The Forwarders List of Attorneys

What The Forwarders List of Attorneys does

The Forwarders List of Attorneys (FLA) is a creditors' rights law firm directory and referral platform founded in 1922 and currently privately held by President & Publisher Gary Tier, who acquired the company in 2007. Operating from Newtown, Pennsylvania, FLA connects credit grantors, collection agencies, debt buyers, banks, and financial services institutions with accredited, vetted law firms specializing in collections and creditors' rights across the United States and Canada. The company claims 90% penetration among major US issuers and banks and bonds thousands of files monthly for creditors and clients.

The company's core product is a searchable online directory of vetted law firms combined with an annual printed directory distributed to industry subscribers. The platform supports search by US state, international location, firm name, keyword, and practice focus area, and includes a secure interface for forwarding claims and case files to listed attorneys. Additional product lines include a $1 million fidelity bond program (underwritten by Great American Insurance Company) that protects forwarders against attorney theft or fraudulent failure to make accounting, a vendor management portal connecting users with more than 110 service providers, a forwarding letter generator, and an industry resources database covering bankruptcy courts, government agencies, trade associations, and state bar associations.

The business model is subscription-based: law firms pay membership fees to be listed in the directory and receive referrals, with fees varying by geography, coverage area, and types of collection work handled. Forwarders (creditors, agencies, debt buyers) can search the directory freely but must hold membership to use the secure document-sharing interface. Distribution occurs through the online directory, an annual printed directory, phone referrals (800-638-9200), and email/fax service requests. The company does not disclose revenue, has no external funding, and operates with 1-10 employees, with Gary Tier maintaining significant personal involvement across industry associations including ACA International, CLLA, RMAI, IACC, NARCA, and CCAA.

Name

The Forwarders List of Attorneys

Legal name

The Forwarders List of Attorneys

Website

https://forwarderslist.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Forwarders List of Attorneys is a century-old directory and referral platform connecting credit grantors, collection agencies, debt buyers, and banks with accredited creditors' rights law firms across the US and Canada, supported by a $1M fidelity bond program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Referral Services

NAICS

Collection Agencies (561440), Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Consumer Credit Reporting, Collection Agencies (7320), Services-Legal Services (8111)

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 firms
• Legal referral directory
• Debt collection attorneys
• Collection law firm directory
• Creditors bar directory

Headquarters

HQ city

Newtown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Law Firm Directory Membership: Law firms pay membership fees to be listed in the directory. Fees vary based on geography, coverage area, and types of collection work handled. The directory is distributed annually with supplements throughout the year to subscribers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Forwarders List of Attorneys operates a directory and referral platform connecting credit grantors, collection agencies, debt buyers, and credit insurance companies with accredited, vetted creditors' rights law firms across the US and Canada. Its core offering combines an annual print directory and searchable online database with a secure file transfer system, active staff-conducted referrals, and a $1M fidelity bond program that protects forwarders against attorney theft. Founded in 1922, FLA is the established industry resource for matching collection matters with specialized legal representation.

Product overview

The Forwarders List of Attorneys operates a directory-based referral platform connecting credit grantors with vetted creditors' rights law firms. The core offering combines an annual print and online directory with a secure file transfer system, enabling debt collection referrals. Supplementary services include a $1Million fidelity bonding program, vendor management portal, status reporting assistance, industry newsletters, and a searchable industry resources database covering bankruptcy courts, government agencies, and professional associations across the US and Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Law Firm Directory An annual and online directory of accredited, thoroughly vetted creditors' rights law firms specializing in various aspects of collections, enabling credit grantors, collection agencies, debt buyers, and credit insurance companies to search and find appropriate legal representation across the US and Canada by location, focus area, and keyword.
• Fidelity Bond Program A $1,000,000 surety bond covering forwarders against theft by listed attorneys, providing 90% recovery of net losses after a $250 deductible, with 36-month coverage from the date of case placement. Backed by Great American Insurance Company, the bond protects forwarders where standard law firm insurance policies do not — specifically against owner theft excluded by standard crime policies.
• Vendor Management Portal An online resource connecting forwarders with pre-screened third-party vendors supporting collection efforts, including investigators, process servers, collections software, skip tracers, and other service providers. Listed as a separate management portal with 110+ vendor advertisements.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ACA International (Association of Credit and Collection Professionals)minorOthersFLA is a proud supporter of ACA International, one of the largest and most influential trade associations in the accounts receivable management industry. The association provides education, certification, and advocacy for collection professionals.
• Commercial Collection Agencies of AmericaminorOthersFLA supports CCAA, an association dedicated to representing and advancing the commercial collection agency industry. The organization sets ethical standards and provides professional development.
• The Commercial Law League of America (CLLA)coreOthersGary Tier has been a leader of CLLA since 2002, serving two terms on the Board of Governors and two-time President of the Association of Law List Publishers. FLA actively participates in CLLA events and initiatives.
• Receivables Management Association, Inc. (RMAI)coreOthersGary Tier serves on the membership committee and was instrumental in creating the successful attorney networking event at RMAI's national conference. FLA maintains close ties with this major receivables management association.
• International Association of Commercial Collectors, Inc. (IACC)minorOthersFLA supports IACC, which represents commercial collectors and promotes professional standards in the industry.
• The National Creditors Bar Association (NARCA)minorOthersFLA supports NARCA, an association focused on creditors' rights attorneys and the legal collection industry.
• Turnaround Management Association (TMA)minorOthersFLA supports TMA, a professional organization dedicated to turnaround management and corporate renewal.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• AccountsRecovery.net: Industry news and vendor directory for the collections and receivables management sector. Comparable as a vendor-facing marketplace and information resource for ARM professionals, intersecting with FLA's vendor management and collections-industry content offerings.
• Justia: Free legal directory and marketing platform for attorneys, with listings, content, and lead generation tools. Comparable as a digital legal directory serving lawyers' marketing and discovery needs, with a broader general-practice focus than FLA.
• InsideARM: Online news, compliance, and vendor resource hub for the accounts receivable management industry. Comparable as a content and vendor marketplace serving the same debt collection ecosystem as FLA, though it does not operate an attorney referral directory.

Broad incumbents

• Martindale-Hubbell: The original and most recognized U.S. attorney directory, now part of LexisNexis. Comparable as a long-standing legal directory and referral platform serving lawyers and prospective clients, though it operates as a broad legal marketplace rather than a specialized creditors' rights list.
• Avvo: Online legal directory and Q&A marketplace connecting consumers and businesses with attorneys. Comparable as a digital lawyer discovery and referral platform, though Avvo focuses broadly across practice areas rather than specializing in collections/creditors' rights.
• FindLaw: Legal directory and information site operated by Thomson Reuters. Comparable as a long-standing online attorney directory with consumer-facing lawyer search, serving a similar directory-and-referral business model across general practice areas.
• Lawyers.com: Legal directory owned by Martindale-Hubbell/LexisNexis, providing attorney search and consumer legal information. Comparable directory-and-referral platform, though broader in scope than FLA's creditors' rights focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-forwarders-list-of-attorneys

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 The Forwarders List of Attorneys