DSNews delivers stories, ideas, links, companies, people, events, and videos impacting the mortgage default servicing industry.
Issue link: http://digital.dsnews.com/i/1491912
65 CAMILLE R. HAWK Partner/Attorney, Walentine O'Toole, LLP Camille Hawk, one of the region's leading creditors' rights attorneys, offers financial institutions first-rate representation in the areas of real estate, lending law, and default services, including lending regulations, bankruptcy, title issues, foreclosure, loss mitigation, litigation, closings, eviction, and collections. She is licensed in Nebraska and Iowa and has over 28 years' experience working with creditors. Camille has been published regionally and nationwide. She has presented seminars for NBI, Lorman, State Bar Associations, and other industry organizations. Some of her presentation topics include triaging files after moratorium holds, foreclosure gap seminars, ongoing CFPB changes, agricultural lending, and foreclosure pitfalls. She also has helped draft and pass several pieces of creditors' rights legislation related to manufactured homes, lines of credit, HOA and COA statutes, lien releases, Trustees' powers, and post-foreclosure funds disbursement requirements. Believing it is important to give back, Camille is active in professional organizations and serves on various community boards. She is the current Chair of the NSBA Education committee, the current Vice Chair of the NSBA Bankruptcy section and the NSBA Bank Attorneys section, a past Chair of the Bank Attorneys section, and a NSBA House of Delegates member. KATIE JO "KJ" KEELING Managing Partner, Default Services, McCarthy Holthus, LLP AREA OF LAW: Mortgage Banking and Real Property Law NUMBER OF YEARS PRACTICING LAW: 15 Katie Jo Keeling told DS News, "I chose to study law to learn to think about the world and its rules from a different perspective, and I consider my legal education as a skill set and a way of thinking, more so than an occupation. I am a business person with a background in the law, and make it my goal to only provide legal advice that can be practically applied and easily understood." She enjoys seeing members of her team move up within the organization and helping them find challenges, camaraderie, and fulfillment in their careers. She is often the only woman in meetings and is looked to for a unique perspective. "Being different is an advantage in my book—diversity is important to have within any team, and I am fortunate to be at a firm that operates as a meritocracy." She often has the opportunity to use her knowledge and experience to improve operations. "In such a cyclical industry," she said, "I have learned to embrace changes in market conditions, laws, and the regulatory environment." A career highlight for Katie Jo was achieving a 5.0/5.0 Martindale-Hubbell AV rating, meaning that she has earned the respect of her clients, colleagues, and legal community. BROOKE E. SANCHEZ Partner, Managing Bankruptcy Attorney, McPhail Sanchez, LLC AREA OF LAW: Bankruptcy NUMBER OF YEARS PRACTICING LAW: 16 Brooke E. Sanchez is a Partner and Managing Bankruptcy Attorney with McPhail Sanchez LLC. Sanchez's firm embraces the principles of dedication, excellence, and integrity, with a deep commitment to treating everyone with respect. Coming from a background representing debtors and homeowners, it was important to Sanchez to continue her career at a firm that shared her values. Representing creditors in bankruptcy cases is her main area of focus at the firm. Sanchez personally represents creditors in defense of adversary proceedings, and she is extremely proud of several recent exceptional outcomes she achieved for her clients in those proceedings. Sanchez credits these wins, in part, to being flexible and adapting to her clients' needs—a trait she believes is critical for legal professionals to succeed in today's climate. Adapting is something Sanchez has exceled at throughout her career, sometimes by necessity. As a female attorney, she has faced more challenges than her male counterparts, but she ultimately found a way to use them to her advantage. Sanchez notes that gender bias in the legal industry's "boy's club" is undeniable—she is commonly mistaken for a paralegal, or underestimated in general. However, she has turned this underestimation into a strength, remaining motivated and pushing herself harder than her male colleagues. TOP WOMEN OF LAW