Mayer Brown Adds 26-Lawyer Team to Consumer Financial Services Group

7 March 2016 – Continuing the momentum that started with the Feb. 26 arrivalof an industry-leading consumer financial services team of five partners in the US, as well as a financial services regulatory partner in the UK, Mayer Brown is pleased to welcome 10 additional partners to its global Financial Services Regulatory & Enforcement practice. Joining the 10 partners in the move to Mayer Brown are one counsel, 15 associates, one staff attorney and one government affairs advisor. All previously practiced at K&L Gates LLP.

“This new group enhances our client-service capabilities, further adding to the wide range of regulatory counseling, enforcement defense and transactional advice we offer to leading financial services companies and participants in the consumer credit and real estate finance industries,” said Tom Delaney, co-leader of Mayer Brown’s Financial Services Regulatory & Enforcement practice. “The depth of our Consumer Financial Services team positions Mayer Brown to address the full spectrum of legal challenges that confront companies operating in the consumer financial services sector.”

The new Consumer Financial Services group partners are:

Costas “Gus” Avrakotos
Mr. Avrakotos concentrates his practice on state laws pertaining to the making, brokering, servicing, purchasing and holding of various types of consumer credit, as well as how to get the check certified by the state licensing of mortgage lenders, market place lenders, money service businesses, automobile lenders and consumer finance lenders.

David Beam
Mr. Beam focuses on various matters related to payments and credit regulation. He advises clients on regulatory compliance; conducts regulatory due diligences of investment and acquisition targets; structures joint ventures and other business arrangements; obtains approvals, licenses, and regulatory guidance from federal and state financial regulators; and prepares terms and conditions for financial products and services, among other services.

Holly Spencer Bunting
Ms. Bunting concentrates on mortgage banking and consumer finance, particularly on issues of federal and state regulatory enforcement. She represents companies in the mortgage lending, title insurance and real estate industries on regulatory compliance matters, and defends clients subject to government audits, investigations and enforcement proceedings. She also provides counsel on federal and state consumer credit and protection laws and regulations.

Krista Cooley
Ms. Cooley has a national practice concentrating on federal regulatory enforcement and compliance issues. She represents companies in the mortgage lending, mortgage servicing, title insurance and real estate industries in connection with administrative and regulatory compliance matters, with a particular focus on FHA, VA, USDA Rural Housing Service and Home Equity Conversion Mortgage requirements.

Eric Edwardson
Mr. Edwardson provides a broad range of transactional and business counsel to clients in the mortgage banking, student lending, consumer finance, settlement service and related industries, informed by his knowledge of the industries and regulatory environment. He regularly assists clients with sales of loans and servicing rights, servicing, subservicing and other services agreements, mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures.

Kristie Kully
Ms. Kully concentrates her practice on federal and state regulatory compliance matters affecting providers of consumer financial products and services. She advises clients on compliance with licensing, consumer protection, and other practice requirements facing mortgage and consumer lenders, brokers, servicers, investors and other participants in the real estate finance and consumer credit industries.

Ori Lev
Mr. Lev concentrates his practice on matters related to consumer financial products and services, with an emphasis on government enforcement actions and litigation. He has an extensive regulatory enforcement background, both at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, where he served as a Deputy Enforcement Director, and at the Office of Foreign Assets Control, where he led the office of enforcement.

Lauren Bergen Pryor
Ms. Pryor counsels clients in corporate and business transactional matters, primarily in the financial services industry. She also handles general corporate transactional matters, including advising publicly held and private companies on mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, as well as transfers of assets. Ms. Pryor represents clients across industry sectors, including mortgage companies, loan servicers, banks, hedge funds, biopharma and technology firms.

Stephanie Robinson
Ms. Robinson focuses on a wide range of matters related to mortgage banking and consumer finance in both the primary and secondary markets. She represents banks, mortgage lenders and servicers, and consumer finance companies in enforcement proceedings before the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and other federal and state agencies. Ms. Robinson also counsels clients on compliance matters.

David Tallman 
Mr. Tallman will be based in Mayer Brown’s Houston office. He advises clients on regulatory compliance matters, with an emphasis on mortgage and consumer lending issues, financial privacy and information security requirements. Mr. Tallman represents consumer financial services providers including mortgage lenders, servicers and investors; credit card companies; student loan companies; consumer finance companies; and payments systems providers.

“We are delighted to welcome our new colleagues to our growing office in the District,” said Daniel Masur, partner-in-charge of Mayer Brown’s Washington DC office. “Their arrival continues our growth in one of the nation’s most important legal markets, allowing us to enhance service to our clients here and around the world.”