Keith Andress is a bet-the-company trial lawyer who handles significant cases in state and federal courts primarily in Alabama and the southeastern United States.

Featured Experience

Led and won trial on behalf of major U.S. consumer lender against allegations of fraud involving its servicing of a loan.

Led and won a TCPA trial on behalf of national mortgage servicer in 2017, in which plaintiff alleged to have been called by an auto dialer 2,000 times.

Obtained summary judgment for a national bank in a data breach case in the Northern District of Alabama. Plaintiff's identity was stolen and alleged it was because the bank caused a breach by not encrypting a loan application sent via a PDF Attachment to an email. We defended the case on issue of proximate cause; the court agreed and granted summary judgment.

Professional Biography

Overview

Mr. Andress regularly represents financial institutions, including banks, loan servicers, and creditors. He has successfully defended class actions under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA). Mr. Andress's business litigation practice is broad, including shareholder derivative actions, non-compete violations, breach-of-contract actions, business torts, and theft of trade secret matters. He has also represented plaintiffs in commercial cases, obtaining numerous seven-figure settlements for his clients. Because of his C.P.A. and trial experience, Mr. Andress is often brought into cases to handle the opposing party's financial damages experts.

Another major part of Mr. Andress's practice is construction litigation. He represents builders, engineers and architects in cases alleging breaches of contract and professional negligence, and he has successfully defended professionals in cases alleging wrongful death. Before joining Baker Donelson in 1999, Mr. Andress worked in insurance defense and also handled insurance coverage issues.

Mr. Andress is the former managing shareholder of the Birmingham office, and is a member of the Firm's Board of Directors.

Representative Matters

Obtained $13 million award in trade secrets/business fraud case.
Led and won trial on behalf of major U.S. consumer lender against allegations of fraud involving its servicing of a loan.
Led and won a TCPA trial on behalf of national mortgage servicer in 2017, in which plaintiff alleged to have been called by an auto dialer 2,000 times.
Obtained summary judgment for a national bank in a data breach case in the Northern District of Alabama. Plaintiff's identity was stolen and alleged it was because the bank caused a breach by not encrypting a loan application sent via a PDF Attachment to an email. We defended the case on issue of proximate cause; the court agreed and granted summary judgment.
Obtained summary judgment dismissal of all claims for loan servicer against alleged violations of Truth in Lending Act section 1641(g) under "administrative convenience" exception, affirmed on appeal by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Obtained summary judgment dismissal of all claims for loan servicer on alleged "standing" issues and a challenge to the servicer's authority to exercise the power of sale as the holder of the debt obligation under the Uniform Commercial Code.
Won summary judgment dismissal of counterclaim against GSE where borrower asserted oral loan modification and wrongful foreclosure claims, affirmed by Alabama Court of Civil Appeals. The borrower's petition for rehearing was further denied.
Obtained summary judgment dismissal for lender against breach of contract claim arising from alleged violations of required pre-foreclosure notice. The decision was affirmed on appeal by the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals and writ of certiorari was denied by the Alabama Supreme Court.
Represented title insurer in loan dispute involving claims of fraud and mortgage reformation, resulting in a more than $500,000 verdict for client.
Won summary judgment for client in real property dispute involving competing claims of priority and improperly filed liens.
Obtained dismissal from federal district court and Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals of a case alleging wrongful foreclosure and violations of Fair Credit Reporting Act, Truth in Lending Act and Fair Debt Collection Practice Act.
Secured a bench trial win for top-five national servicer against borrower allegations of fraud and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act claims stemming from the denial of a loan modification request and allegations that of an oral promise of a modification at a home preservation workshop several years prior. Following the bench trial, the court concluded that the servicer was the borrower's creditor as the owner of the loan, and was not covered by the FDCPA as a result. The court also concluded that there was no evidence that the borrower was promised a modification, and in fact, that there was evidence to the contrary.

Professional Honors & Activities

Listed in The Best Lawyers in America^® since 2011 in Insurance Law, Construction Law, Construction Litigation, and Product Liability Litigation - Defendants; in Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants (2018 – 2020); in Commercial Litigation and Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants (2020)
Listed in Mid-South Super Lawyers, Civil Litigation Defense (2012 – 2017); Real Estate (2018)
Certified Public Accountant*
Member – American, Alabama and Birmingham Bar Associations
Named by Birmingham magazine as one of "Birmingham's Top Attorneys" in Business Litigation, 2009; Civil Litigation (2012)
Baker Donelson Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year (2007)
AV^® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
Fellow – Trial Lawyer Honor Society, Litigation Counsel of America

Publications

"4 Takeaways For Lenders From Recent TCPA Decision," Law360 (February 2018)
"Have You Assessed Your Cyber-Preparedness Lately?," BankNews (May 2016)

Speaking Engagements

"Baker Donelson's Fundraiser for The Bell Center" (February 2015)
Panelist – "Kicking the Boot Camps – Gaining an Edge in Default Servicing Defensive Litigation," MBA National Mortgage Servicing Conference (February 2012)

Press Releases