Financial Services Law Firm Mitchell Sandler Celebrates Five Year Milestone: Expands Fair Lending Practice with Former Senior DOJ Official Jon Seward and Nationally Recognized Financial Services Litigator Olivia Kelman
May 01 2024 - 10:00AM
Business Wire
Mitchell Sandler PLLC, a majority-women-owned and women-managed
law firm focused on financial services and civil litigation,
celebrates its five-year anniversary this month by adding two
industry leaders to its Fair Lending Practice Group. Jon Seward and
Olivia Kelman are joining the firm’s multidisciplinary team of
financial services attorneys and compliance professionals that
advise banks, credit unions, independent mortgage companies and
fintechs on regulatory, enforcement and litigation matters.
With nearly 25 years at the U.S. Department of Justice in the
Civil Rights Division, Seward has a wealth of experience in
evaluating policies and practices by lenders that have resulted in
fair lending investigations and settlements. As a respected civil
rights attorney, Seward built a reputation for being tough but fair
in the dozens of cases he oversaw as Principal Deputy of the
Housing Section. “After leaving the Department, I wanted to find a
platform where I could advise banks and financial service companies
about the community benefits and business opportunities with
expanding access to credit in underserved areas,” said Seward. He
added, “Mitchell Sandler is a leader and trusted advisor in the
industry on fair lending matters, so it was a natural transition
from government practice to private practice with such a reputable
firm.” Seward is joining the firm as Of Counsel.
Kelman joins Mitchell Sandler as a Partner in the firm’s Fair
Lending Practice Group. Prior to joining Mitchell Sandler, Kelman
was a Partner at K&L Gates, where she has served as lead
counsel on high stakes federal court lawsuits and government
investigations of banks and financial service companies. She has
represented clients on pricing, underwriting, redlining and
appraisal bias matters and is a frequent speaker on hot topics in
fair lending litigation and compliance. “The consumer finance
industry is under tremendous pressure from the regulators and
enforcement agencies to employ fair and responsible lending
practices, which has emboldened private litigants to pursue claims
against creditors,” said Kelman. She stated further, “At a time
when banks and mortgage lenders are struggling to stay compliant
and profitable in the current rate environment, I can think of no
firm that is better situated than Mitchell Sandler to help
companies navigate the challenges and opportunities facing the
industry. I look forward to joining this impressive team of
attorneys.” Reflecting on the firm’s unique posture as a
women-managed firm, Kelman stated, “Mitchell Sandler was an
extremely appealing firm based alone on its reputation for
delivering superior legal advice and client service. The fact that
the firm is majority-women-owned and women-managed only adds to the
reasons why this was the right choice for me.”
“We launched Mitchell Sandler in May 2019 with the intent to
provide premium legal services to the financial services industry
with a decidedly different approach to running a law firm – one
that is defined by its culture as well as its capabilities,” said
Managing Partner Andrea Mitchell. She added, “Two years ago, we had
the good fortune to add an industry leading mortgage regulatory
practice and deepen our fair lending and litigation capabilities
with the addition of Daniella Casseres and Ari Karen. With the
latest addition of Jon and Olivia to our roster of lawyers and
compliance professionals, we believe our fair lending team has more
breadth and depth in fair lending compliance, enforcement and
litigation than any law firm in the country.” With the combined
experience of the firm’s Fair Lending Practice Group, Mitchell
Sandler attorneys have worked on more than 100 fair lending cases
over their careers, including many first-of-its-kind claims and
other high-profile matters.
As it enters its sixth year, Mitchell Sandler now has more than
30 lawyers and compliance professionals delivering cost effective
and practical legal services to its more than 250 clients. “One of
the principal reasons Ari and I joined Mitchell Sandler was its
culture and determination to deepen its core capabilities by adding
synergistic regulatory, enforcement and litigation practices,”
noted Daniella Casseres, Mortgage Regulatory Practice Group Leader
and member of the firm’s Management Committee. “We think our
approach to putting the practical needs of our clients and our team
first causes us to stand out and has ensured our continued growth
and success,” she added.
About Mitchell Sandler
Mitchell Sandler is a certified majority-women-owned and
women-managed boutique financial services and civil litigation law
firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. The firm’s financial service
practice groups are comprised of industry-leading lawyers and
compliance professionals with deep experience in the laws and
regulations that govern consumer and commercial lending and banking
products. The firm’s litigation practice group is comprised of
nationally recognized practitioners who represent individuals and
companies in a wide range of financial services, employment and
labor, and general civil litigation matters. The litigation
practice group is augmented with a seasoned team of labor and
employment attorneys who also advise corporate clients on
regulatory and compliance matters. Mitchell Sandler’s attorneys and
compliance professionals have convened from big law, national
consulting firms, government service and in-house positions to
coalesce around a shared vision of firm culture, superior client
service, and efficient delivery of practical legal advice.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240501299184/en/
Andrea Mitchell amitchell@mitchellsandler.com 571-243-0254
Daniella Casseres dcasseres@mitchellsandler.com 914-450-3240