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Protecting the rights of the "little guy" from "big guy" corporations can result in a consumer lawyer finding himself squarely in the crosshairs of the rich and powerful. Business-friendly interests and/or those who come from such backgrounds don't recognize the need for society to hold corporate America accountable even when they break the law or cause injury. I see the need. Always have, and always will.
What matters most to me? When the best possible resolution to legitimate and often life-altering problems is secured, It's far more gratifying to swim upstream, than to sit still and not take a stand against injustice.
Here's my bio from our website:
Craig Thor Kimmel is one of the most experienced and respected consumer attorneys in the United States. Along with his partner, Robert M. Silverman, he has been called a pioneer in consumer protection and cost-free legal representation. Beginning in 1989, he has devoted his practice solely to consumer claims, primarily Fair Debt Collection Practice Act (FDCPA) and Automobile Warranty "Lemon Law" claims. In 1997, he served as legal consultant to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and continues to consult when asked with the Consumer Affairs Committee. He is credited with being responsible for the only two amendments to the Pennsylvania Lemon Law and authoring the first Computer Lemon Law bill in the United States, which also served as a model for Illinois, Connecticut and California. Mr. Kimmel has made repeat appearances on national television discussing his cases and consumer law issues, and has given interviews to newspapers, magazines and radio programs. Within the profession, Mr. Kimmel has been a keynote speaker for legal education seminars and has shared his experiences with community groups nationwide.
Mr. Kimmel does not represent businesses or business interests. He instead has chosen to represent individuals and has done so many thousands of times. He has also served as class counsel in cases that have pushed for product improvements and changes in how business responds to customers. He has successfully argued for clients at the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on matters having a national impact, that continue to be cited as authority.
In 1986, Mr. Kimmel earned his Bachelor of Arts Degrees from Ursinus College and in 1989 a Juris Doctor Degree from Widener University School of Law. He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts State Courts, as well as several Federal Courts across the United States. He is active in the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the New York Bar Association. Mr. Kimmel is a member in good standing of the American Bar Association.
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Practice Areas
18 years | 10,000 cases
35 years | 15,000 cases
17 years
35 years
Free Consultation
$0 first 120 minutes
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Chat withState: Massachusetts
Acquired: 2005
Lawyer disciplined by state licensing authority in 2008
State: New York
Acquired: 1997
Lawyer disciplined by state licensing authority in 2009
State: Pennsylvania
Acquired: 1989
Lawyer disciplined by state licensing authority in 2009
30 E Butler Ave, Ambler, PA, 19002-4514
1001 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY, 10018
100 Ross Street, Suite 330, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219
1930 E. Marlton Pike, Executive Mews, Suite Q29, Cherry Hill, NJ, 08003
Silverside Carr Executive Center, 501 Silverside Road Suite 118, Wilmington, DE, 19809
1207 Delaware Avenue, Suite 404, Buffalo, NY, 14209
33 Client Reviews
Showing 1 - 5 of 6 reviews | Communication Style
Posted by David | January 03, 2018 | Hired Attorney
Awesome firm
Excellent. Fast and efficient. The firm acted in a very timely fashion go get my case competed. All the staff was pleasant to deal with. They took the time to explain lethal things in a way i could understand. They also responded quickly to any question i had or when i was simply looking for an updat...
Thank you for the very kind comments, David. It was a pleasure representing you and achieving those results. Happy New Year to you and your family.
Posted by Janet | July 28, 2017 | Hired Attorney
Great job
I was very pleased with my service from Kimmel and Silverman law firm... The were YouTube and told me everything that was going to happen start to finish.. Thank you everyone involved.. Jmoody
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. Satisfied clients is our number one priority, and we truly appreciate the feedback.
Posted by anonymous | June 15, 2017 | Hired Attorney
5 Stars for this law firm
I am very very pleased with the services I've received fron Mr. Craig Thor Kimmel and his asssociates. All my questions were answered, the communication between me the client and this law firm was phenomenal. This law firm is completely perfessional, excellent and will represent you to the fullest ca...
Thank you for the kind words and for sharing about your experiences with our firm.
Posted by Carl | April 01, 2015 | Debt Collection
Professional, Knowledgeable, Understanding, Compassionate
Attorney Craig Kimmel recently assisted me with a problem involving a debt collector. I was extremely anxious when I received both a call and letter from the debt collector; however, Mr. Kimmel took the time to speak with me several times both on the phone and via e-mail to provide legal advice, guid...
Thank you for the kind feedback. Nothing is more appreciated than client satisfaction.
Posted by anonymous | July 29, 2014 | Lawsuits & Disputes
Shop around
It took a year to even get an answer from anyone at this firm about my case. Then when they got me a settlement, they took 3 fifths of it for them just basically making two phone calls or emails? The last time that I checked the standard attorneys fee was one third of the settlement. And that usually...
I welcome the opportunity to discuss any concerns you or any other client has and always invite questions in every communication with clients and never settle a case unless my client is first spoken with by telephone and then receives a confirming email detailing the entire agreement. Having said that, and if indeed this is a comment from a client, please recall that you did not pay attorney fees or costs at all, and we did not sign your case on a contingency either. Our fee agreement, explained to you at the outset of the case specifies this, and the client signs the agreement before we can get started. We also explain that in the best of all worlds, the maximum FDCPA recovery is $1,000 but that you likely will have to go to court and/or give a deposition to recover that, unless the debt collector makes an offer of judgment for the full amount. In addition to the client's recovery, a debt collector must pay all attorney fees and costs, not our client. If you do not recall what the agreement says, I wish you would have asked me and I would have explained it again. Clients don't pay my fees. And if the maximum you can recover is $1,000, but you don't wish to participate by giving a deposition or going to court, we often counsel clients what we can recover without those steps and leave it up to them to accept or reject. But to say on this site or any other that I/we "took 3 fifths" of the settlement is neither fair nor accurate to those reading your comments. Again, I invite you to call me at 800-668-3247 ext 148 to discuss any concerns you have, as I want satisfied clients above all else. I am certain that any disappointment you feel can be addressed to your complete satisfaction with one phone call.
"I have had the pleasure of working with Craig for over seven years. He is an amazing advocate and works exceptionally hard to get his clients the best possible results."
"Craig is a very skilled and knowledgeable attorney. I feel comfortable referring clients to him because they get the best representation possible. I endorse this lawyer."
"It is very hard to find an attorney more knowledgeable on the issues of consumer protection than Craig. When in doubt, I always turn to him for advise and counsel."
"Craig Kimmel is a tremendous consumer advocate and attorney. Over the years, I learned a great deal from observing his work. He cares about his clients and will do anything in his power to right a wrong. Any consumer is lucky to have him in their corner."
"Craig is an extremely intelligent, hard-working and creative attorney. He comes up with new approaches and ways of looking at the law, with great success for his clients."
"Craig Thor Kimmel has been a leader in the consumer protection field for the past 20 years. His innovations and fresh ideas have ruffled some feathers of the old guard, but benefited consumers throughout the country, helping real people with real problems. The highest endorsement I can give is that when I had a personal case, Craig was the one I asked to represent me."
"I endorse this lawyer. Craig is a leading lemon lawyer in The State of Pennsylvania. He and his firm are nationally recognized for their exemplary work on behalf of consumers who have been wronged. They have been doing this for a long time and are the go to firm for this work."
Litigation lawyer
Lemon law lawyer
Debt collection lawyer
Lemon law lawyer
Car accident lawyer
Class action lawyer
Personal injury lawyer
This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 2009.
Reciprocal - Stayed Suspension issued in PA, 2009
updated on 07/21/2014This means that the attorney's misconduct in another state, or jurisdiction, also violated the rules for practicing law in Pennsylvania.
“Another state automatically reciprocated these findings. After 90 days, Maryland reinstated, as did the other state. The MD Court commented that it was confident the problem was unlikely to be repeated. Notably, two other states in which I do practice in, chose not to suspend, one issuing censure only, while the other declined to penalize at all. There never was a problem like that in 16 years of practice beforehand, nor has there been since.”
Reciprocal - Censure issued in NY, 2009
updated on 08/03/2016This means that the attorney's misconduct in another state, or jurisdiction, also violated the rules for practicing law in New York.
“I do not practice in MD, but my partner and I were her supervisors. It was felt that we should have discovered the associate's actions . We accepted responsibility and fully cooperated, as the clients are always the paramount concern. We identified cases which could have been affected and received authority to compensate each and every client. MD issued a 90 day suspension, while recognizing that I didn’t practice there and the associate took great pains to hide her actions. (more)”
Reciprocal - Suspension issued in MA, 2008
updated on 07/21/2014This means that the attorney's misconduct in another state, or jurisdiction, also violated the rules for practicing law in Massachusetts.
“I take pride in successfully representing consumers without charge for nearly 25 years and remain committed to that ideal every day. My practice has been challenging and rewarding. In 2005, a different challenge arose when I learned that my firms Maryland associate was found to suffer from significant mental lapses and medical problems affecting her ability to represent clients. The situation was reported to the appropriate authorities immediately. (more)”
2017
Best Philadelphia Area Law Firm, Philly.Com Readers' Choice Award
2011
Pennsylvania Super Lawyer, Law & Politics Magazine
2011
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2010
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2010
Pennsylvania Super Lawyer, Law & Politics Magazine
2009
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2009
Pennsylvania Super Lawyer, Law & Politics Magazine
2008
Pennsylvania Super Lawyer, Law & Politics Magazine
2008
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2007
Pennsylvania Super Lawyer, Law & Politics Magazine
2007
Awesome Attorney -- Lemon Law, SJ Magazine
2007
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2006
Pennsylvania Super Lawyer, Law & Politics Magazine
2006
IMA Website Award--Best Small to Midize Firm, Micah Buchdahl, Internet Marketing Attorney
2006
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2005
IMA Wesbite Award--Best Small to Midszie Firm, Micah Buchdahl, Internet Marketing Attorney
2005
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2005
Pennsylvania Super Lawyer, Law & Politics Magazine
2004
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2004
Pennsylvania Super Lawyer, Law & Politics Magazine
2002
Louis M. Brown Award (Meritorious Recognition), American Bar Association, Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service
1999
Best Lemon Law Firm in Philadelphia, Philadelphia Magazine
1991 - Present
Founding Partner, Kimmel & Silverman, PC
2010 - Present
Federal Bar AssociationMember
2005 - Present
New York State Bar AssociationMember
2000 - Present
Philadelphia Bar AssociationMember
2000 - Present
American Bar AssociationMember
1998 - Present
Pennsylvania Bar AssociationMember
1996 - 2008
Philadelphia Trial Lawyers AssociationMember
Plaintiff Prevailed, Debt Collector's Motion to Dismiss, denied.
$150,000 Judgment for Plaintiff/Client, plus $88,500 in attorney fees and costs
Triple damages of $41,679, plus attorneys fees.
equitable compensation, repair, inspection, and dealer shopping card
New washer certificates, repair reimbursement or replacement costs, of a lesser amount to purchase a different manufacturer product
Manufacturer reimbursement for all brake repairs, free inspections and voucher
$38,484.40 in cash damages police officer/consumer, plus all attorneys' fees
Appeal dismissed for lack of appellate jurisdiction.
1989
JD - Juris Doctor
1986
BA - Bachelor of Arts
1982
High School
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Dealing With Debt Collectors--Your Rights Under The FDCPA
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The Lemon Law & Your Rights
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Lemon Laws
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Computer Lemon Law Conference
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Boscov's Lemon Law Car Clinic
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Regular Guest, Consumer Issues (2004-2008)
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Member, Action Army (2000-2002)
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Regular Guest, Consumer Issues (2002-2007)
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Panelist (1999-2001)
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Consumer Issues Correspondent (2001-2008)
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Regular Guest, Consumer Issues (1999-2004)
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Regular Guest, Lemon Law Issues
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English
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