Gurstel Chargo

What Gurstel Chargo does

Gurstel Law Firm P.C. (also referenced as Gurstel Chargo) is a multi-state creditors' rights and debt collection law firm founded in 1997 in Minneapolis, Minnesota by CEO Todd Gurstel. The firm is organized as a privately held professional corporation with 101-250 employees, seven named shareholders, and ten physical offices across nine states (Minnesota, Arizona, California, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, Utah, Wisconsin, Wyoming). Gurstel serves over 1,000 creditor clients across verticals including auto lenders, credit card issuers, equipment finance and leasing companies, B2B creditors, credit unions, and insurance carriers, and has reported cumulative recoveries of more than $1 billion for clients over its 28-year operating history.

The firm's core offerings consist of consumer debt collection and commercial (B2B) debt collection, supplemented by specialized services: auto replevins and deficiency litigation, credit card collections, equipment finance and leasing litigation, general contract collection, credit union and financial institution collections, and insurance subrogation and premium collections. Its delivery model relies on a fifty-state network of commercial collection attorneys with the firm itself holding commercial collection licenses in over 30 states, supported by a California Debt Collection License (#10361-99) and NMLS registration (ID: 2249580). The underlying technology stack is described as skip tracing technology for locating debtors, a secure online payment portal (gurstel.stratuspayments.net) for consumer self-service, and integrated case management for the full debt recovery lifecycle from pre-litigation demand letters through judgment enforcement, including wage garnishment, bank levies, lien filings, and asset seizures.

Gurstel's revenue model is mixed: contingency-based fees (percentage of amount collected) for consumer and small-business debts; flat-fee retainers and hybrid arrangements for large-volume commercial matters; and traditional hourly billing for full-service commercial litigation. Distribution is direct via the firm website, phone-based inside sales (877-344-4002), mail, SMS (text JOIN to 59531), and physical office presence. The firm holds IARM Certified Professional Receivables Company status and maintains memberships in the National Creditors Bar Association, Commercial Law League of America, National Equipment Finance Association, and International Association of Commercial Collectors, reinforcing its positioning in the regulated creditors' rights legal services market.

Name

Gurstel Chargo

Legal name

Gurstel Law Firm P.C.

Website

https://gurstel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Gurstel Law Firm P.C. is a multi-state creditors' rights law firm founded in 1997, providing commercial and consumer debt collection litigation and judgment enforcement to over 1,000 creditor clients across auto, credit card, equipment finance, B2B, credit union, and insurance verticals nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creditors Rights Legal Services

NAICS

Collection Agencies (561440), Legal Services (5411), Activities Related to Credit Intermediation (5223)

SIC

Services-Consumer Credit Reporting, Collection Agencies (7320)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal Collections & Litigation Support (Judgments, Garnishments) (FSAKAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Legal Collections Support (Pre-Lit, Litigation Admin, Judgment Recovery) (BPAAAEAH)

Keywords

• Creditors rights law
• Commercial debt collection
• Consumer debt collection
• Judgment enforcement
• Debt recovery litigation

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Contingency Fees: Primary revenue model for consumer and small-business debts where the firm only receives payment if funds are recovered. The fee is a percentage of the amount collected, aligning firm interests with client outcomes.
2. Flat-Fee Retainers: For large-volume commercial matters, the firm offers hybrid arrangements or flat-fee retainers, providing predictable costs for high-volume creditors.
3. Hourly Billing: Classic hourly billing structure where clients are charged for attorney time. Hourly rates are negotiable and depend on jurisdiction, attorney experience, and procedure type.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gurstel Law Firm P.C. is a multi-state creditors' rights law firm that partners with creditors across the United States to resolve commercial and consumer debt through legal action. Core offerings include consumer debt collection and commercial debt collection, supported by specialized services such as auto replevins and deficiency litigation, credit card collections, equipment finance and leasing litigation, general contract collection, credit union collections, and insurance subrogation. The firm operates a nationwide network of commercial collection attorneys licensed in over 30 states and provides judgment enforcement, skip tracing, credit bureau reporting, and a secure online payment portal.

Product overview

Gurstel Law Firm P.C. is a multi-state creditors' rights law firm offering a comprehensive suite of debt collection and legal services. The firm's core offerings consist of Consumer Debt Collection and Commercial Debt Collection services, supplemented by specialized legal offerings including Auto Replevins and Deficiencies, Credit Card Collections, Equipment Finance and Leasing Litigation, General Contract Collection, Credit Unions and Financial Institution Collections, and Insurance Subrogation services. The firm also operates a Nationwide Commercial Collection Network spanning 50 states with licenses in over 30 states. Enforcement capabilities include Wage Garnishments and Bank Levies, Judgment Enforcement, Skip Tracing Technology, and Strategic Credit Bureau Reporting. The Online Payment Portal provides debtors with self-service access to view balances, update information, make payments, and propose settlement offers. The firm was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Minnesota, with offices in Arizona, California, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Consumer Debt Collection

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1 billion recovered for clients
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International Association of Receivables Management Companies (IARM)coreOthersGurstel Law Firm P.C. is part of a family of companies that collectively is a Certified Professional Receivables Company affiliated with the International Association of Receivables Management Companies.
• National Creditors Bar Association (NCBA)coreOthersActive member of the National Creditors Bar Association, supporting creditors' rights attorneys.
• Commercial Law League of America (CLLA)coreOthersActive member of the Commercial Law League of America, providing resources and networking for commercial law practitioners.
• National Equipment Finance Association (NEFA)coreOthersMember of the National Equipment Finance Association supporting equipment finance and leasing litigation services.
• International Association of Commercial Collectors (IACC)coreOthersActive member of the International Association of Commercial Collectors, the premier organization for commercial collection professionals.
• Law Firm Association (LFA)minorOthersAffiliated with the Law Firm Association for professional resources and industry connections.
• National Creditors Association (NCA)minorOthersAffiliated with the National Creditors Association for industry best practices and professional development.
• LEAN (Lawyers Easy Access Network)minorOthersAffiliated with LEAN for streamlined legal services and attorney networking.
• Better Business Bureau (BBB)minorOthersBBB Accredited Business with A+ rating, demonstrating commitment to ethical business practices.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Aronberg Goldgehn Davis & Garmisa: Chicago-based law firm with a strong creditors' rights and commercial collection practice serving financial institutions nationally. Closely analogous to Gurstel's attorney-led, multi-jurisdictional recovery offering.
• Patenaude & Felix, APC: California-based creditors' rights law firm offering commercial and consumer collection services with a national footprint. Comparable to Gurstel in legal-only model, multi-state capability, and contingency pricing.
• Blitt and Gaines, P.C. Illinois-based creditors' rights law firm focused on consumer and commercial debt collection with nationwide reach. Direct competitor profile to Gurstel in multi-state, contingency-driven collections.
• Pressler & Pressler, LLP: New Jersey-based creditors' rights law firm operating nationally in consumer and commercial debt collection. Comparable to Gurstel in attorney-driven model, contingency pricing, and broad creditor client base.
• Zwicker & Associates, P.C. Massachusetts-based law firm specializing in creditors' rights, consumer debt collection, and commercial collections across many states. Directly comparable to Gurstel as an attorney-driven, multi-state, compliance-focused debt recovery firm.
• Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Co., LPA: Cleveland-based creditors' rights and commercial collection law firm with a multi-state practice. Closely comparable to Gurstel in service mix (consumer + commercial debt collection, foreclosure, bankruptcy), attorney-driven model, and contingency/flat-fee pricing structure.
• Forster & Garbus, LLP: New York- and Illinois-based creditors' rights law firm providing consumer and commercial collection services nationwide. Direct comparable to Gurstel in vertical coverage and attorney-led multi-state execution.

Broad incumbents

• PRA Group, Inc. Public, large-scale debt buyer and collector operating globally. Overlaps with Gurstel as a buyer/manager of charged-off consumer receivables, but operates at materially larger scale and across more geographies and asset classes.
• Intrum AB: European-headquartered, publicly listed credit management services company with a large U.S. footprint. Comparable to Gurstel in serving major creditor clients across consumer and commercial receivables, but operates at significantly greater scale and with non-attorney-led collection infrastructure.
• Encore Capital Group, Inc. Public global debt buyer with U.S. operations (including Midland Credit Management). Comparable end-market exposure to Gurstel via purchased consumer portfolios, but a non-law-firm, capital-intensive model rather than contingency legal collection.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gurstel-law-firm-p-c

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gurstel Chargo