Steven N. Berk founded The Corporate Observer in 2009 in the wake of a financial meltdown that came dangerously close to sparking a second Great Depression. While the crisis was borne of Wall Street greed and in many cases corporate misconduct, it was average Americans who were stuck with the bill. The idea behind The Corporate Observer was to shine a light on those practices from the point of view of consumers and whistleblowers willing to stand up for what is right.
The message of the TCO has resonated with tens of thousands of readers and in the Spring of 2012, an Editorial Board of nine respected consumer attorneys from around the United States joined the cause: Beth E. Terrell (Seattle); Brian Matise (Colorado); Derek Howard (San Francisco); Gary Mason (Washington, DC); Jon Shub (Philadelphia); Patrick McNicholas (Los Angeles); Rosemary Rivas (San Francisco); and Seth Katz (Colorado). Steven Berk continues to serve as the Managing Editor.
As the posts have become more frequent over the years, offering insightful, informed opinions anchored in a background of knowledge, experience and research remains TCO’s top priority. Whether directing readers to another blog post or news article of interest, or providing a thorough breakdown of recent legislation—“What does the Dodd-Frank Bill Mean to Me?”—TCO continues to advocate on behalf of consumers and provide information and opinions backed by facts and expertise. The shift to the editorial board model allows for an even greater breadth of experience and perspective on these important areas of consumer law.
TCO continues to foster a robust dialogue about consumer issues, including the role of whistleblowers and the important function they can serve. We hope to encourage all to give thought to the wide range of important issues and questions facing consumers today. We are not lawyers on a pulpit; we are consumers ourselves who happen to have legal backgrounds. Importantly, a blog post is only the first take on an issue, and we encourage all comments, whether made publicly or submitted privately. Please enjoy our posts and don’t hesitate to note your differences or similarities of opinion, as we are happy to engage both.