Category: Firm Announcements

Alan S. Wolf and Caren Castle Attend the MBA Servicing Conference February 25-28, 2019 in Orlando, FL.

Alan S. Wolf attends the NACTT meeting in Dallas, TX.

Christine Howson attends the March 1, 2019, Orange County Bar Association Litigation Section Meeting in Newport Beach, CA.

Caren Castle’s article regarding changes to the California Military and Veterans Code which affect mortgage servicers and foreclosure Trustees is published by the United Trustee’s Association.

On April 3, 3019 Caren Castle will speak at an ALFN Webinar on the Obdesky case and the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act.

  On March 27, 2019, Caren Castle and Kayo Manson-Tompkins submitted a joint article for posting on the USFN e-Update regarding changes to the  the California Military and Veterans Code that affect mortgage servicers.  Click here to review the article.

Alan S. Wolf is a featured Speaker at USFNstruct held April 9-10, 2019, Hurst, TX.  Mr. Wolf will speak on bankruptcy issues.

The Wolf Firm is pleased to announce that it has opened offices in Washington and Oregon and through those offices is also providing direct legal and related services in Idaho.  For many years, the Firm served as co-counsel in those states on a variety of matters.  Now it provides those services direct to its clients.

The Washington, Oregon and Idaho operations are headed by Janaya Carter, an attorney with over 15 years of experience in these states.  The Wolf Firm has worked with Janaya Carter for many years and is excited to add her to the Firm’s excellent team of top attorneys.

Alan S. Wolf and Caren Castle will both attend the MBA National Servicing Conference at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando, Florida, February 25, 2919 through March 1, 2019.  Please let us know if you would like to meet during this event.

Caren Castle will speak at the CMBA Legal Issues and Regulatory Compliance Conference on December 3, 2018 to be held at the Renaissance Newport Beach Hotel, Newport Beach, CA.  Caren will moderate a distinguished panel discussing a recent California fraud scheme involving fraudulent verifications of employment, the impact on lenders, how to mitigate this risk and best practices for AML Compliance and filing Suspicious Activity Reports.

Please join Caren at this event.  Her panel will be held from 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. at the Bay Laurel Central & South room.

President & Managing Attorney Alan S. Wolf, will be speaking at the ALFN Intersect which will be held at The Omni Mandalay Hotel in Dallas, TX  on November 14, 2018.

Please join Alan S. Wolf who will be discussing some new CFPB changes in the Regulatory Compliance track.

President & Managing Attorney Alan S. Wolf, will be speaking at the American Conference Institute’s Bank & Non-Bank Forum on Mortgage Servicing Compliance which will be held at The Washington Plaza Hotel in Washington, DC from Thursday, November 30 to Friday, December 1, 2016.

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

Default Servicing Update: The Latest Trends and  Challenges in Foreclosure, REO, Emerging Statute  of Limitations Issues, Homeowners Association
“Super-Lien” Risks, Pending Changes to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure and Beyond

Thursday, December 1,, 2016 from 9:00 am-9:05 am

This panel will discuss:

•  State foreclosure laws and the latest Statute of Limitations issues

• Recent issues surrounding zombie foreclosures and how servicers should be dealing with them

•  Addressing unique troubleshooting situations that arise in the foreclosure process; (e.g. when you’ve already started the foreclosure process and realize that you failed to satisfy a requirement, what do you do?)

• Foreclosure and bankruptcy discharge litigation trends (including class action trends)

• Overview of pending changes to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedures and their anticipated implementation challenges

• The latest risks and activity associated with HOA “super priority liens”

• Strategies for servicers servicing loans in super-lien states

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

On April 23, 2015, The United Trustees Association will be hosting an OC Dinner Event that will focus on the topic of Trustee File Transfers. Kayo Manson-Tompkins, Managing Eviction & Foreclosure Attorney for The Wolf Firm, will be serving as a panelist. The dinner will be held from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Embassy Suites in Santa Ana, CA.

The registration deadline is April 16. For more information and to register, please visit:

http://unitedtrustees.com/pdf/flyerOC2015April.pdf

The USFN Loan Management & Servicing Seminar will be taking place at the InterContinental New Orleans Hotel in New Orleans, LA from Wednesday, March 18, 2015 to Friday, March 20, 2015. Several members of The Wolf Firm will be in attendance at this event including:

• Alan S. Wolf: President & Managing Attorney
• Scott J. Jackson: Executive Vice President & Managing National Eviction Group Attorney
• Krys Fuller Delk: Director of Operations
• Caren Jacobs Castle: Senior Mortgage Servicing Attorney
• Kayo Manson-Tompkins: Managing Eviction & Foreclosure Attorney

Wednesday, March 18

Default Servicing 101 Super Session

Wednesday, March 18 from 3:30pm to 5:30pm

Caren Jacobs Castle, Senior Mortgage Servicing Attorney at The Wolf Firm

Thursday, March 19

Best Practices on Billing

Thursday, March 19 from 8:45am to 10:15am

Krys Fuller Delk, Director of Operations at The Wolf Firm

Latest Eviction, REO Challenges & Title Clearance

Thursday, March 19 from 8:45am to 10:15am

Kayo Manson-Tompkins, Managing Eviction & Foreclosure Attorney at The Wolf Firm

Compliance & Audits

Thursday, March 19 from 1:30pm to 3:00pm

Krys Fuller Delk, Director of Operations at The Wolf Firm

Managing Occupied & Unoccupied Properties

Thursday, March 19 from 1:30pm to 3:00pm

Kayo Manson-Tompkins, Managing Eviction & Foreclosure Attorney at The Wolf Firm

The New Normal in FC Process

Thursday, March 19 from 3:15pm to 4:45pm

Scott J. Jackson, Executive Vice President & Managing National Eviction Group Attorney at The Wolf Firm

Impacts of CFPB & Servicing Regulations – Part 1

Thursday, March 19 from 3:15pm to 4:45pm

Alan S. Wolf, President & Managing Attorney at The Wolf Firm

Friday, March 20

Impacts of CFPB & Servicing Regulations – Part 2

Friday, March 20 from 9:00am to 10:30am

Caren Jacobs Castle, Senior Mortgage Servicing Attorney at The Wolf Firm

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

Alan S. Wolf, President & Managing Attorney of The Wolf Firm, will be speaking at the California Mortgage Bankers Association’s Legal Issues Conference on Monday, December 8, 2014 in Costa Mesa, CA. He will be leading the Servicing Roundtable Panel as part of the Practical Applications Sessions. Details can be found here.

Alan S. Wolf, President and Managing Attorney of The Wolf Firm, A Law Corporation, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in the 21^st Edition of The Best Lawyers in America^© in the field of Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law.  Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence.  Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey.  Over 52,000 leading attorneys cast more than 5.5 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas.  Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor.  Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”

Mr. Wolf was the lead attorney in the landmark bankruptcy cramdown case of Enewally v. Wash. Mut. Bank (In re Enewally), 368 F.3d 1165 (9th Cir. Cal. 2004).  He has served as the Chair of the California Mortgage Bankers Association Legal Services Committee (1994-1995) and Co-Chair (1995-1996), helped found the USFN and served as a member of the USFN Board of Directors (1990-1996).  Mr. Wolf lectures extensively throughout the country on a variety of loan servicing and mortgage banking issues.  He has also written many articles for leading mortgage banking trade journals including Mortgage Banking Magazine, Servicing Management, California Finance, the CTA Newsletter and USFN Report and has authored sections in the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Handbook on Loan Administration and two chapters in the Mortgage Servicers National Reference Directory.  Mr. Wolf is a member of the State Bar of California, a fellow in the College of Mortgage Attorneys, and is a member of a variety of mortgage industry trade groups. He is AV rated, listed in the Martindale-Hubbell Register of Preeminent Lawyers, was selected as one of the 2006 Southern California Super Lawyers as published in Los Angeles Magazine. Mr. Wolf is a 1977 cum laude graduate of Dartmouth College and a 1980 graduate of Southwestern University School of Law.

For over 25 years, The Wolf Firm has provided a broad array of legal and related services throughout California and nationally 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, California Unlawful Detainer/Eviction, National Eviction Management, Loss Mitigation, Escrow/Closing, Regulatory Compliance, Transactional and Labor & Employment.

The Wolf Firm, A Law Corporation, has once again been honored with the USFN Diamond Award of Excellence. The Award of Excellence is given annually to USFN Member firms who meet rigorous standards which evaluate professional activities, industry volunteerism, and community and charitable involvement by the firm. Recipients are honored each year at USFN’s Annual Member Education Retreat held in the late fall.  USFN, founded in 1988, is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious trade association of law firms and trustee companies which focus on creditors’ rights.  The Award of Excellence program was initiated in 1993 to recognize and encourage Member firms to develop and maintain high standards of excellence in service to industry clients and to their community.

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, California Unlawful Detainer/Eviction, National Eviction Management, Loss Mitigation, Escrow/Closing, Regulatory Compliance, Transactional and Labor & Employment.

On September 2, 2014, the law firm of Robert J. Jackson & Associates, Inc. (“Jackson”), and its National Eviction Management Group, merged into The Wolf Firm. Now The Wolf Firm can provide exceptional national eviction management in addition to the traditional services offered by the firm including best-in-class California litigation, judicial and non-judicial foreclosure, bankruptcy, eviction, closing and regulatory compliance legal services.

Scott J. Jackson, Esq. has become an Executive Vice President of The Wolf Firm and chair of its new National Eviction Group. Additionally, Parnaz Parto, Sonia Plesset and Robert Jackson have also joined the firm.

Eric D. Dean, Vice Chair of the Commercial and Real Estate Group of The Wolf Firm, will be speaking at the Southland Regional Association of Realtor’s “Residential Real Estate (1-4) as an Investment” event on October 14th, 2014 in Van Nuys, CA.  He will be speaking on the topic of Due Diligence, Risk Management. Details can be found here.

The USFN Loan Management & Servicing Seminar will be taking place at the The Peapody Memphis Hotel in Memphis, TN from Wednesday, June 4, 2014 to Friday, June 6, 2014.  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

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 & Servicing Regulations Part 2 • Friday, June 6 from 9:00am to 11:00am

Alan S. Wolf, President and Managing Attorney at The Wolf Firm, will be a panelist on the session entitled, “Impacts of CFPB & Servicing Regulations Part 2” which will be held on Friday, June 6 from 9:00am to 11:00am. In this session, Mr. Wolf will be part of a roundtable discussion on the recently effective CFPB Servicing Regulations and discuss the known impacts on Mortgage Servicing. The panel will cover the nuts and bolts of the applicable regulations and will then discuss the measures necessary for effective compliance. This session will help attendees gain a better understanding of t he information requests and error resolution processes, the new periodic payment statements, and rules concerning force place insurance. Finally, the panelists will cover any current cases and recent updates to the regulation.

Latest Eviction/ REO Challenges & Title Clearance • Thursday, June 5 from 8:45am to 10:15am

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 5 from 8:45am to 10:15am. 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.

Best Practices in Billing • Thursday, June 5 from 8:45am-10:15am

Krys Fuller Delk, Director of Operations at The Wolf Firm, will be the Lead Facilitator for the session entitled, “Best Practices in Billing” which will be held on Thursday, June 5 from 8:45am-10:15am. 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 cov er 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 seamlessly and efficiently.

Managing Occupied and Unoccupied Properties • Thursday, June 5 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 Occupied and Unoccupied Properties” which will be held on Thursday, June 5 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.

Compliance & Audits • Thursday, June 5 from 1:30pm to 3:00pm

Krys Fuller Delk, Director of Operations at The Wolf Firm, will be a panelist for the session entitled, “Compliance and Audits” which will be held on Thursday, June 5 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 se rvicing community with insight, collaboration and cutting edge discussion on these critical facets of daily interaction.

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

The USFN Loan Management & Servicing Seminar will be taking place at the Omni in Fort Worth, Texas from Wednesday, March 19, 2014 to Friday, March 21, 2014.  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

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 & Servicing Regulations Part I  • Thursday, March 20 from 10:30am to 12:00pm

Alan S. Wolf, President and Managing Attorney at The Wolf Firm, will be a panelist on the session entitled, “Impacts of CFPB & Servicing Regulations Part 1” which will be held on Thursday, March 20 from 10:30am to 12:00pm. In this session, Mr. Wolf will be part of a roundtable discussion on the recently effective CFPB Servicing Regulations and discuss the known impacts on Mortgage Servicing. The panel will cover the nuts and bolts of the applicable regulations and will then discuss the measures necessary for effective compliance. This session will help attendees gain a better understanding of the information requests and error resolution processes, the new periodic payment statements, and rules concerning force place insurance. Finally, the panelists will cover any current cases and recent updates to the regulation. 

Latest Eviction/ REO Challenges & Title Clearance • Thursday, March 20 from 8:45am to 10:15am

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, March 20 from 8:45am to 10:15am. 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.

Best Practices in Billing • Thursday, March 20 from 8:45am-10:15am

Krys Fuller Delk, Director of Operations at The Wolf Firm, will be a panelist on the session entitled, “Best Practices in Billing” which will be held on Thursday, March 19 from 8:45am-10:15am. 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 seamlessly and efficiently.

 Fast Tracking Vacant Foreclosures • Thursday, March 20 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, “Fast Tracking Vacant Properties” which will be held on Thursday, March 20 from 1:30pm to 3:00pm.  The fast-tracking of vacant and abandoned foreclosure properties is a viable, preferable alternative to addressing the backlog of vacant and abandoned properties that are currently stressing the system to its breaking point. In this session, Ms. Manson-Tompkins will be part of an open dialog on recent vacant property registration legislation – including increases in foreclosure driven registrations and cash bond requirements—and the inherent benefits to all aspects of the industry if new legislation will allow for the fast-tracking of the foreclosure process. The discussion will include key factors, including neighborhood blight, statistics on current foreclosure timeframes throughout the country, and the industry’s ability to alleviate stress on the code enforcement community through this alternative to vacant property ordinances.

Compliance & Audits • Thursday, March 20 from 1:30pm to 3:00pm

Krys Fuller Delk, Director of Operations at The Wolf Firm, will be moderating the session entitled, “Compliance and Audits” which will be held on Thursday, March 20 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.

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