Litigation Conference
Anaheim, California
October 20 to 23, 2016
“FDCPA Appellate Developments”

National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys
2016 Annual Convention
San Francisco, California
May 19 to 22, 2016
“FDCPA Claims Before, During, and After Bankruptcy”

National Consumer Law Center
Consumer Rights Litigation Conference
November 11 to 14, 2015, San Antonio, Texas
“FDCPA Appellate and CFPB Developments”;
“FDCPA Claims Before, During, and After Bankruptcy”

Chicago Bar Association Presentation
April 16, 2015
“Crawford v. LVNV and Time-Barred Debt.”

National Consumer Law Center and National Association of Consumer Advocates
Fair Debt Collection Conference
March 12 & 13, 2015 Washington, D.C.
“Crawford and Other Claims Based on Debt Collection Activity in Bankruptcy Court – Individual and Class Cases”;
“Selecting, Valuing, Developing Letter and Overcharge Cases”
“Tips to Improve Your Appellate Briefing and Argument” with Deepak Gupta;
“Ask the Experts” with Joanne Faulkner and Dale Pittman

National Consumer Law Center and the National Association of Consumer Advocates
November 6-9, 2014 Tampa, Florida
“Appellate Court Developments in the FDCPA”

North American Collection Agency Regulatory Association
September 28-30, 2014 Boise, Idaho
“Nationwide developments in the regulation of collection agencies and the FDCPA”

National Consumer Law Center and the National Association of Consumer Advocates
Fair Debt Collection Conference 
March 7 and 8, 2014 San Antonio, Texas
“Selecting, Developing, Valuing Letter and Overcharge Cases”;
“FDCPA Developments”;
“Update on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau”.

National Consumer Law Center’s Consumer Rights Litigation Conference
November 7 – 9, 2013 Washington, D.C.
“FDCPA Appellate Developments”

National Consumer Law Center and the National Association of Consumer Advocates
Fair Debt Collection Training Conference
March, 2013 Baltimore, Maryland
“Selecting, Developing, Valuing Letter and Overcharge Cases”;
“FDCPA Developments”;
“Developing a Private Fair Debt Practice”