Closing Super Session

President, Franzen and Salzano, PC

Loretta Salzano founded the firm in 1997 to provide practical legal solutions to mortgage lenders. The firm takes pride in its unique ability to counsel clients on how to achieve their goals while navigating the complex tapestry of federal law and the laws of all 50 states. Loretta focuses on fair lending, compensation and RESPA. She also prepares contracts (including warehouse and loan purchase agreements); troubleshoots to mitigate damages; and advocates with regulators. Among her many honors, Loretta was named a Top Compliance Lawyer by Mortgage Compliance Magazine and serves as Legal Counsel to the Mortgage Bankers Association of Georgia.

President, Firstline Compliance, LLC

Joshua Weinberg is a nationally recognized speaker, author, consultant, and leader in the mortgage industry. He is the President of Firstline Compliance (www.firstlinecompliance.com), a consulting company specializing in mortgage compliance and technology. He works closely with Federal and State Regulators and participates with many industry associations. He is currently Vice Chair of MBA's State Regulatory Compliance Committee, leads MBA’s LEP Working Group, and is the past Chair of MBA’s Regulatory Compliance Committee, a member of ABA’s Residential Markets Committee, and Past Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for MISMO.

Member, Dykema Gossett PLLC

Laura Baucus is the director of Dykema’s 100+ attorney automotive industry group, a past leader of the firm’s financial services litigation practice, and founded the firm’s supply chain group. She also is a member of Dykema’s Financial Services Industry Group (bankruptcy, regulatory, commercial lending and litigation). Baucus manages residential mortgage servicing litigation portfolios for banks and servicers. She counsels and represents financial institutions in litigation related to servicing, credit cards, escrow and insurance proceeds, note and collateral enforcement, and state and federal consumer protection statutes (i.e., FCRA, RESPA, TILA, TCPA). Baucus frequently presents on digital mortgage risks, Regulation X and other statutes, and most recently, on force majeure and post-CARES Act litigation risks.

Member, Dykema Gossett PLLC

Joe is a member of Dykema’s Financial Services Litigation Practice Group (serving as assistant Practice Group Leader) and also Dykema’s multi-disciplinary Financial Industry Group (bankruptcy, regulatory & compliance, commercial lending and litigation), the combined expertise of which provides Dykema attorneys the foundation to provide advice and counsel to many of the country’s preeminent financial organizations. Joe leads a team that handles mortgage, credit card, retail bank and other consumer lending litigation issues in the Upper Midwest, CA and TX on behalf of one of the country’s largest financial institutions. Based on his experience and expertise managing a large portfolio of litigated matters, he regularly advises clients on root cause analysis to hopefully avoid litigation.

Senior Associate, Alston & Bird, LLP

Melissa Malpass advises financial institutions on compliance with federal and state consumer financial laws. She regularly counsels mortgage lenders on loan origination, including disclosures, loan originator compensation, ability-to-repay standards, and other requirements imposed by the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), and Title XIV of the Dodd–Frank Act. Melissa also advises mortgage servicers on compliance with federal and state regulations governing loss mitigation and foreclosure. Malpass has extensive experience counseling financial institutions on fair lending matters, specifically with developing internal policies and procedures for compliance monitoring and training. She has advised financial institutions on regulatory compliance with federal consumer financial laws such as the prohibition on unfair, deceptive, and abusive practices. In particular, she provided financial technology companies with regulatory guidance on emerging payment systems and requirements under the Electronic Funds Transfer Act (EFTA).

Partner, Saul Ewing

Jason represents financial services companies located nationwide. Jason has obtained verdicts and judgments in jury trials, bench trials, and arbitration proceedings throughout the country, and regularly represents clients in class actions and complex litigation in federal and state courts. Jason represents clients in a wide range of matters, including consumer protection statutes, unfair trade practices, the False Claims Act, the Program Fraud and Civil Remedies Act, trade secrets disputes, business and contract disputes, and financial and consumer regulatory statutes such as RESPA, TILA, and TCPA.

Attorney at Law, McGlinchey Stafford

Jim is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of McGlinchey Stafford – a law firm serving the financial services industry and other corporate and commercial clients. Jim's practice focuses on the financial services industry in connection with regulatory compliance and transactional matters, particularly with respect to federal and state consumer finance and mortgage banking law issues. Jim represents and advises mortgage companies, consumer finance companies, financial institutions and secondary market investors on issues related to their lending and investment operations. Among other subjects, Jim is nationally recognized as one of the nation's leading lawyers in the area of reverse mortgage law.

Managing Director, Conforma Compliance Group LLC

Ed is a compliance operations powerhouse with over 20 years in mortgage lending, half of which in the Chief Compliance Officer role. He leads compliance operations, fair lending, HMDA, vendor integrations, and cross-functional compliance deployment for our clients. He learned the industry from the ground-up, starting in the mailroom then becoming a Sales Representative, Product Manager, and Director of Secondary Market Sales in the wholesale lending division. This journey gave him a deep understanding of business units, their concerns, and their needs. An experienced Loan Originator, Ed is also a highly skilled LOS administrator. He has a deep understanding of the sales team workflow, the importance of smooth processes and the compliance checks needed along the way.

Director, FTI Consulting, Inc.

David Stickney, CMCP, AMP, is a Director within FTI Consulting’s Consumer Financial Services team. He has extensive experience assisting financial institutions with various federal regulations, including ECOA, UDAAP, RESPA, TRID, HMDA, and CARES Act. Prior to joining FTI, Mr. Stickney left the CFPB as a Senior Commissioned CFPB Examiner, with a specialty designation in mortgage origination, where his expertise included leading several exams on fair lending, mortgage origination and servicing, and CMS. In addition, he was directly responsible for oversight of three Top 20 mortgage lenders. His work regarding mortgage origination practices, loan officer compensation practices, and CARES Act payment accommodations has been included in the CFPB’s Supervisory Highlights.

Founder & President, Compliability Solutions LLC

Michael is President of Compliability Solutions, an advisory services and staffing company focused on optimizing compliance, quality, and risk solutions in highly regulated industries. Prior to founding Compliability Solutions, Michael served as a Senior Vice President at Mr. Cooper Group where his Servicing Advisory Team was responsible for Issues Management, Change of Law, and Quality Control, as well as formulating and executing on strategic initiatives that mitigate risk in Servicing. Michael was formerly the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of Bayview/Community Loan Servicing where he was responsible for the Compliance and Oversight Department’s management, leadership and direction as well as the company’s overall compliance strategy. Prior to joining Bayview, Michael was Practice Leader of Ballard Spahr’s nationally recognized Mortgage Banking Group. With over 25 years servicing the industry in a wide variety of legal and compliance-related functions, working with/for hundreds of financial services companies, Michael is known for his ability to navigate the regulatory landscape, operationalize advice and build relationships that add value to those with whom he works. Michael received his law degree from Catholic University in Washington, DC, and his undergraduate degree in Government and Law and English from Lafayette College in Easton, PA.