FCRA Class Actions in 2026: Credit Reporting, Algorithmic Screening, and Emerging Consumer Claims

Ryan L. McBride, Partner | Kazerouni Law Group, APC

Ryan McBride is a partner at Kazerouni Law Group, APC, where he manages the firm’s San Diego office and carries a caseload of class action, mass tort, and complex civil matters across the five states in which he is licensed: Arizona, California, Washington, Utah, and Florida. His practice centers on consumer protection, and he recently argued a successful appeal before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

• Education & Credentials

Mr. McBride earned his law degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, where he served as President of the Sports Law Society, as Academics Director for the Student Bar Association, and as a member of the National Sports Law Negotiation Competition Team. He graduated cum laude from Arizona State University, where he was a Pat Tillman Scholar, played #1 singles and doubles on the tennis team, and served as President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee; he later earned a master’s degree from ASU. He is admitted to practice in Arizona, California, Utah, Washington, and Florida, as well as before the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

• Recognition & Leadership

Mr. McBride’s honors include the Wiley W. Manuel Certificate for Pro Bono Legal Services and the Pat Tillman Community Leadership Award, which he received alongside the Arizona Cardinals’ Taitusi “Deuce” Lutui and the Phoenix Coyotes’ Shane Doan. He was named a partner at Kazerouni Law Group in 2023.

• Professional Involvement

Mr. McBride is a member of the Maricopa County Bar Association, the San Diego County Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. Before law school he served in the Teach For America Corps while completing his master’s degree, and after law school he volunteered at a local domestic violence restraining order clinic. He is conversant in Spanish.

• Experience

Mr. McBride began his legal career by founding and running his own law firm before joining Kazerouni Law Group. He now manages the firm’s San Diego location and a multi-state caseload of class action, mass tort, and complex civil cases, with a focus on consumer protection.

Anthony Chester, Of Counsel | Kazerouni Law Group, APC

Anthony Chester is Of Counsel with Kazerouni Law Group, APC, practicing from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He focuses on consumer protection litigation and has handled hundreds of consumer actions nationwide, ranging from individual claims to consumer class actions. His practice includes matters involving the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), including inaccurate credit reporting, errors in credit reports during and after bankruptcy, and other consumer finance issues. He represents consumers in disputes with companies and financial institutions over alleged violations of their rights.

• Education & Credentials

Mr. Chester received his J.D. from Michigan State University College of Law. He also holds two bachelor’s degrees from Michigan State University: one in Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy and another in Philosophy.
He is admitted to practice in Minnesota, Missouri, Michigan, and Texas. His federal court admissions include the District of Minnesota; the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan; the Eastern and Northern Districts of Texas; the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin; the Northern District of Illinois; and the District of Colorado. He is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Eighth and Sixth Circuits.

• Recognition & Leadership

In 2015, Mr. Chester opened the Minneapolis branch of Hyde & Swigart, which merged with Kazerouni Law Group in 2019. In October 2022, he established Chester Law, a consumer protection practice focused on consumer finance matters, including claims involving inaccurate credit reporting and violations of the FCRA.

• Professional Involvement

Mr. Chester has served as a volunteer mediator for community centers since completing his first mediation training in 2011. His mediation experience includes debt collection matters, landlord-tenant disputes, divorces, and a variety of other disputes.

• Experience

Mr. Chester’s practice encompasses consumer protection litigation, including FCRA claims involving inaccurate credit reporting, as well as consumer class actions and defense work in debt collection matters. He litigates consumer cases in state and federal courts across the country, bringing experience in disputes involving credit reporting and other consumer financial issues.

SESSION 1 – Building FCRA Claims: Reporting Accuracy, Disputes, and Automated Screening | Ryan L. McBride & Anthony Chester | 2:30pm – 3:30pm

This session provides a practical framework for evaluating and developing FCRA claims arising from inaccurate consumer reporting, inadequate investigations, background checks, tenant screening, and automated decision-making. The discussion will address the roles and obligations of consumer reporting agencies, furnishers, and users of consumer reports, as well as standing and pleading considerations that can determine whether claims survive early challenges.

BREAK | 3:30pm – 3:40pm

SESSION 2 – FCRA Class Actions: Certification, Damages, and Litigation Strategy | Ryan L. McBride & Anthony Chester | 3:40pm – 4:40pm

This session examines the strategic issues that arise when FCRA claims develop into class actions, from identifying class-wide injury through certification, damages, and resolution. Attorneys will explore commonality and predominance, statutory and actual damages, willfulness, arbitration, and the emerging challenges presented by automated reporting and screening systems.