KEY UPDATES TRACK: Special Purpose Credit Programs and Serving Limited English Proficiency Consumers

Windy A Hillman

Executive Director & Assistant General Counsel, J.P. Morgan

Windy Hillman serves as Executive Director and Assistant General Counsel at JPMorgan Chase, helping shape litigation strategy for a national lending platform of significant scale. Her work addresses matters with both financial and reputational consequences, while also evaluating the broader legal frameworks—from Supreme Court jurisprudence to executive authority—that shape how banks operate in a shifting regulatory environment. Her approach to litigation was formed early in her career in Alabama and Georgia courtrooms, where she tried more than 300 cases and managed high-volume portfolios for national lenders. That hands-on experience built the discipline and judgment that later carried her through an Am Law 100 practice into a law firm partnership, where she led a nationwide arbitration program and represented major financial institutions in complex commercial and bankruptcy disputes, developing a reputation as a steady, strategic advocate in high-profile matters. Since joining JPMorgan Chase, Hillman’s focus has expanded from individual case strategy to institutional portfolio leadership. She has played a role in the disciplined reduction of post-financial-crisis mortgage litigation, while contributing to internal discussions on fair lending, federal preemption, emerging legal risks, and structural regulatory developments affecting national banking operations. Her work often sits at the intersection of litigation, policy interpretation, and forward-looking risk assessment.

Fed Kamensky

Partner, Weiner Brodsky Kider PC

Fed Kamensky is a partner with Weiner Brodsky Kider PC. His practice focuses on federal and state regulatory compliance matters related to the financial services industry. He represents and advises mortgage lenders, servicers, secondary market investors, and other financial institutions on federal and state mortgage banking and financial services laws, including RESPA, TILA, HMDA, ECOA, FCRA, GLBA, FDCPA, and SCRA, with an emphasis on residential mortgage lending compliance and regulatory issues. Among other things, Kamensky advises clients on origination and servicing requirements, marketing and advertising practices, quality control plans and compliance management systems, compensation and fee limitations, regulatory approval and licensing, and other business practices. He also advises and assists companies with the design and implementation of mortgage lending programs, including FHA-insured reverse mortgages (HECM), proprietary reverse mortgages, adjustable-rate loans, and home equity lines of credit (HELOCs). In addition, Kamensky performs regulatory compliance due diligence reviews in connection with the sale and acquisition of forward and reverse-mortgage originators.

Melissa Malpass

Counsel, Alston & Bird, LLP

Melissa Malpass serves as Counsel in the Washington, D.C., office of Alston & Bird and advises financial institutions on compliance with federal and state consumer financial laws. She regularly counsels mortgage lenders on loan origination, including disclosures, loan originator compensation, ability-to-repay standards, and other requirements under the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), and Title XIV of the Dodd–Frank Act. Melissa also advises mortgage servicers on compliance with federal and state regulations governing loss mitigation and foreclosure. Melissa has extensive experience counseling financial institutions on fair lending matters, specifically with developing internal policies and procedures for compliance monitoring and training. She has advised financial institutions on regulatory compliance with federal consumer financial laws, including the prohibition on unfair, deceptive, and abusive practices. In particular, she provided regulatory guidance to financial technology companies on emerging payment systems and requirements under the Electronic Funds Transfer Act (EFTA).

Jerra H. Ryan, CMB, CMCP

Senior Vice President, Firstline Compliance, LLC

Jerra H. Ryan is well-versed in all areas of residential loan production. She led $250 million in annual production as a producing branch manager and top-ranked originator before moving her unique fusion of experience as a sales leader and consumer educator to her roles developing and enabling compliance. Jerra advocates for what we can do in mortgage compliance and production and as a senior leader, consultant, speaker, and instructor, she works to raise the compliance IQ and fluency of mortgage professionals.

Kara Ward

Shareholder, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, P.C.

Kara Ward is a shareholder at Baker McKenzie. Her practice concentrates on advising financial institutions, FinTechs, consumer advocacy groups, nonprofits, and trade associations, drawing on her deep knowledge of complex, intergovernmental matters that intersect financial services laws and public policy to advance clients’ objectives on Capitol Hill, within regulatory agencies, and across the Executive Branch. Ms. Ward also advises CDFIs and social impact investors. Prior to entering private practice, she served as an attorney and advisor with the U.S. Department of the Treasury. She is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and Maryland.