James Fishman is a nationally known consumer rights and privacy advocate who has brought numerous groundbreaking cases under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Truth in Lending Act and the New York Deceptive Practices Act. A former Assistant Attorney General in the Bureau of Consumer Frauds and Protection under Robert Abrams, Mr. Fishman has over 28 years of experience fighting for the rights of consumers in both state and federal courts.

Mr. Fishman is also a leading, and highly respected, New York City tenant lawyer who has represented hundreds of residential and commercial tenants before all levels of the New York judicial system, from the Housing Court up to the New Court of Appeals. Over 25 of Mr. Fishman’s tenant victories have been published by the New York Law Journal or the official state reporter.

Recognizing that the interests of consumers and tenants often overlap, Mr. Fishman has pioneered the use of consumer protection statutes and strategies in the housing area, particularly in the area of tenant privacy. He brought the first suit on behalf of a residential tenant against a landlord under the Fair Credit Reporting Act alleging impermissible access to her credit report. Using the Deceptive Practices Act, Mr. Fishman successfully sued a major New York landlord for improperly seeking personal identification information from its rent regulated tenants.

Mr. Fishman is also a nationally recognized expert in the rapidly growing area of identity theft, appearing on national televison and in print media, lecturing extensively and training other consumer lawyers in handling identity theft litigation.