Recent news of Northwest Federal Credit Union’s successful challenge to an ADA lawsuit may seemlike an omen for the industry, but it doesn’t mean similar cases against other credit unions willnecessarily end the same way — or that new suits won’t arrive, oneindustry attorney has warned.

Herndon, Virginia-based Northwest Federal Credit Union, whichhas $3.3 billion in assets and about 251,000 members, is one ofover 70 credit unions around the country that have been sued inrecent months over the ADA accessibility of their websites. OnFriday, Virginia District Court Judge Claude Hilton ruled that thecredit union’s website is not a public place of accommodation andthat the plaintiff in the case had no standing because he wasn’teligible to join the credit union.

“From my perspective, this Virginia court decision is the firstreally welcome infusion of common sense that we can use as a legalfoothold to stem the tide of these lawsuits,” attorney Chad Heckmantold CU Times. Heckman represents a Florida credit unioncurrently facing a similar ADA suit.