Steven R. vonBerg

Steven R. vonBerg is Counsel in the Washington, D.C., office of Buckley LLP. Combining his legal skills with insights gleaned from seven years in the mortgage industry as a loan officer and underwriter, he delivers practical, business-oriented advice on regulatory compliance matters to bank and nonbank mortgage lenders and mortgage servicers.

Mr. vonBerg’s practice is focused on the full spectrum of federal mortgage lending laws, particularly those that have come out of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), including the Ability-to-Repay and Qualified Mortgage (ATR/QM) rule, the Loan Originator Compensation rule, the Truth in Lending Act-Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (TILA-RESPA) Integrated Disclosure rule (TRID), RESPA Section 8, the 2013 Mortgage Servicing Rules, and the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) amendments.

He also provides regulatory compliance counsel related to money transmission and electronic signatures, and understands the intersection of technology and the mortgage industry.

Mr. vonBerg is active in the mortgage industry, writing articles and participating in webcasts. He was a contributing author to the CFPB Mortgage Origination Handbook (2^nd Edition) and in 2018, completed the Mortgage Bankers Association Future Leaders Program.

Representative matters include:

• Advising numerous clients on the design of mortgage lending programs to comply with regulatory requirements, including reviewing underwriting guidelines to ensure that loans meet the criteria for Qualified Mortgage status
   
• Advising numerous clients on loan originator compensation agreements and recordkeeping to ensure compliance while adapting to market conditions
   
• Counseling clients in preparing for changes in regulations, developing compliance protocols, and responding to regulatory examinations, investigations, and enforcement actions
   
• Seconded to a large nonbank residential mortgage lender to assist in preparing for a CFPB mortgage origination examination
   
• Represented a large nonbank residential mortgage lender in connection with a CFPB investigation into its loan originator compensation practices
   
• Represented numerous mortgage industry participants in connection with Freddie Mac Exclusionary List investigations
   
• Analyzing loan-level mortgage origination documentation to ensure compliance with federal and state law
   
• Preparing comprehensive surveys of state statutes and regulations related to homeowners association lien priority laws (so-called “super-priority” liens)
   
• Acting as outside counsel for a money transmission service provider with respect to state licensing and regulatory issues, including initial licensure, changes of control, Nationwide Multi-State Licensing System (NMLS) management issues, annual renewals, and ongoing licensing maintenance
   
• Reviewing electronic signature procedures for compliance with IRS requirements for Income Verification Express Services (IVES) participants

Mr. vonBerg received his J.D. from the American University Washington College of Law (cum laude) in 2013. During law school, Mr. vonBerg served as an Articles Editor for the American University Business Law Review and as an intern at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in both the Market Abuse Unit and the Office of Market Intelligence. He received his B.A. in Economics from West Virginia University in 2002.