Kathryn L. Ryan
Partner & Board Member
Biography
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 Multistate 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. She is also a member of Buckley’s partner board.
In The News
APPROVED expands team with two key additions
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 28, 2019) APPROVED , Buckley's licensing service for financial services companies, announces the addition of two key players as it expands its state examination management and California licensing capabilities — Kristie Battershell and Debbie Stopeck. “We continue to build...
Press ReleasesBuckley Sandler launches APPROVED licensing service
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 7, 2018) – Buckley Sandler LLP today formally announced the launch of APPROVED , a new approach to licensing for financial services companies. Buckley Sandler is building upon years of financial services experience and licensing know-how to offer APPROVED, a technology-...
Press Releases
Publications
"Expect greater regulatory scrutiny of crypto-asset activities" by Kathryn L. Ryan, Gordon L. Miller, and Max Bonici (Law360)
In mid-August, the Federal Reserve issued guidance on crypto-asset and related activities, joining the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in alerting their supervised entities that they must provide written notice before engaging in this space...
Articles"Commercial lenders brace for consumer-style disclosures in California and beyond" by Clinton R. Rockwell and Kathryn L. Ryan (Equipment Leasing & Finance Magazine)
In September 2018, California became the first state to enact commercial financing legislation requiring consumer-style disclosures similar to those required for consumer loans under the federal Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and Regulation Z. Senate Bill 1235, the common shorthand for the new statute...
Articles"Betting on sports wagering? Double down on licensing prep" by Andrew R. Louis, Kathryn L. Ryan, and Brian W. Bartholomay (Sports Litigation Alert)
Sports betting has flourished in the year since a Supreme Court decision gave states the right to legalize it, with eight states now offering some form of sports betting and almost 30 in various stages of weighing legislation that would do so. Some of the new players are borrowing from existing...
Articles"7 tips for surviving FHA’s annual recertification process" by Melissa Klimkiewicz and Kathryn L. Ryan (HousingWire)
The past year brought some good news for Federal Housing Administration mortgagees, as top Department of Housing and Urban Development officials continued to urge the Department of Justice to reduce reliance on the False Claims Act in enforcing FHA program requirements. Notwithstanding this...
Articles"Equipment finance: Understanding licensing obligations" by Kathryn L. Ryan (Equipment Leasing & Finance Magazine)
Licensing Considerations, Generally The applicability of state licensing laws may depend on multiple factors, including transaction structures, business entity types and whether the activities are appropriately classified as “commercial” or another type of non-consumer transaction. Although the...
ArticlesC-Suite Financial Services Review: Navigating state money-transmission laws
Financial technology companies’ entry into the payment, money transmission, consumer and commercial finance, and virtual-currency markets has spotlighted byzantine state money-transmission laws. State regulators are generally responsible for licensing and supervising the activities of money...
C-Suite Review"Improving your odds on the gambling frontier" by Andrew R. Louis, Kathryn L. Ryan, and Tim Lange (SportsBusiness Journal)
The Supreme Court has laid the groundwork for sports betting in any state that wants it, but those predicting an imminent land grab by betting houses may not fully appreciate the deliberate and occasionally painstaking process that most states will likely implement. Careful planning now to...
ArticlesC-Suite Financial Services Review: The Return of the Wholesale Mortgage Broker
The prevalence of wholesale mortgage brokers has fluctuated dramatically in the past two decades, peaking in the mid-to-late 2000s due to high homebuyer demand and a comparatively lax regulatory environment, and crashing with the housing market and subsequent financial crisis. The massive overhaul...
C-Suite ReviewMelissa Klimkiewicz and Kathryn L. Ryan authored a National Mortgage News article, "State Regulators Have Their Eye on Reverse Mortgage Lenders"
The U.S. population is aging, and one of the well-established components of the American dream — buying and owning a home — appears poised to aid in the baby boomers' next phase of life. In fact, an increasing number of older Americans are expected to tap into their home equity to fund their living...
ArticlesSpecial Alert: CFPB Finalizes Amendments to Mortgage Servicing Rules
On August 4, the CFPB issued its long-awaited final amendments to the mortgage servicing provisions of Regulations X and Z. The Bureau had sought comment on the proposed rule in December 2014, more than 18 months ago. Spanning 900 pages, the final rule makes significant changes that will impact...
ArticlesSpecial Alert: CFPB Proposes Amendments to Know Before You Owe/TRID Rule
On Friday, the CFPB issued its much anticipated proposal to amend the KBYO/TRID rule. The CFPB crowded dozens of proposed changes into the almost 300 page proposal, most of which are highly technical and require careful examination. As the Bureau has signaled since its intention to issue amendments...
Articles
Practice Areas
- Auto Finance
- Broker-Dealers & Investment Advisers
- Consumer Finance
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
- Debt Collection & Buying
- Enforcement Actions & Investigations
- Examinations
- Equipment Leasing & Finance
- False Claims Act & FIRREA
- Fintech
- Licensing
- Mortgages
- Private Banking
- Private Equity & Venture Capital
- Transactions
Education
- J.D., Catholic University, 2004
- B.A., University of Virginia, 2001
Admissions
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
- South Carolina