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100 TOP 25 WOMEN OF LAW ELIZABETH CRUIKSHANK Owner/Managing Partner, Cruikshank Ersin, LLC Elizabeth Cruikshank has been practicing law for 15 years and loves meeting people, learning new things, and solving problems–especially problem title searches. But even today, being a female attorney poses its own set of challenges. "Not too long ago, I had an agent come into my office for a real estate closing. I came out and introduced myself with my full name. His exact response was, 'You must be the wife or daugh - ter of Cruikshank.' Of course, I was very taken back," shared Cruikshank who had to work twice as hard to be recognized and make a place for herself in the 'good ol' boys club' of the South. Cruikshank feels the new tax reforms are likely to increase work in bankruptcies, foreclosures, and other default work in the year ahead. "I believe with the new administration, we will see a change in homeownership. Also, the tax changes coming may greatly impact low to middle-income families," Cruikshank shared. Cruikshank always wanted to be an attorney and talking about the future, she and her Business Partner Abby Ersin now have their sights set on expanding their prac - tice to newer territories. "We have increased our foreclosure and eviction practice 200 percent in the last year and plan to expand to the Carolinas in the near future," Cruikshank said. Œe firm has already expanded beyond Georgia to include Mississippi, Florida, and Tennessee. GENERAL PRACTICE WITH FOCUS ON DEFAULT NUMBER OF YEARS PRACTICING LAW: 15 KIM DRAKE-LOY General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Mortgage Contracting Services In her 18-plus years as a lawyer, Kim Drake- Loy has used her legal expertise to develop new products and services and successfully negotiate difficult contracts. But the one thing that gives her immense satisfaction is providing legal and compliance counsel for mergers and acquisitions. "•ese are often transformative for the compa - nies involved as they present new opportunities for revenue growth and professional advance- ment," said Drake-Loy. In the year ahead, Drake feels that the legal profession must work to identify risks and coordinate with operation teams to help servicers and lenders eliminate or at least reduce the impact of such risks. "•e actions legal professionals take to address risk are just as important to the success of the enterprise as the actions that the operation teams take to provide services to their clients," she shared. Looking at the challenges of 2018, Drake-Loy believes that the year will be defined by federal and state regulations and how businesses allocate resources to monitor them. A person who lists transparent communication high on her list of priorities, Drake-Loy is prepared to help her company face a challenging legal landscape. "I'm always prepared to deliver the good and bad news, and discuss the direct and indirect impact such news has on the company. •is practice has made navigating the constant challenges in an ever-evolving legal landscape easier," Drake-Loy said. MORTGAGE ORIGINATION AND SERVICING NUMBER OF YEARS PRACTICING LAW: 18+ JESSICA FAGEN Managing Partner, Brock & Scott, PLLC Jessica Fagen has her eye on the future of the default servicing industry. at, coupled with her business and law degrees, has enabled her to analyze trends and anticipate the challenges of this business. But what Fagen finds most rewarding is supporting her team so that they can tap into their true potential. "My emphasis on teamwork has helped me to successfully manage our entire default practice in Florida," Fagen said. And that is also one of the reasons that Fagen lists her ascension to Managing Partner of Brock & Scott as a career moment that she's particularly proud of. "e work, product, and profitability that I bring to the firm speaks for itself and has provided the platform for my growth and leadership within the company," Fagen shared. She believes there's still room for growth for women in leadership roles despite the industry and society continuing to demonstrate improvement in this area, and is happy to mentor other female advocates in this field. Crediting her success to her work ethic in the face of adversity, Fagen feels that operations and legal functions are equally important for the success of a firm. "I contribute on both the operations and legal sides to ensure the firm stays on top of legal issues, while maintaining continuity in personnel and resources amidst this ever-changing environment," Fagen said. DEFAULT SERVICING NUMBER OF YEARS PRACTICING LAW: 9+

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