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MortgagePoint » Your Trusted Source for Mortgage Banking and Servicing News 12 May 2025 E X P O S U R E SERVICERS, ATTORNEYS, AND GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES CONVENED AT 2025 LEGAL LEAGUE SUMMIT O pen to all mortgage lending and servicing professionals, GSEs, government entities, and Legal League members, the annual Spring Servicer Summit gathers the nation's elite financial services law firms to discuss default policies, procedures, and emerging issues with leading mortgage servicing executives. The unique opportunities for education, networking, and engaging discussions on pressing issues impacting financial services law firms are not to be missed. This year's Summit is once again returned to Dallas' Hotel Crescent Court on March 25-26. Attendees who arrived early for Tuesday's programming were able to sign up for Legal League's "De- fault Servicer Certification – Level II." This level of Legal League certification was structured into two components: the first portion covered important regulations, policies, and governmen- tal agencies that impact the work of servicers, while the second portion focused on complex issues that require more specialized knowledge. Topics included in this certification included: The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, The Truth in Lending Act, Fair Debt Collections Practices Act, CFPB, Loss Mitigation, Natural Disasters, Estoppel, Advances/Taxes, and Title Issues. Tuesday's other programming included the invitation-only Servicer Leadership Roundtable, a private meet- ing between top servicers and Legal League leadership, focused on discus- sions around key areas of improvement and collaboration needed to provide meaningful solutions. Wednesday's programming began bright and early with breakfast from 8 – 9 a.m. CT, followed by welcome remarks from Legal League Chair Stephen Hladik, Partner at Hladik, Onorato & Federman, LLP, and David Mulkay, Director of the Legal League at the Five Star Institute. The first general session of the day was "Market Update – Regulatory Shifts: Navigating the Financial Services Land- scape," featuring insights into navigating the evolving regulatory environment and preparing for potential challeng- es ahead. Speakers included Patrick O'Brien, COO at Stern & Eisenberg, and Nolan Turner, Managing Director at Carrington Holding Company, LLC. Just prior to lunch, attendees moved on to the "Navigating Delays: Challeng- es and Solutions in Default Servicing Delays" panel. This session focused on key issues and legislative updates in real property management, includ- ing the impact of property loss events such as FEMA holds and rising hazard insurance costs driven by climate risks. Speakers included Jane Bond, Managing Partner, SE Litigation at McCalla Ray- mer Leibert Pierce, LLP; Rita Falcioni, Loan Management Supervisor at the Department of Veterans Affairs; Ryan McGuinness, Director, Mortgage Ser- vicing Policy, QA & Servicing Remedy Management at Freddie Mac; and Cristi Richey, VP, Servicing Business Account Management at Fannie Mae. Following lunch, the Summit's pop- ular Roundtable Discussions returned, allowing attendees to engage with colleagues during interactive topic-cen- tric discussions led by industry experts including Ryan Bourgeois, Partner & General Counsel at BDF Law Group; Clayton Gordon, Director, Default Mediation and Litigation at Carrington Mortgage Services, LLC; and Michael Merritt, SVP, Customer Care & Mort- gage Default at BOK Financial. The Summit's final Tuesday session was "Industry Obstacles: Navigating the Evolving Servicing Landscape," which dove into trends and critical topics impacting today's mortgage servicing landscape with representatives from government agencies, GSEs, and leading attorneys. Topics included delinquen- cies, loss mitigation strategies, and best practices for effective communication between firms, servicers, and investors. Speakers included Deloise Browne Milner, Senior Operations Manager, Foreclosure, Bankruptcy, and Distressed Properties at Freddie Mac; Hilary Bonial, Managing Director at Bonial & Associates, P.C.; and Reneau Longoria, Managing Member at Doonan, Graves and Longoria LLC. Following this final panel, the event closed out with a Happy Hour.