Joann Needleman, current president of the National Association of Retail Collection Attorneys, has joined national law firm Clark Hill PLC.
Needleman will work in the firm's Philadelphia office and lead its Consumer Financial Services Regulatory & Compliance group. She has provided counsel and litigation services to financial institutions, law firms and debt buyers across the U.S. Her litigation experience includes successfully defending creditors against claims brought under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Fair Credit Reporting Act as well as various state statutes.
She was appointed last August to serve on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Consumer Advisory Board. As outlined in the Dodd-Frank Act, the purpose of that board is to "advise and consult with the [CFPB] in the exercise of its functions under the Federal consumer financial laws" and "provide information on emerging practices in the consumer financial products or services industry, including regional trends, concerns and other relevant information."
Needleman has been recognized by Law & Politics Magazine as one the top 50 female lawyers in the state of Pennsylvania and has been included in the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list in Bankruptcy & Debtor/Creditor Rights. She is peer-rated BV by Martindale-Hubbell, the nationwide guide to lawyers, a member of the American Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Association and is a past president of the Pennsylvania Creditors' Bar Association.
Needleman earned her J.D. from Widener School of Law and B.A. from Temple University. She is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Clark Hill is a full service law firm that offers business legal services, government and public affairs and personal legal services to clients nationwide. It has more than 300 attorneys and professionals in offices in Arizona, Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C. and West Virginia.
Joe Donley, Member-in-Charge of Clark Hill's Philadelphia office, said Needleman, "is a recognized leader in consumer financial services regulation and compliance, and her unique experience will be an asset to the continued growth of our firm and our clients."
Needleman previously was vice president at Maurice & Needleman, P.C., where she was the Managing Attorney of the firm's Philadelphia office.
