A federal judge this week dismissed a lawsuit accusing Pepper Hamilton and one of its partners of unfair debt collection practices.

Pepper Hamilton partner M. Kelly Tillery's use of his firm's letterhead for collection letters did not make him or the firm a debt collector under federal law, U.S. District Senior Judge Jan E. DuBois of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ruled in a decision filed Monday and made publicly available Tuesday.

However, DuBois said he would not exercise jurisdiction over remaining claims for violations of the Pennsylvania Fair Credit Extension Uniformity Act and the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade and Consumer Protection Law. Those claims were dismissed without prejudice, allowing the plaintiffs to refile them in state court.