NYDFS names first Student Advocate and Director of Consumer Advocacy

State Issues NYDFS Student Lending State Regulators

On September 17, NYDFS announced that Winston Berkman-Breen has been appointed as the agency’s first-ever Student Advocate and Director of Consumer Advocacy. Prior to joining NYDFS, Berkman-Breen was a Justice Catalyst Fellow and Staff Attorney with the Consumer Protection Unit at the New York Legal Assistance Group, where he represented low-income New York consumer borrowers in state and federal court against lenders and debt collectors. In his new role with NYDFS, Berkman-Breen “will advocate on behalf of students and serve as a liaison between DFS and New York consumers with concerns,” including reviewing and analyzing complaint data from student borrowers to recommend appropriate action by the regulator.