Thanks to my background, which includes a lot of in-house experience putting compliance solutions into practice, I thoroughly understand not only how to determine what’s required for compliance, but specifically what, in the real world, the client needs to do to make it happen. This sets me apart.

Emily Honsa Hicks counsels her clients—who include banks, finance companies, mortgage companies, and fintechs—on a variety of complex regulatory and compliance questions. She has experience in deposits, origination, servicing, and default, with particularly in-depth experience in Bankruptcy Code and foreclosure compliance subjects. She has experience with CFPB and OCC exam preparation and holds an American Bankers Association certification as a Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager.

Emily’s unique value proposition is that she has worn an extraordinary number of professional hats. She has extensive experience at every seat at the table, including several years in-house at a large bank with compliance and audit management responsibility. Her diverse experience in various other areas of the law, including real estate, collections, mediation, and county and municipal criminal work, give her a broad perspective. This track record has given her the ability to look at compliance-based legal disputes from all angles – that of a bank or creditor, neutral dispute resolution professional, financial consumer, compliance officer, and even an auditor/regulator with an understanding of the potential operational impacts of each potential solution.

As she sees it, her experience from within an actual bank – firsthand, no-kidding operations – sets her apart. As she puts it, “If you don’t understand how a bank works, you don’t understand what they need.” She is able to develop real-world solutions for her clients which not only meet the requirements of the law, but that her clients can actually implement in light of the operational limitations they may face. Her ability to “speak her clients’ language” and provide recommendations suited to the reality of her clients’ environment truly sets her apart.