Page 30 Spring 2019 Points of Interest W e are thrilled to welcome RobertFinlayasthenewGeneral Counsel for the California Mortgage Association. Robert, a founding member of Wright, Finlay & Zak law firm in 2002, has an extensive legal background in the real estate mortgage industry, including over 24 years of experience representing loan originators, servicers, and investors in mortgagelitigation. He’sanactivemember of many key mortgage organizations, including the California Mortgage Association (CMA), California Mortgage BankersAssociation(CMBA)andMortgage Bankers Association (MBA). He also has served multiple roles, including president andaboardmember,oftheUnitedTrustees Association (UTA). Through his legal work, Robert has researched, authored, and provided valuable input on many important amicus briefs for the mortgage industry in recent years. Robert also has devoted significant time to legislative issues affecting the mortgage industry. In 2012, as president of the UTA, Robert was actively involved in efforts to protect the interests of the mortgage industry with regard to the California Homeowner’s Bill of Rights. A year later, Robert was named the Chair of theUTA’sLegislativeCommittee,aposition he has held for the past six years. In 2018, Robert worked closely with Mike Belote Robert Finlay Named California Mortgage Association General Counsel He brings over 24 years of experience in mortgage transaction and litigation practice and a strong commitment to serving the industry. by Odell Murry MAI Financial Services, Inc. and other industry lobbyists to lessen the impact of the renewed HOBR bill. While Robert’s legal resume is very impressive, we were just as impressed by his commitment to service to his clients. He says he learned the importance of customerservicefromyearsofworkingasa waiterinrestaurantsfromhighschoolright throughlawschool. Throughthereactions of customers, he received immediate feedbackfromthevalueofgoodcustomer service, and he quickly enjoyed finding waystogotheextramileforhiscustomers. “It helped me be the attorney that I am,” Finlay said. “Those lessons that I learned absolutely have carried over to the philosophy that I and the firm share – that customer service is number one.” It is a philosophy that has served his firm well. When he and others founded Wright, Finlay & Zak in 2002, the firm was just six attorneys, all located in California. It now hassome60attorneysspreadoutbetween offices in other states – Washington, Oregon,Arizona,Nevada,andUtah. Robert sayshisfirm’sexperienceinmultiplestates mayhelphim,asGeneralCounsel,provide association members information about legal changes and trends in the mortgage industryandmortgagelawsinotherstates, as well as California. He also hopes he may be able to use his multi-state connections torecruitadditionalmemberswhooperate in multiple states. Robertisveryawareofthatheistakingover a position that was held by Phil Adleson until Adleson’s passing in 2017. He shares the feelings of all of us at the California Mortgage Association that Phil is sorely missed. Robert only hopes that he can providethesamelevelofserviceandlegal expertise as Phil, and he will do all he can to continue Phil’s legacy. “There’snowayIcouldreplacePhil,”Robert said. “I don’t think there’s an army of lawyers that could replace Phil.” Robert strongly believes his role is not just to represent the California Mortgage Association in the industry and in the public, but to share the information he hasaboutthelegallandscapeofmortgage and lending laws with its members. He says it’s not enough to stay on top of the latest legal developments, but to share that information with CMA members and others in the industry. “I think it’s critical for me to keep tabs on new laws that affect my clients and affect organizations that I’m involved in, as well as new case decisions, and try to put those in plain language for the members so they can understand how this impacts them continued on page 31