Justia Legal Services & Lawyers Directory

I grew up in Los Angeles, California, but have lived in Birmingham, Alabama, for the past 17 years. I graduated from Cumberland School of Law in 1995 and have practiced in Birmingham ever since.

My firm is dedicated to protecting Alabama consumers and helping Alabama consumers fight back against abusive debt collectors, identify theft, unfair insurance companies, and negligent businesses that have hurt my clients.

Our mindset is to help you understand your options and the good and the bad of each option for how to deal with your particular situation.

Our focus is on litigation - we don't normally negotiate before filing suit as we believe the best settlement demand letter is a complaint that has been served on the wrongdoer. Most cases do settle but that is because we take each case and prepare each case to be tried and the lawyers we deal with know our capabilities in the courtroom.

If we can help you in any way, please feel free to let us know. You are welcome to visit our websites or blogs to learn more about us. If you contact us, we will send you out a package of information related to whatever issue you are facing so you can review that before you make a decision on what course of action to take. We look forward to helping you....

Primarily represent Consumers in disputes involving Lenders (including Mortgages), Auto Dealers and other Credit Sellers; in actions involving fraud, deceptive trade practices, fraudulent foreclosure practices, unfair or illegal debt collection practices (including threats of criminal prosecution) and invasion of privacy. Also represent debtors (consumers and small businesses) in bankruptcy courts, including lawsuits (adversary proceedings) brought within bankruptcy court against Creditors & 3rd parties (dealers), &/or pending state court suits removed for pursuit in bankruptcy court, &/or challenging discharge of certain debts or seeking declarations of dischargeability on otherwise non-dischargeable debts(i.e., student loans).

For over 22 years, Mr. Underwood has represented clients in class actions and complex litigation in state and federal courts, including coordinated and multi-district proceedings. Soon after Mr. Underwood received his license, he served as the Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Trustee in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Northern District of Alabama Eastern Division from 1987 until 1988.

Legal Experience

Mr. Underwood practices in the complex litigation area. He has participated in the prosecution of numerous class actions on behalf of injured plaintiffs.

Mr. Underwood's experience includes serving as court-appointed lead class counsel and/or liaison counsel on behalf of plaintiffs in numerous class actions and consumer-related proceedings. His more notable cases include:

Tyler v The Mortgage Outlet: $900,000 class action settlement for Truth-in-lending Act violations.

Farley v. Homeowners Loan Corp.: 10 Million dollar settlement in a class action against a mortgage originator. The primary allegation was that Homeowner's was making loans covered by the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act (HOEPA) with out making HOEPA mandated disclosures.

Tolbert et al., v. Monsanto et al.,: a $700 million settlement against Monsanto and Solutia on behalf of citizens of Anniston, Alabama for pollution with chemicals called PCBs, which were banned by the US government in the 1970s as a possible carcinogen;

Hughes v. Commercial Credit: a $2 million dollar settlement with Commercial Credit Corporation on behalf of Alabama Citizens regarding charges for credit life insurance;

Goodson v. Cherokee National: a $500 thousand dollar settlement on behalf of Alabama Citizens regarding charges for credit life insurance;

Ray W. McCleney, et al. v. MCD et al.,; a $310,000.00 settlement on behalf of Alabama workers for unpaid wages from a bankrupt company;


Reported Cases

Alabama State Appellate cases:

Knighten v. Bratcher, 586 So.2d 14 (Ala. Civ. App. 1991)
Henderson v. State, 650 So.2d 532, (Ala. Crim. App. 1994)
American Legion Post No. 57 v. Leahy, 681 So.2d 1337, (Ala. Sup. Ct. 1996)
Funderburg v. Black's Insurance Agency, 743 So.2d 472, (Ala. Civ. App. 1999)
Springs Industries, Inc. v. Lowe, 1999 Ala. Civ. App. Lexis 736 (October 8, 1999)
Ex parte Herron, 1999 Ala. Lexis 3, (January 8, 1999)
Waples v. Pinson, 781 So. 2d 182 (Ala. Civ. App., 2000)


Eleventh Circuit Cases:

United States v. Pounds, 50 F.3d 1038 (1995)
United States v. Virgil, 105 F.3d 672 (1997)
MS Dealer Service Corporation v. Franklin, 177 F.3d 942
Pelfrey v. Educational Credit Management Corp, 208 F.3d 945, (April 6, 2000) Cunningham v. Fleetwood Homes of Ga., 253 F.3d 611 (11th Cir., 2001) Heimmermann v. First Union Mortg. Corp., 305 F.3d 1257 (September 18, 2002) Greer v. O'Dell, 305 F.3d 1297, 1303 (11th Cir., 2002)



U.S. District Court Cases:

Braxton v. Farmer's Ins. Group, 209 F.R.D. 654 (N.D. Ala September 16, 2002);
Wood v. Cooper Chevrolet, Inc., 2000 U.S. Dist. Lexis 14958 (May 1, 2000)
Heimmermann v. First Union Mortgage Corporation, 188 F.R.D. 403, (N. D. of Ala.1999)
MS Dealer Service Corporation v. Franklin, 1999 U.S. Dist. Lexis 10662
Pelfrey v. Educational Credit Management Corporation, 1999 U.S. Dist. Lexis 16788 In re Diet Drugs Prods. Liab. Litig., 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11479 (D. Pa., 2001) Clark v. Experian Info. Solutions, Inc., 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22908 (D.S.C., 2003) Baynes v. ALLTEL Wireless of Ala., Inc., 322 F. Supp. 2d 1307 (D. Ala., 2004)

Bankruptcy Cases:


In re Tudors, 77 B.R. 904, (Bankr. N. D. of Ala., 1987). In re Malkove and Womack, Inc., 122 B.R. 444, (Bankr. N.D. Ala.1990) In re Malkove and Womack, Inc., 134 B.R. 965, (Bankr N. D. of Ala.1991) Roper v. American Health and Fire Insurance Company (In re Roper), 203 B.R. 326, (Bankr. N.D. Ala., 1996) In re Tippins, 221 B.R. 11, (Bankr. N.D. Ala. 1998) Knepp v. Credit Acceptance Corporation (In re Knepp), 229 B.R. 821,(Bankr. N.D. Ala., January 29, 1999) In re Odell, 251 B.R. 602, (Bankr. N.D. of Ala. August 2, 2000) Holcombe v. Debis Fin. Servs. (in Re Holcombe), 284 B.R. 141 (Bankr. D. Ala., 2001)

Professional Activities and Affiliations



* Association of Trial Lawyers America
* Alabama Trial Lawyers Association
* National Board of Trial Advocacy Certified Civil Trial Specialist
* American Bar Association Mediator listed on the Alabama Mediator Roster
* National Association of Consumer Advocates
* Member of the following:
o The State Bar of Alabama
o Northern District of Alabama
o Middle District of Alabama
o Southern District of Alabama
o U.S. Claims Court
o Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals
o U.S. Supreme Court
o Mobile County Bar Association
o Baldwin County Bar Association
o National Board of Trial Advocacy

Academic Background

B.S. Jacksonville State University 1976
J.D. Birmingham School of Law 1985

Mr. Dickson joined the firm in 2005. His clients include individuals who have been injured or had loved ones killed because of the negligence of others or as the result of defective products, including automobiles, boats, defectively designed or maintained roads, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, and heavy equipment. He also represents individuals and small businesses who have suffered financial loss due to the wrongful acts of others, including defective farm and logging equipment, tainted agricultural seed, site-built and manufactured home construction defects, breach of contract, fraudulent and inappropriate investment products, fraudulent misrepresentation, deceptive trade and business practices, breach of warranty, and insurance bad faith. His practice also includes handling matters in equity, including estate litigation, land partitions and sales for division.

Mr. Dickson is active in both his local community and the legal field. He coaches basketball at the Bullock County YMCA , is a member of First United Methodist Church of Union Springs, where he serves on the church council and youth council, and is a member of the Bullock County Democratic Party Executive Committee. He also serves as the city attorney for the City of Union Springs. He is a member of and actively involved with the Alabama Bar Association Young Lawyers Service Executive Committee, The American Association for Justice New Lawyers Division Board of Governors, The Alabama and Mississippi Bar Associations, and the American, Alabama , and Mississippi Associations for Justice. He and his wife, Vaughan, live in Union Springs.

Primarily represent Consumers in disputes involving Lenders (including Mortgages), Auto Dealers and other Credit Sellers; in actions involving fraud, deceptive trade practices, fraudulent foreclosure practices, unfair or illegal debt collection practices (including threats of criminal prosecution) and invasion of privacy. Also represent debtors (consumers and small businesses) in bankruptcy courts, including lawsuits (adversary proceedings) brought within bankruptcy court against Creditors & 3rd parties (dealers), &/or pending state court suits removed for pursuit in bankruptcy court, &/or challenging discharge of certain debts or seeking declarations of dischargeability on otherwise non-dischargeable debts(i.e., student loans).