Mr. Steinheimer is a partner in Ellis Law Group LLP. Mr. Steinheimer has a broad civil litigation practice and represents individuals, professionals and businesses in all aspects of litigation. Mr. Steinheimer has successfully represented clients in jury and bench trials and has extensive appellate experience in both state and federal court of appeals.

Mr. Steinheimer’s practice includes professional negligence defense, business litigation, personal injury, and product and premises liability. Mr. Steinheimer also has developed an expertise in defending claims brought under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”), and has defended hundreds of such cases in state and federal court.

Mr. Steinheimer has lectured on the FDCPA, California Rosenthal FDCPA and Fair Credit Reporting Act to attorneys and trade organizations.

Since 1999, Mr. Steinheimer worked as a litigation attorney in San Francisco and Sacramento. From 2003 to 2006, Mr. Steinheimer was an associate attorney in the Sacramento office of Murphy, Pearson, Bradley & Feeney. In 2006, Mr. Steinheimer left Murphy, Pearson to found Ellis Law Group LLP with his other partners.

Education

Mr. Steinheimer obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of California, San Diego in 1994. He obtained his Juris Doctor degree from University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1998. He was admitted to the California State Bar in March of 1999.

Representative Trials

• Jones v. CBSJ Financial Corp. (N.D. Cal. January 11, 2011) FDCPA Defense - After a mere 25 minutes of deliberations, a unanimous jury rejected plaintiff’s claims under the federal and state Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and entered a complete defense verdict in favor of client. The case was tried in front of the Honorable William J. Alsup of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. The case was venued in San Francisco, California.

• Sutton v. A.H.W. (January 2008) Legal Malpractice – along with partners Mark Ellis and Wendy Vierra, multi-million dollar claims against attorney clients settled for less than cost of defense after motions in limine threatened to gut plaintiff’s claims.

• Bochman v. National Credit Acceptance, Inc. (September 2007) FDCPA Defense-  Defended debt buyer, two attorneys and two individual collectors in week long jury trial.  Case was initially filed as multi-million dollar class action.  Obtained defense verdict for collectors.  Jury awarded plaintiff $1,400 against remaining defendants. 

• Nickelson v. Palisades (February 2007) FDCPA Defense.  Defense verdict obtained for client debt buyer sued for allegedly violating the FDCPA, California (Rosenthal) FDCPA and the FCRA after a 5-day jury trial in federal district court for the Central District of California.

• McKee v. Eskanos & Adler (December 2006) FDCPA Defense.  Along with partner Mark Ellis, defense verdict obtained for client law firm sued for allegedly violating the FDCPA after a 6-day jury trial in federal district court for the Central District of California.

• Ellis v. Grant and Weber (April 2006) FCRA Defense. Along with partner Mark Ellis, $1.5 million claim settled during second week of trial for nominal amount.

• Denny v. Latham (May/June 2005) Wrongful Death Defense.  Along with Partner Mark Ellis, defended clients in wrongful death action.  Obtained defense verdict after three-week jury trial.

• Wells Fargo v. Speedelink (2005) Business Litigation.  Obtained verdict for client Wells Fargo Bank in amount of $60,000 plus award of attorneys’ fees after three-day court trial.

• A.N.P.A.C. v. Mason & Thomas (Jan./Feb. 2004) Legal Malpractice and Breach of Contract. Participated in trial with lead counsel Mark Ellis.  Jury verdict entered in favor of law firm clients after three-week jury trial in U.S. District Court.

Representative Published Opinions

• Farrar v. RDK Collection Services, Inc (Cal.App.2nd Dist. 2008) 2008 WL 4741077 (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 425.16 and application of Civil Code § 47(b)(2) litigation privilege to Abuse of Process/Defamation claims arising from debt collection)

• Boyle v. Arrow Financial Services, LLC (N.D. Cal. 2008) WL 1509328 (FDCPA)

• Costa v. National Action Financial Services (E.D. Cal. 2008) 2008 WL 1925235 (FRCP Rule 68)

• Costa v. National Action Financial Services (E.D. Cal. 2007) 2007 WL 4526510 (Standard for Emotional Distress Damages Under FDCPA)

• Chiu v. Creditors Trade Association, Inc. (Cal.App.1st Dist. 2007) 2007 WL 1509328 (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 425.16 and application of Civil Code § 47(b)(2) litigation privilege to Abuse of Process claims arising from debt collection)

• Johnson v. Phillips & Cohen and Associates (N.D. Cal. 2006) 2006 WL 2355340  (FDCPA)

• Hancock v. Receivables Management Solutions, Inc. (N.D. Cal. 2006) 2006 WL 1525723 (FDCPA)

• Palmer v. Stassinos (N.D. Cal. 2006) 236 F.R.D. 460 (FDCPA/Rosenthal FDCPA)

• Palmer v. Stassinos (N.D. Cal. 2006) 233 F.R.D. 546 (FDCPA)

• Palmer v. I.C. System, Inc. (N.D. Cal. 2005) 2005 WL 3001877 (FDCPA)

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