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82 HILARY BONIAL Bonial & Associates, P.C., Managing Director Bonial & Associates, is both a Certified LGBT Business Enterprise (LGBTBE) by e National LGBT Chamber of Commerce and a Certified Women's Business Enterprise (WBE) by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). e WBE certification affirms the business is woman-owned, operated, and controlled. Hilary Bonial told DS News that "seeing my teams succeed is the most enriching part of my job." Bonial added, "Watching the legal strategies assist clients in making good business decisions is quite rewarding." Bonial noted she is most proud of the positive results she has obtained in court for her clients. "Any time I can stand before a judge and represent my client, I am proud of the unique set of skills I have developed over the years and of my ability to put them to good use." Bonial has been Managing Director of Bonial & Associates, P.C., for over two years, and served previously as a Shareholder/ Attorney at Buckley Madole, as well as serving as General Counsel for National Bankruptcy Services, LLC, for over eight years. Despite some improvements over the years, Bonial said the number of female executives within the industry is still comparatively small, and she is often the only female leader in the room when a decision is made. "e perception of women leaders being overly emotional remains," she added. Looking ahead to 2020, she said, while it may be "pie in the sky theory," she would like to see the adoption of meaningful diversity programs in the default legal space. NUMBER OF YEARS PRACTICING LAW: 24 KRISTINE BROWN Shapiro & Brown, Managing Partner From an early age, Kristine Brown knew she wanted to be an attorney. While the role has changed over the years, the "central goal" of advocacy has remained the same. "Exchange of ideas and debate are the foundations of our adversarial system and these motivations for studying the law continue to inspire me in my day to day practice," she said. Brown, as Managing Partner, enjoys training new attorneys who are beginning their careers with the firm. She said seeing their excitement and enthusiasm for the law reminds her of the privilege and responsibility she has to mentor the newest members of the profession. One of the greatest challenges in her career is balancing her family life with her work. "But as a mother to two young girls, I hope that I am setting an example for them every day that they can accomplish anything they pursue with hard work and perseverance," Brown said. Brown has been with Shapiro and Brown, which specializes in bankruptcy, creditors' rights, evictions, foreclosures, real estate, REO, and more, for 19 years and studied law at Duquesne University School of Law. NUMBER OF YEARS PRACTICING LAW: 20 DIANA A. CARPINTERO Marinosci Law Group, PC, Managing Partner Diana A. Carpintero said the best part of being an attorney is the relationships she has built with her clients, and having the opportunity to collaborate to deliver high-quality legal services. She said that it is not only personally gratifying, but it is "fundamental to the success of any business." Carpintero said challenges facing the industry in 2020 include statutory updates and new case law that places an increased burden on creditors and creditor rights firms, who need to remain compliant while meeting timeline. Challenges also include fixed servicing fees for a large GSE and FHA mortgage population, reducing profitability for servicers. Additionally, with declining default volume, servicers will continue to scale down attorney networks to manage increased costs. While this provides some financial savings for servicers, this puts tremendous pressure on firms to remain competitive among so many other performing firms. Firms will be forced to downsize, merge, or expand operations to additional states, creating a larger multi-state footprint, easing vendor management oversight of firms. Carpintero added that lawyers can help lenders and servicers through technology and proactive efforts that provide clients with a competitive advantage. "We must incorporate into our own practices existing and emerging technologies that can assist clients with streamlining operations. Further, lawyers can support their clients by proactively communicating changes in the legal landscape," she said. NUMBER OF YEARS PRACTICING LAW: 18 Top 25 Women of Law

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