Unfair Lending Practices – $40M

Attorneys Brian Kabateck and Richard Kellner recovered more than $40 million on behalf of the NAACP, the nation’s largest civil rights organization, and helped reform unfair lending practices within the financial industry. The attorneys filed lawsuits against 15 lenders accused of coaxing African-American borrowers into high-cost loans, in the midst of the subprime lending boom, when many of those borrowers could have qualified for lower interest rates. The outcome of the litigation led to Wells Fargo agreeing to change its lending practices and later adopting NAACP’s Banking Principals on Fairness & Lending aimed at creating a safeguard against racial discrimination in lending. The settlement provided funding for a groundbreaking national network of “Financial Freedom Centers” which offer financial education and assistance to underserved African-American communities. Wells Fargo has also stepped up its efforts to work with the NAACP to improve fair credit access to black-owned businesses and bolster sustainable homeownership.