For over 25 years, he’s seen the asset class evolve from early days to bull market to financial crisis and beyond. His long-term perspective and market knowledge of the mortgage and servicing industry and understanding of the relevant regulatory considerations allow him to be creative and persuasive in even the most challenging deals, and makes him an effective advocate in large transactions involving novel structures and numerous counterparties.

With a successful track record on hundreds of transactions, Mike has represented banks, hedge funds, private equity investors, REITS, servicers, mortgage companies and others. He is directly available and responsive to clients, and his hands-on involvement ensures efficient solutions. In recent years, Mike has become especially well known for his work on MSR transactions and his understanding of how the servicing industry works.

In addition to his active practice, Mike serves as co-head of the firm’s structured finance and securitization practice. He has a deep commitment to children’s issues, and has worked with the Council for Children’s Rights representing children in custody and visitation disputes.

Relevant Experience

• Represented servicers and investors in the acquisition, sale, transfer and financing of mortgage servicing rights involving Agency and non-Agency mortgage loan portfolios in dozens of transactions representing over $500 billion of mortgage loans.
• Handled hundreds of small and large acquisitions and dispositions of performing, reperforming and nonperforming residential and commercial mortgage loans for loan originators, private equity funds, hedge funds, REITS and commercial banks.
• Advised clients on flow acquisitions of mortgage servicing rights, including Agency co-issue and concurrent servicing transfer programs.
• Represented large national bank in connection with its disposition of its entire mortgage loan and servicing portfolios, including agency and non-agency loans and servicing rights.
• Negotiated servicing and subservicing arrangements for large mortgage loan portfolios, including Agency, non-Agency and nonconventional mortgage loans.

• Represented purchasers and sellers of FHA, USDA and VA loans, including early buyout loans from Ginnie Mae pools.
• Assisted a REIT investor in the acquisition of large portfolios of single-family rental properties.
• Represented issuers, underwriters and other securitization participants in connection with the securitization of mortgage loans in private and public transactions.
• Advised financial institutions on federal and state regulatory and legal developments, including Dodd-Frank, Regulation AB, rating agency regulation, risk retention and mortgage servicing regulatory issues.
• Represented a global financial institution in the sale of its securitization trust business involving the transfer of several thousand securitization transactions.
• Advised a hedge fund on a joint investment in an agricultural loan portfolio involving financing provided by Farmer Mac.
• Advised servicers, trustees and other transaction participants on day-to-day investor inquiries, amendment requests, contract interpretation and workout/restructuring matters.
• Advised investors and servicers on special servicing, loss mitigation, loan forbearances and modifications and a variety of servicing arrangements.

Bar Admissions

• North Carolina

Education
BA, University of Virginia, 1984

• Represented various banks and servicing companies in the acquisition, sale and financing of mortgage servicing rights and various servicing and subservicing arrangements for large mortgage loan portfolios.
• Advised and handled large acquisitions and dispositions of performing and nonperforming mortgage loans for private equity funds, hedge funds and commercial banks.
• Represented issuers, underwriters and other securitization participants in connection with the securitization of mortgage loans and preparation of registration statements.
• Advised financial institution clients on federal and state regulatory and legal developments, including HAMP, Dodd-Frank, Regulation AB, rating agency regulation, FDIC safe harbor.
• Represented large financial institution in connection with the transfer of its securitization trust business.
• Represented trustees and servicers on investor inquiries, amendment requests, contract interpretation and workout/restructuring matters.
• Advised investor and servicer clients on special servicing, loss mitigation, loan modification and servicer incentive programs.
• Counseled clients on representation, warranty and loan repurchase questions, cash restatements and reconciliations and a variety of other claims and issues on outstanding transactions.

• Board of Advisors, University of North Carolina Center for Banking and Finance

• Listed for Structured Finance, Legal 500 United States, 2016
• Recognized as a Leader in Capital Markets and Securitization, Nationwide, Chambers USA, 2010-2017
• Selected as a Super Lawyer for Banking, North Carolina Super Lawyers magazine, 2006-2017. A description of the selection methodology can be found on Super Lawyers’ webpage.
• Co-chair, Outside Counsel Subforum, American Securitization Forum, 2007-2008

• CFPB Issues Updated Guidance for Residential Mortgage Servicing Transfers and Alerts Servicers of CFPB Review of Servicing Transfers, Real Estate Finance Journal
• Structured Finance and Securitization – 2021 Year in Review
• Structured Finance and Securitization – 2022 Year in Review
• Structured Finance and Securitization – 2023 Year in Review
• Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Introduce HAMP Replacement Program, Real Estate Finance Journal