ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Hon. Robert A. Pustilnik, Richmond General District Court (Retired) / Richmond
Judge Pustilnik is a graduate of the University of North Carolina, who came to Richmond to go to law school, and stayed. When he graduated from T.C. Williams in 1967, he went to work for, and then became partners with, Arthur F. Samuel, with whom he practiced law for over 35 years, until he became civil judge in the Richmond General District Court in May of 2002. He left the bench in 2012, a victim of mandatory retirement. During his tenure, he sat regularly in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, where he handled support cases and domestic violence criminal cases. He loved every day that he spent on the bench of these two courts. His guiding principle in his work is a quote from the book of Deuteronomy: “Justice, justice shalt thou pursue.”
In retirement, Judge Pustilnik serves as a substitute judge for about 25 different courts, and is on the bench somewhere almost every day. Additionally, he continues to update several publications, teaches civil law to new judges, and follows and reports on the legislative session for the benefit of the General District Court Judges. He is an editor and author of the Virginia CLE® publication Debt Collection for Virginia Lawyers: A Systematic Approach.
Dale W. Pittman, Law Office of Dale W. Pittman, PC / Petersburg
As one of Virginia's first consumer protection attorneys, Dale Pittman represents consumers in debt collection harassment and false credit reporting cases, claims against payday lenders and car title lenders, and employment background check cases. His cases range from more routine individual claims to large consumer class actions. His litigation has resulted in many published opinions furthering the rights of victims of consumer credit overreaching and abuse.
Mr. Pittman has lectured for the ABA, Virginia CLE®, the Virginia State Bar, the VBA, the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, the National Association of Consumer Advocates, the National Consumer Law Center, the Naval Justice School, the Judge Advocate General's Legal Center & School, local bar associations and others. He has contributed to numerous NCLC publications. He heads the VTLA’s Consumer Law Section, is past president of the Petersburg Bar Association, serves as the 11th Judicial District’s representative to the Council of the Virginia State Bar, and has served on the faculty of the VSB Professionalism Course on ethics for new Bar admittees. He is a recipient of the VSB Legal Aid Award, NACA's Consumer Attorney of the Year Award, and the Virginia Poverty Law Center’s Advocate of the Year Award, and is a Virginia Lawyers Weekly “Leader in the Law 2010.” VTLA recognized Mr. Pittman as only the fifth recipient of its Oliver White Hill Courageous Advocate Award, given periodically for demonstrated courage and commitment to the ideals of justice in representing an individual or cause at considerable personal risk.
Robert P. Quadros, Quadros & Associates / Newport News
Robert Quadros graduated from Virginia Tech in 1971 and received his law degree from the Marshall Wythe School of Law of the College of William and Mary in 1974. He was admitted to the Virginia State Bar in September of 1974. He specializes in general collection and plaintiffs’ litigation practice, with an emphasis on creditors’ rights in all state courts.
Mr. Quadros is a member of The Virginia Bar Association and past president of the Virginia Creditor's Bar Association. He also has been a speaker for the Committee on Continuing Legal Education for the Virginia State Bar on collection and creditor's rights from 1980 through present.