Premier Law Firm for Defense of NYC Department of Consumer Affairs Matters

Hinch Newman is the go-to resource if the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) is investigating your company or has initiated an enforcement action as a result of an alleged violation of the City's consumer protection laws.  As recent events have illustrated, the DCA has taken an  increasingly aggressive investigative posture toward businesses operating within New York City.

The Department possesses broad statutory powers to investigate and take action against businesses on behalf of consumers. Settlements reached in DCA's Adjudication Division have the force of a final order. Failure to obey the terms of these agreements may result in additional sanctions, including fines and license suspension or revocation. DCA also brings cases in state court.

We are a NYC Department of Consumer Affairs investigation and defense law firm that possesses extraordinary perspective gained from many years of defending DCA investigations on behalf of a diverse base of clients.  The firm's concentrated experience with DCA consumer protection matters distinguishes us from other firms and leads to superior results for those that we represent.

Knowledge of Agency Inner Workings

In the high-stakes area of government regulation, there is no substitute for experience. Our cumulative knowledge of the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs’ inner workings is invaluable to our clients.

We serve as zealous advocates on behalf of our clients in all aspects of defending DCA investigations and enforcement actions, including, without limitation, sit-downs with regulators, responding to requests for information, producing responsive documents, negotiating favorable settlements and, when necessary, administrative hearings.

Our representative experience defending and favorably resolving a wide variety of DCA investigations on behalf of prominent New York based businesses, coupled with the strong working relationships we have built with the DCA decision-makers and staff attorneys that lead such inquiries, are a distinct benefit to our clients.

We also regularly counsel clients on the design and implementation of comprehensive compliance strategies and preventative controls.

A Firm That Knows the Rules

The NYC DCA enforces, without limitation, the New York City Administrative Code and the Rules of the City of New York. If you or your business are the subject of a NYC Department of Consumer Affairs investigation or enforcement matter, you need a consumer protection defense attorney that possesses familiarity with the laws that govern businesses in New York City and years of practical experience successfully resolving agency inquiries and related consumer complaints.

OATH Hearings

The Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) is the New York City's central independent administrative law court.  The Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings Division is independent from the agencies that issue the summons and is the nation's largest administrative tribunal.

OATH is responsible for holding hearings on summonses issued by the Department of Consumer Affairs.  There are different ways someone can respond to a summons that is filed at OATH.  OATH has a Trials Division, which handles complex administrative law matters, and a Hearings Division, which handles hearings on summonses.

OATH's Trials Division adjudicates matters that are similar to civil trials, without a jury.  There are streamlined procedural rules and pre-trial discovery is available.  Administrative trials do not require strict adherence to the rules of evidence or the rules of civil procedure.  However, OATH does rely upon both to reasonably ensure the essential elements of a fair trial are afforded to litigants.  

The OATH Hearings Division is the division of OATH holds hearings on summonses issued by a variety of agencies, including the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, formerly known as the Department of Consumer Affairs.  

You can find more information about OATH, including its procedural rules, by consulting a NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) attorney and by reading, here. 

NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Lawyer

The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs recently changed its name to the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.  NYC DCWP lawyers will have a new mandate to better protect consumers and workers.  It its expanded role, NYC DWP attorneys at the agency will also enforce  paid sick leave laws, intervene when a for-hire worker is mistreated or a freelancer's pay is delayed, and regulate the marketplace, including consumers, business and workers.

If you have been charged with violating the consumer protection laws and rules that the DCA enforces, please submit your matter using our Free Online Case Submission Form or phone us for a free consultation.