KEY UPDATES TRACK: Labor Law Issues in the Mortgage Industry

Laura LaRaia, CMB, AMP

Chief Legal Officer and Enterprise Risk Officer, MLD Mortgage, Inc. d/b/a The Money Store

Laura LaRaia is Chief Legal Officer and Enterprise Risk Officer at MLD Mortgage, Inc., doing business as The Money Store. She has more than 25 years of experience in legal, compliance, and risk management within the financial services industry. LaRaia advises on complex regulatory and operational matters, manages litigation, and oversees outside counsel in fast-paced, highly regulated environments. Her practice includes negotiating agreements and advising on federal consumer financial laws and regulations, including TILA (QM/ATR, LO compensation, and TRID), RESPA, ECOA, FCRA, HMDA, and fair lending. She also has extensive experience with licensing, compliance auditing, marketing and advertising oversight, regulatory and consumer complaint management, and federal, state, and investor examination management. In addition, LaRaia’s work includes due diligence, quality control, and quality assurance programs, compliance risk assessments, and enterprise risk management for financial institutions.

Russell R. Bruch

Partner, Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP

Russell Bruch is a Partner at Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP providing strategic advice to guide companies through complex US Department of Labor (DOL) audit investigations and defends corporate clients in high-stakes employment litigation, including collective and class actions and wage-and-hour matters. As co-leader of the firm’s aerospace and defense practice, he counsels government contractors on compliance with the Service Contract Act, prevailing wage requirements, and other wage-and-hour requirements. He also provides advice to energy and construction industry clients navigating compliance requirements associated with the Inflation Reduction Act.

Troy W. Garris, CMB

Managing Partner, Garris Horn LLP

Troy Garris is a Managing Partner of Garris Horn LLP. As a business owner, he focuses on results. Garris is active in three main areas: (i) federal and state regulatory compliance, (ii) enforcement defense, and (iii) M&A. He represents mortgage bankers, builders, investors, and funds. Garris handles matters related to LO Compensation, RESPA, Fair Lending, FHA, social media marketing, and similar issues appearing before the CFPB, HUD, state banking agencies, and courts. Active in the industry, Garris engages with industry associations and is an alumnus of the MBA Future Leaders program. He is also a YouTuber and entrepreneur, hosting the Mortgage Banking LiveStream.

Maria Kreiter, Esq.

Shareholder, Godfrey & Kahn, S.C.

Maria L. Kreiter chairs the firm’s Trade Secret and Non-Competition Group at Godfrey & Kahn, S.C. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and is the former long-time chair of the firm’s Financial Services Litigation Group. She maintains a nationwide practice focused on employee departure litigation, with particular depth representing mortgage lenders and other financial services institutions in disputes involving departing loan officers and teams. She regularly pursues and defends claims involving trade secrets, non-competition and non-solicitation agreements, and related banking and financial services litigation. Maria is a frequent seminar speaker, and her trial experience includes court and jury trials in both state and federal courts, as well as injunction and temporary restraining order hearings.