
First Vice President & Assistant General Counsel at Washington Mutual Bank
San Francisco Bay Area

First Vice President & Assistant General Counsel at Washington Mutual Bank
San Francisco Bay Area
Summary of Experience:
• Broad experience spanning government, public-interest, large-firm, and in-house legal work – including service at the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and O'Melveny & Myers LLP.
• Over eleven years of focused experience in consumer financial services.
• Published author; engaging and persuasive speaker and writer.
• Prudent, independent, ethical, mature.
Current Responsibilities:
• Support Washington Mutual’s Card Services division (12 million MasterCard and Visa customers; $27 billion in managed receivables).
• Contribute critical perspective and counsel to senior managers and executives, helping the credit card business achieve ambitious performance goals while minimizing legal and reputational risk.
• Cultivate a comprehensive understanding of bank regulation, consumer-protection legislation, credit card lending, and the broader consumer financial services industry, in order to provide accurate and actionable legal advice and protect the bank’s interests in a dynamic competitive environment.
• Provide guidance for functions spanning the entire credit relationship – from the beginning (credit policy, modeling, underwriting), through the middle (customer service, payment processing, disputes), to the end (collections, fraud, asset sales).
• Ensure compliance with regulatory guidance concerning bank safety and soundness.
• Ensure compliance with consumer protection laws and regulations, including:
- Equal Credit Opportunity Act / Regulation B
- Electronic Fund Transfer Act / Reg. E
- Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act / Reg. P
- Fair Credit Billing & Truth in Lending Acts / Reg. Z
- Fair Credit Reporting Act
- Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
- Federal Trade Commission Act
- Telephone Consumer Protection Act
(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; WM; Banking industry)
September 2001 — Present (7 years 1 month)
Positions Held:
Washington Mutual Bank
• First Vice President & Assistant General Counsel: Feb 2007 – present
• First Vice President & Senior Counsel: Jan – Feb 2007
• First Vice President & Legal Counsel: Oct 2005 – Dec 2006
Providian Financial Corp. (acquired Oct. 1, 2005)
• Senior Vice President & Associate General Counsel: Jul 2004 – Sep 2005
• Vice President & Deputy General Counsel: Jul 2003 – Jul 2004
• Legal Counsel: Sep 2001 – Jul 2003
Functional Contributions:
• Collaborate in simplifying and strengthening internal processes and controls to increase efficiency and reduce risk.
• Advise on customer communications, business initiatives, and external transactions through formal Legal & Compliance Review process.
• Support corporate vendor management group in negotiating and drafting contracts.
• Manage consumer and commercial litigation and arbitration.
• Engender trust; foster culture of compliance.
(Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Law Practice industry)
April 1997 — May 2001 (4 years 2 months)
• Managed law firm’s national collection practice.
• Terminated over 80% of the firm’s client relationships.
• Re-engineered collection strategies and procedures.
• Refocused the firm’s marketing; participated in closing major sales.
• Tripled annual revenues from under $3m to over $8m.
• Counseled on legal issues with a hands-on understanding of business realities.
(Non-Profit; 1-10 employees; Political Organization industry)
January 1996 — June 1996 (6 months)
After a spirited campaign, narrowly lost the nomination to represent Utah’s 2nd congressional district.
(Non-Profit; 201-500 employees; Think Tanks industry)
September 1995 — January 1996 (5 months)
Researched and advocated market-oriented approaches to education and training.
(Government Agency; 10,001 or more employees; Legislative Office industry)
January 1995 — May 1995 (5 months)
Organized transition and headed staff for freshman member of the 104th Congress.
(Non-Profit; 1-10 employees; Political Organization industry)
February 1994 — November 1994 (10 months)
Managed a successful challenge to an incumbent member of Congress.
(Non-Profit; 1-10 employees; Political Organization industry)
January 1992 — November 1993 (1 year 11 months)
• Coordinated drafting of Prop. 174, the Parental Choice in Education Initiative.
• Coordinated signature-gathering effort to qualify the initiative for the ballot.
• Promoted passage in interviews, speeches, and debates throughout California.
(Partnership; 1001-5000 employees; Law Practice industry)
October 1990 — December 1991 (1 year 3 months)
Participated in complex litigation involving intellectual property, real estate development, and financial services.
(Non-Profit; 11-50 employees; Law Practice industry)
October 1989 — October 1990 (1 year 1 month)
• Advocated First and Fifth Amendment rights through appellate litigation.
• Submitted amicus curiae briefs to the California and U.S. Supreme Courts.
(Government Agency; 10,001 or more employees; Legislative Office industry)
September 1988 — September 1989 (1 year 1 month)
• Minority Counsel to Subcommittee on Patents, Copyrights & Trademarks, Committee on the Judiciary.
• Advised U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch on legislation and nominations before the Committee.
• Specialized in constitutional law, with some work on intellectual property issues.
Juris Doctor, Law, 1985 — 1988
Cum laude
B.A., English, 1979 — 1984
Magna cum laude
• Treasurer, Windemere Ranch Middle School Education Fund. • Coach, recreational division, San Ramon Soccer Club (2004-present). • Organist for local and regional church congregations (2002-present). • Merit badge counselor for six local scout troops. • Member of board of directors and choir, Utah Chamber Artists (1992-1997). • Instructor, Department of English, Brigham Young University (1987). Taught undergraduate grammar and composition course. • Boatman, Holiday River Expeditions, Green River, Utah (1985-1986). Guided whitewater rafting trips throughout Colorado and Utah. • Missionary, Argentina Buenos Aires South Mission, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1981-1983). Attained fluency in Spanish.
• State Bar of California, 1989-present
• Utah State Bar, 1994-present
• Massachusetts State Bar, 2000-present (inactive status)
• American Bar Association, Section of Business Law: Member, Committees on Banking and Consumer Financial Services; Subcommittees on Debt Collection Practices, Electronic Banking, Payment Systems, Preemption, and Truth in Lending. Presented “Good Debt Gone Bad: FDCPA and Bankruptcy Traps for Unsecured Creditors” at ABA’s annual meeting on August 5, 2006.
• ACA International, the Association of Credit and Collection Professionals: Member, National Legislative Council, 2002-present; Chair, National Legislative Council, 2005-2006; Member, Interstate Collections Committee, 2002-2004; Certified Instructor, 1997-1999.
• Utah State Bar: Member, Government Affairs Committee, 1998-2001.
Sportsmanship award, San Ramon Soccer Club, 2008.