DS News

107 top 25 women of law WENDY REISS McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce - Partner - Bankruptcy With more than a decade of experience under her belt, Wendy Reiss brings leadership and ingenuity to McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, as well as a way of thinking that never allows a dead end. Reiss proves that creativity and industriousness are two of the greatest tools of the best legal minds. "My clients are met with new and unique legal and operational challenges on a daily basis. Our job, as legal partners, is to do better than helping them navigate those obstacles; our job is to show them how to turn those obstacles into opportunities," Reiss said. It was this inclination and her unique ability to see the problem beyond the problem that first led Reiss to the study of law. "I chose to study law to learn how to take a problem apart and put it back together again, better than it was when you found it, to use my voice to problem-solve, and to debate! „ere's nothing better than a great debate," Reiss quipped. She counsels her lenders and servicers that the key to their success in the year ahead will be to centralize functions by managing fewer legal professionals and leveraging assistance from law firms with cutting-edge technology and reporting capabilities. "Legal professionals act as true partners by implementing creative problem- solving solutions to legal requirements that affect larger-scale business operations," Reiss shared. To Reiss, the best part of her job is being a part of the professional and personal development of her team. "It's an absolute honor," Reiss said. NUMBER OF YEARS PRACTICING LAW: 16 RUTH RUHL RUTH RUHL, P.C. - President - Mortgage loan origination and loss mitigation document preparation and fulfillment Ruth Ruhl has been on both sides of the fence. Her experience as a loan officer before she went to law school helps her to see both sides of the equation. Ruhl assists clients with processes that allow them to work smarter rather than harder. "My role is to advise my client of the legal and regulatory requirements, yet understanding that a business decision is also involved based on the risks I've provided," she said. "I am so proud when I receive an email from a client complimenting the level of service we provide and stating that we are not just a vendor but rather a partner." As someone who took up law after a friend encouraged her to study it, Ruhl considers becoming a nationally recognized woman-owned business as a key career highlight. She said that the mortgage industry has a lot of wonderful female leaders that she has been able to relate to and work with, but added that reaching the position she has in the industry today has required a lot of work. "I owe it to my employees and clients that believe in me," Ruhl said, adding that every client is important. Based on that foundation, she has built a top-notch management team and an external support team that understands the needs of her clients. According to Ruhl, "Communication with my team, investing in technology, and planning are key elements to facing today's challenges." NUMBER OF YEARS PRACTICING LAW: 26 E X P L O R E T H E F U T U R E O F T H E M O R T G A G E I N D U S T R Y M R E P O R T ' S Intelligent Lending: e Rise of AI Webinar J A N U A R Y 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 | 1 2 : 0 0 – 1 : 0 0 P. M . C T Rick Bechtel EVP, Head of U.S. Mortgage Banking, TD Bank Robert Bush SVP, Senior Strategy Manager, Citizens Bank Steve Butler Founder and President, AI Foundry Peter Piela Head of Solution Development, AI Foundry Rocky Stubbs Head of Consumer Direct and Digital Mortgage Lending, Flagstar Bank F E A T U R E D S P E A K E R S I N C L U D E : Topics include: Improving customer experience through AI Applying AI to streamline costs and reduce turnaround time AI and the future of the mortgage industry P R E S E N T E D B Y REGISTER AT THEMREPORT.COM/EVENT/AI-WEBINAR

• Cover