Plaintiffs v National Arbitration Forum, Inc., National Arbitration Forum, LLC, and Dispute Management Services
Class Action Filed Against Georgias Mann Bracken and FIA Card Services - MBNA America
The State of Minnesota, by its Attorney General, Lori Swanson, has filed a complaint against defendants National Arbitration Forum, Inc., National Arbitration Forum, LLC, and Dispute Management Services, LLC, d/b/a Forthright (collectively, National Arbitration Forum, Forum, or Defendants).
The complaint has mapped out a complex web which boiled down to a cozy financial relationship: the arbitration services of NAF and sister organizations as well as the debt collection services of the law firm Mann Bracken and other companies have all been owned by the same New York hedge fund since 2007.
The complaint alleged that the NAF violated state consumer fraud, deceptive trade practices and false advertising statutes through complex and opaque corporate structuring that concealed its financial ties and represented itself as a neutral party.
Defendants are charged with multiple, separate violations of Minn. Stat. 325F.67. According to the action, Defendants have placed before the public statements that are untrue, deceptive, and misleading, with intent to sell or increase the consumption of services, and also by failing to disclose and omitting material facts, Moreover, the action also charges that Defendants have further made deceptive and fraudulent public statements in violation of the False Statements in Advertising Act.
For more information contact:
Jeffrey J. Harrington
Assistant Attorney General
445 Minnesota Street
Suite 1400
St. Paul, Minnesota 55101-2131
(651) 297-2730
(651) 297-7206
