Nate Cade – Trial Victory

August 13, 2012

Nate Cade, Milwaukee Partner, won a defense verdict for a large, national financial institution in a case under the Wisconsin Consumer Finance Laws with a trial victory on August 9th. These laws are some of the most onerous for creditors, as strict compliance is required. In particular, if a defendant is found liable, damages include attorney’s fees, the full value of the collateral plus other statutory damages. Thus, if a plaintiff wins, she could recover the value of the vehicle even if she only made a few payments. Our client repossessed the plaintiff’s vehicle, which she claimed was wrongful and that she did not receive notice. Nate reached an agreement with plaintiff’s counsel with respect to eighty stipulations of fact, which obviated the need for him to call any witnesses and merely cross-examine the plaintiff. The court ruled from the bench, and our client was not liable for approximately $50,000 in total damages.