Category: Firm Announcements

Abe G. Salen is an attorney in the litigation department at The Wolf Firm and has more than 17 years of experience handling complex commercial, employment, and real estate litigation matters.   Mr. Salen is licensed to practice law before all of the Courts in the State of California as well as the United States District Court, Central and Northern Districts of California.  Mr. Salen has appeared in courts throughout the State of California, representing clientele from inception of a lawsuit through post-verdict appeal.

President & Managing Attorney Alan S. Wolf, will be speaking at the American Conference Institute’s Bank & Non-Bank Forum on Mortgage Servicing Compliancewhich will be held at The Washington Plaza Hotel in Washington, DC from Thursday, November 21 to Friday, November 22, 2013.

Please join Alan S. Wolf who will be discussing some new CFPB changes in the following session:

Meeting New Requirements Governing Monthly Mortgage Statements & Rate Adjustments

Thursday, November 21, 2013 from 12:10pm-1:00pm

This panel will discuss:

• What information must these monthly statements include?
• When and under what circumstances may a servicer provide a coupon book in lieu of monthly statements?
• What additional information must be included in the statement of a delinquent borrower? At what point does the delinquent borrower become entitled to this additional information?
• Servicers to provide “early warning” before borrower interest rate adjusts
• How far in advance must a servicer issue warning of a first time interest rate adjustment?
  • What information must this warning/disclosure contain?
• When must a servicer provide notice that a rate adjustment has caused payment to change?

For more information or to register for this event, please visit the American Conference Institute’s Bank & Non-Bank Forum on Mortgage Servicing Compliance.

Please join us at The Texas Mortgage Bankers Association (TMBA) Mortgage Servicing Forum which will be taking place at The Westin Galleria Dallas in Dallas, Texas from Wednesday, November 13, 2013 to Thursday, November 14, 2013.  Managing Eviction & Foreclosure Attorney Kayo Manson-Tompkins, will be a panelist on the following session:

Kayo Manson-Tompkins Managing Eviction & Foreclosure Attorney at The Wolf Firm, will be a panelist on the session entitled, “Vendor Audits/Vacant Property Maintenance and Registration/Code Compliance/Outlook for REO’s.”  The forum will take a closer look at regulations and compliance as it relates to third party vendors, municipality code compliance, vacant property maintenance and registration; as well as the outlook for REO’s and “repair or not to repair.”  Ms. Manson-Tompkins  will be discussing the Protection Tenants at Foreclosure Act (PTFA) and provide an overview of the federal law giving bona fide tenants the right to remain in foreclosed property.  She will be answering who is a bona fide tenant? What is a bona fide lease? What rights does the bona fide tenant have? What practical steps can REO owners take?

The Wolf Firm, A Law Corporation, is proud to announce that President and Managing Attorney Alan S. Wolf, has been selected by his peers to be included in the 2013 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the practice area of Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law.  Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. Best Lawyers compiles lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. Since lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be included, a listing in Best Lawyers is widely regarded within the legal profession as a singular honor, conferred on a lawyer by his or her peers.

The CMBA Western States Loan Servicing Conference will be taking place at The Wynn in Las Vegas, Nevada from Sunday, August 4, 2013 to Wednesday, August 6, 2013.  Please try and attend the following sessions being lead by our team members:

Foreclosure & Bankruptcy Update                                                                                                      Monday, August 5, 2013 from 4:00pm-5:00pm

Want to learn the latest about what’s trending in foreclosure and bankruptcy matters? Please join the Firm’s Senior Bankruptcy Attorney Dan Fujitomo, who will be part of a panel of experts that will be discussing what’s going on in the Western States and what we might expect in the coming months. Of particular interest will be:

• Discussion of the Judicial vs. Non-judicial FC process
• Implications for MERS-related files
• Effects of the California Homeowners’ Bill of Rights
• Proposed changes to federal Bankruptcy rules
• Changes to bankruptcy processes since last year’s POC changes
• Current issues & challenges to evictions
• Changes to the REO market.

COMPLIANCE SUPER SESSION — New Servicing Standards: CFPB, the State AGs and More
Tuesday, August 6 from 10:30am-11:30am

Krys Fuller Delk, Director of Operations, will be moderating this panel.  With an ever-increasing focus and level of resources being aimed at compliance issues, this panel will explore best practices for compliance with emerging servicing standards , including those relating to: customer service, borrower notification, assessment of fees, loss mitigation, foreclosure, bankruptcy, and quality control as well as recommendations for preparation for servicing examinations and audits.

In November, 2012 Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced the end to their retained attorney networks for default cases referred to attorneys on or after June 1, 2013 and provided a new process for the selection of counsel.  Under the new process, servicers must select default counsel and verify that those counsel meet the stringent criteria set by the GSE’s.  Once selected by the servicer, the selection is presented to the GSE who then indicates its objection or approval (specifically “no objection”) to the selection.  The GSE determination of objection or approval is servicer and state specific.  If the GSE indicates its approval, then the firm must complete that GSE’s training and enter into limited retention agreements with the GSE.

Should you desire to seek Fannie Mae and/or Freddie Mac approval of The Wolf Firm to perform legal services for you in California, please contact The Firm’s Director of Client Relations Alkisti Karmokolias, at alkisti.karmokolias@wolffirm.com.

The USFN Loan Management & Servicing Seminar will be taking place at the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio, Texas from Wednesday, June 5, 2013 to Friday, June 7, 2013.  Several employees of The Wolf Firm will be attending this event including:

Alan S. Wolf: President & Managing Attorney

Krys Fuller Delk: Director of Operations

Kayo Manson-Tompkins: Managing Eviction & Foreclosure Attorney

Alkisti Karmokolias: Director of Client Relations

We hope to see you at this event, and if you get the chance, please try to attend the following panel discussions being lead by our team members:

New Bankruptcy & Servicing Standards and Loss Mitigation

Friday, June 5 from 9:00am to 10:30am

Alan S. Wolf, President and Managing Attorney at The Wolf Firm, will be a panelist on the session entitled, “New Bankruptcy & Servicing Standards and Loss Mitigation” which will be held on Friday, June 5 from 9:00am to 10:30am. In this session, Mr. Wolf will be part of a roundtable discussion on the new requirements for signatories created by The National Mortgage Settlement. Those requirements are quickly becoming the new standard for all servicers. This panel will explain the requirements as set forth in the settlement and also discuss the interplay betw een the new requirements and the new rules that became effective in December 2011. Further discussed is how Loss Mitigation and loan modifications have filtered into bankruptcy courts with predictable chaos, confusion, and undetermined success. This panel of industry professionals will help attendees navigate the pitfalls surrounding bankruptcy loss mitigation opportunities, including reaffirmation, Chapters 7 and 13 modifications and HAMP. Session attendees can expect to gain valuable, applicable knowledge and discover the best practices and best solutions to resolve the confusion.

 Latest Eviction/ REO Challenges & Title Clearance

Thursday, June 6 from 10:30am to 12:00pm

Kayo Manson-Tompkins, Managing Eviction & Foreclosure Attorney at The Wolf Firm, will be a panelist on the session entitled, “Latest Eviction/REO Challenges & Title Clearance” which will be held on Thursday, June 6 from 10:30am to 12:00pm. In this session, Ms. Manson-Tompkins will be part of a roundtable, interactive discussion, with counsel from multiple jurisdictions, on topics including resolving title, tax, and HOA issues, and closing best practices. Title issues and REO properties have seen a change. Title issues continue to exist post foreclosure. We still see the “usual suspects” such as breaks in the chain of title and description discrepancies. But now, we see title companies calling foreclosure actions into question. Come join this panel as they delve into the newest title issues being raised, what measures can be taken pre foreclosure (if any), and what can be done post foreclosure to get title cleared quickly.

Compliance & Audits

Thursday, June 6 from 1:30pm to 3:00pm

Krys Fuller Delk, Director of Operations at The Wolf Firm, will be a panelist on the session entitled, “Compliance and Audits” which will be held on Thursday, June 6 from 1:30pm to 3:00pm. In this session Ms. Fuller Delk, along with the other panelists, will discuss the current pressures faced by mortgage lenders and loan servicers to comply with their oversight entities, the current requirements placed on their counsel and the path to future communication and efficient review between the participants. The discussion will review industry best practices and engage other members of the servicing community with insight, collaboration and cutting edge discussion on these critical facets of daily interaction.

 Managing Unoccupied & Occupied Properties

Thursday, June 6 from 1:30pm to 3:00pm

Kayo Manson-Tompkins, Managing Eviction & Foreclosure Attorney at The Wolf Firm, will be a panelist on the session entitled, “Managing Unoccupied & Occupied Properties” which will be held on Thursday, June 6 from 1:30pm to 3:00pm. In this session, Ms. Manson-Tompkins will cover Evictions and the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act and discuss state specific hot topics in managing occupied and unoccupied properties. This session will also cover contact with owners and tenants and alternatives to eviction and examine the frequent types of responses and litigation associated with occupied and unoccupied properties.

Billing Practices Procedures

Thursday, June 6 from 3:15pm-4:45pm

Krys Fuller Delk, Director of Operations at The Wolf Firm, will be a panelist on the session entitled, “Billing Practices & Procedures” which will be held on Thursday, June 6 from 3:15pm to 4:45pm. In the ever changing landscape of mortgage servicing, it can be difficult to keep track of each client’s requirements and standard operating procedures for submitting invoices. This session will provide an open forum where both servicers and attorneys can discuss the challenges they face to properly submit invoices and have them reviewed in a timely manner. Further discussion will cover what to do to ensure you are promptly paid for the work completed. The panel and attendees can share insight on these issues and discuss best practices to ensure that this vital function is performed seemlessly and efficiently.

For more information or to register for this event, please visit USFN Loan Management & Servicing Seminar.

Managing Litigation and Transactions Attorney Eric D. Dean, will be a panelist at the upcoming Commercial Real Estate Lending Conference which will take place on Thursday, April 18, 2013 at the Westin Long Beach located at 333 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90802. Eric D. Dean will be speaking on the Due Diligence panel discussing the importance of documenting communications during the due diligence period with those representing the proposed borrower; how and when the due diligence is conducted and in what manner; whether or not acknowledgements should be obtained from the proposed buyer and if so, how and in what respect; and when the potential need for counsel in the due diligence process can occur. For more information, or to register for this event, please visit the Commercial Real Estate Lending Conference website.

The Wolf Firm, A Law Corporation, is pleased to announce that Kayo Manson-Tompkins has been appointed as the managing attorney of its Eviction Department.  Ms. Manson-Tompkins, who formerly was an attorney with a prominent real estate/business litigation law firm based in southern California, has spent the majority of her 25 years in practice handling residential civil litigation, with particular emphasis on complex evictions, judicial foreclosures and mobile home foreclosures.  Ms. Tompkins also has substantial experience handling surplus funds, deeds-in-lieu of foreclosure and bankruptcies.

Ms. Manson-Tompkins has been frequently called upon to speak at local and national mortgage industry events.  For example, she has been a speaker at several REOMAC (REO Managers Association of California) and United Trustees Association (UTA) conferences, a faculty speaker for the National Business Institute (NBI) and Lorman Education Services on residential servicing issues, and a panelist and lead facilitator for the USFN at its Regional and National Loan Management and Servicing Seminars.

Ms. Manson-Tompkins earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Los Angeles and her Juris Doctorate degree from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles.  She was admitted to the California State Bar in 1988 and is a member of the Orange County Bar Association.  She is a past Chair of the REO/Evictions Committee of the USFN and helped create and develop the Eviction Timelines Matrix which was first published in February 2002.  She was also on the USFN sub-committee that created and developed the Manufactured Homes Desk Guide, State-by-State, which was first published in January 2004.  She has also published various articles for the USFN Report, the USFN National Mortgage Service Directory, the USFN e-update and the UTA Quarterly Newsletter.

Ms. Manson-Tompkins can be contacted by email at kayo.manson-tompkins@wolffirm.com or directly at (949) 480-1643.

The Wolf Firm has expanded its Foreclosure Department and created a new division within the department called the Mobile Home Division.  The Mobile Home Division of the Foreclosure Department specializes in the handling of real property and personal property mobile home and manufactured home foreclosures, plus related title issues and compliance with Mobile Home Residency Laws.  It is supported by the Foreclosure Department and the special expertise of  attorney Kayo Manson-Tompkins who has extensive knowledge in California mobile home foreclosures.

Second Harvest Food Bank as part of the USFN Loan Management & Servicing Seminar which took place in Jacksonville, Florida.  Volunteers assisted in  Second Harvest Food Bank’s mission to distribute food and grocery products to those in need by sorting and packaging incoming food donations.  For more information, to volunteer or to donate please visit Second Harvest Food Bank.

The USFN Loan Management & Servicing Seminar will be taking place at the Hyatt Regency in Jacksonville, Florida from Wednesday, March 20, 2013 to Friday, March 22, 2013.  Several employees of The Wolf Firm will be attending this event including:

• Alan S. Wolf– President and Managing Attorney
• Krys Fuller Delk– Director of Operations
• Alkisti Karmokolias– Director of Client Relations

We hope to see you at this event, and if you get the chance, please try to attend the following panel discussions being lead by our team members:

Impacts of CFPB and Dodd Frank: Thursday, March 21 – 8:45am to 10:15am

Alan S. Wolf, President and Managing Attorney at The Wolf Firm, will be a panelist on the session entitled, “Impacts of CFPB and Dodd Frank” which will be held on Thursday, March 21 from 8:45am to 10:15am.  In this session, Mr. Wolf will be part of a roundtable discussion on the Dodd-Frank Act to help translate how it will impact the mortgage servicing industry.  From understanding what makes a Qualified Mortgage and the protection the exemption provides, to learning about the super regulator called the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), this session will help you gain a better understanding of the many areas the Act covers and to help you prepare for the changes we can expect to see.

 Compliance and Audits: Thursday, March 21 – 1:30pm to 3:00pm

Krys Fuller Delk, Director of Operations at The Wolf Firm, will be a lead panelist on the session entitled, “Compliance and Audits” which will be held on Thursday, March 21 from 1:30pm to 3:00pm.  In this session Ms. Fuller Delk, along with the other panelists, will discuss the current pressures faced by mortgage lenders and loan servicers to comply with their oversight entities, the current requirements placed on their counsel and the path to future communication and efficient review between the participants. The discussion will review industry best practices and engage other members of the servicing community with insight, collaboration and cutting edge discussion on these strategically mission critical facets of daily interaction.

For more information or to register for this event, please visit USFN Loan Management & Servicing Seminar.

For over 25 years, The Wolf Firm has provided a broad range of legal services to members of the financial services community.  Recognizing that in today’s environment, labor and employment claims pose some of the most potent threats to productivity, profitability and, in some instances, even company viability, and in an attempt to better protect its clients, the firm has taken its work in this area and formed a separate Department called the Labor and Employment Department.

Please join attorney Eric D. Dean (Managing Litigation and Transactions Attorney) on January 24, 2013 at 11:00 am PST (2:00 pm EST) for a free webinar hosted by the California Mortgage Bankers Association (CMBA) on the California Homeowner Bill of Rights.  Mr. Dean will provide a summary of the new pre and post Notice of Default requirements for servicers under the Act along with recommended action for servicers to take in order to  limit liability under the Act.  Please contact Carol Danaher of CMBA at carol@cmba.com with your full contact information for more details and directions on how to register for this event.

The Wolf Firm has written a series of three articles related to the California Homeowner Bill of Rights which we suggest you read in preparation for this webinar.  The first article in this series was recently published by the California Mortgage Bankers Association (CMBA).  Links to all three articles are provided below.

Please note that these articles are merely a general summary of various provisions of the Homeowner Bill of Rights and not legal advice.  We encourage our clients to read the Act in its entirety and to contact appropriate counsel for guidance in complying with this new and highly complex law.

Part 1: A Preliminary Guide to the California Homeowner Bill of Rights

Part 2: The Protection of Tenants and Prospective Tenants under the California Homeowner Bill of Rights

Part 3: Penalties against Lenders and Servicers for Blight under the California Homeowner Bill of Rights

In response to requests from several of our financial services clients, The Wolf Firm has developed a fixed fee litigation schedule for certain real estate and business loan litigation.  Clients now have the option to choose either a fixed fee or hourly billing schedule on most litigation matters.  The fixed fee litigation schedule allows the lender greater control over the costs involved in each step of the litigation process.

If you are interested in receiving a copy of our fixed fee litigation schedule please contact Eric D. Dean at eric.dean@wolffirm.com.

Attorney Kajal N. Islam has moved from the Firm’s Eviction Department to its Compliance Department and will now work with clients, vendors and staff to ensure full compliance with the various procedures required by our clients.

In the past month, The Wolf Firm has proudly donated to the following notable organizations and we encourage our clients and industry affiliates to also get involved and raise awareness.

In lieu of gifts this past holiday season and consistent with our commitment to the financial services community, a contribution was made to Habitat for Humanity, a charity that provides low income housing worldwide.  To get more information on Habitat for Humanity’s mission or to make a donation please visit http://www.habitat.org/.

Each holiday season, the firm contributes to the mission of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program by collecting new, unwrapped toys to be distributed as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community.  To get more information on Toys for Tots’ mission or to make a donation please visit http://www.toysfortots.org/.

The Wolf Firm coordinated several donations to Goodwill this holiday season.  Goodwill’s mission is to enhance the dignity and quality of life of individuals and families by strengthening communities, eliminating barriers to opportunity, and helping people in need reach their full potential through learning and the power of work.  To get more information or to locate a Goodwill store near you please visit http://www.goodwill.org/. 

Members of The Wolf Firm donated to Operation Blanket of Love, a non-profit charity which collects, transports and distributes recycled and new pet-related items to comfort stray, sick, neglected and abused homeless animals in shelters, rescue groups, sanctuaries and foster groups.  To get more information or to make a donation please visit http://www.operationblanketsoflove.com/.

We had some end of the year fun with the introduction of our newly formatted website and the creation of our 2012 holiday card.  Many thanks to those who took the time to send us holiday greetings and for the many kind e-mails we received regarding the website and card.  Also, kudos to those who figured out that the t-shirt graphic of the present found on our holiday card is a hidden QR code that takes one to our new website!

The Wolf Firm, A Law Corporation, has once again been honored with the USFN Diamond Award of Excellence.  The USFN is the nation’s oldest, most selective and most well respected association focused on mortgage default and related mortgage banking legal issues.  While all USFN Members must meet rigorous screening standards, the Award of Excellence recognizes member firms that excel and are proven leaders in the industry by an analysis of the firm’s active participation and leadership in the mortgage industry; community and charitable involvement; on-going staff development and superior client relations.

The USFN initiated the Award of Excellence program in 1993. The Wolf Firm has won the Award of Excellence every year since its inception and is the only law firm in California to have been so honored.  The Wolf Firm is nationally recognized as a leader in the mortgage banking industry.  Firm members hold positions of leadership in various industry groups, speak at national industry events and have published articles in leading industry trade publications.

For over 25 years, The Wolf Firm has provided a broad array of legal and related services throughout California to lenders, servicers, investors, governmental agencies and other members of the financial services community. From simple routine work, to highly complex Bankruptcy and Litigation matters, The Wolf Firm is committed to an approach that results in strategic, cost-effective solutions specifically directed to the requirements of the particular matter and the expectations of each client. The Firm’s Departments include Litigation, Bankruptcy, Judicial and Non-Judicial Foreclosure, Unlawful Detainer/Eviction, Loss Mitigation, Escrow/Closing, Regulatory Compliance and Transactional.

The Wolf Firm, A Law Corporation, is proud to announce that President and Managing Attorney Alan S. Wolf, has been selected by his peers to be included in the 2013 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the practice area of Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law.

Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. Best Lawyers compiles lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. Since lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be included, a listing in Best Lawyers is widely regarded within the legal profession as a singular honor, conferred on a lawyer by his or her peers.

The Wolf Firm’s Lead Trial Counsel Joseph J. Nardulli, has been selected as a 2012 Top Rated Lawyer in Commercial Litigation. American Lawyer Media, a leading provider of news and information to the legal industry has teamed with Martindale-Hubbell to create a special section in Litigation Fall 2012 highlighting this achievement.  The list was created by LexisNexis-Martindale-Hubbell’s database of Peer Review AV Preeminent Rated Attorneys.  Reviewers are asked to assess their colleague’s general ethical standards, reliability, diligence, legal skill and other criteria relevant to their professional responsibilities in a specific area of practice.

The Wolf Firm, A Law Corporation welcomes three new attorneys to its growing legal team:  Christine E. Howson, Jared D. Bissell and Joely K.L. Bui.

Christine E. Howson brings to the Firm’s Litigation Department over 26 years of experience in real estate litigation.  Prior to joining the Firm, Ms. Howson was a senior attorney in a California law firm representing corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies and public entities in real estate litigation matters.  Ms. Howson received her Juris Doctorate from the McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, California and received her undergraduate degree from Ma rquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where she majored in Journalism and History and minored in Philosophy.  Ms. Howson was admitted to the California State Bar in 1988.

Jared D. Bissell is an associate in the Firm’s Bankruptcy Department.  Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Bissell was an attorney with a California law firm where he managed Chapter 7, 11 and 13 bankruptcies on behalf of financial institutions.  Mr. Bissell received his Juris Doctorate from the California Western School of Law in San Diego, California where he was a recipient of the Faculty Scholars Program Scholarship and was a Member and Fellowship Leader of the Christian Legal Society.  Mr. Bissell received his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of West Georgia. Mr. Bissell was admitted to the California State Bar in 2010

Joely K. L. Bui is also an associate in the Firm’s Bankruptcy Department.  Ms. Bui started her legal career working for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the District of Arizona.  Prior to passing the bar, Ms. Bui also worked at The Wolf Firm as a paralegal.  Ms. Bui received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law where she was awarded with the Dean’s Merit Scholarship.  She was also an active member in the Bankruptcy Reaffirmation Clinic, Minor Guardianship Clinic and Lawyers for Literacy.  Ms. Bui received two degrees from California State University in Fullerton, a Masters of Arts in Political Science, where she was awarded with the Julian Foster Award for Best Political Philosophy Student and a Bachelor of Arts in English and Political Science.  Ms. Bui was admitted to the California State Bar in 2012.