Kathryn L. Ryan

Kathryn “Katy” Ryan advises financial services companies on a variety of regulatory, licensing, compliance, and transactional matters, including federal and state compliance requirements, Secure and Fair Enforcement (S.A.F.E.) Act compliance, Federal Housing Administration (FHA) compliance, and the risks associated with the False Claims Act (FCA) and Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act (FIRREA).

A Partner in Buckley LLP’s Washington, D.C., office, Ms. Ryan represents banks, first and second mortgage originators and servicers, reverse mortgage originators and servicers, fulfillment service providers, commercial lenders and servicers, bank holding companies, private equity firms, finance companies, debt collection companies, financial institutions and technology companies, payment processors, money transmitters, and various related service providers. She assists clients with matters before state regulatory agencies, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), federal banking agencies, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac. She also provides strategic and tactical advice to help clients identify and secure the nationwide federal and state approvals necessary to achieve operational goals.

Representative matters include:

• Advising a nationwide payment processor with respect to federal and state money services business licensing requirements, including implementation of licensing strategy and coordination and negotiation with state regulator agencies
   
• Advising various financial institutions, technology companies, payment processors, and money transmitters, as to the applicability of federal and state registration/licensing, including analysis of applicable exemptions
   
• Acting as lead regulatory counsel for nationwide licensed entity in connection with stock acquisition, including obtaining relevant regulator approvals required as conditions to closing
   
• Advising a state-chartered bank and nationwide nondepository mortgage lender with respect to state licensing and regulatory issues, including Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System (NMLS) management issues, Mortgage Call Report (MCR) filings, annual renewals, ongoing licensing maintenance issues, and various S.A.F.E. Act requirements
   
• Acting as lead regulatory counsel and project manager for a multinational investment management firm in connection with the stock acquisition of a nationwide licensed nondepository mortgage lender, as well as an asset acquisition of a direct to consumer mortgage origination platform
   
• Performing a risk audit of nationwide mortgage lender operations for compliance with FHA regulations
   
• Advising a nationwide state licensed mortgage lender on CFPB enforcement matters, including CFPB exam preparation, as well as state examination and enforcement matters
   
• Advised banks, reverse mortgage lenders and servicers, and nondepository mortgage lenders and servicers with respect to FCA and FIRREA investigations by the DOJ, various U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, HUD, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency FHFA concerning compliance with the FHA Direct Endorsement Lender program guidelines and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac origination and servicing guidelines

Ms. Ryan received her J.D. from Catholic University and her B.A. from the University of Virginia.