Professional Activities
American Bar Association, Consumer Financial Services Committee
Atlanta Bar Association
Master, The Lamar American Inn of Court, affiliated with Emory University School of Law
Recognition & Accomplishments
The Best Lawyers in America, banking and finance litigation, commercial litigation, 2013
Recognized as a "Georgia Super Lawyer" for business litigation, 2012
Named a "Super Lawyers Rising Star," 2009-2011
Benchmark Litigation litigation star in Georgia, 2010
Publications
"The Industry Reacts: The CFPB Needs Our Help," Reverse Review Magazine, September 2012
Co-author, "Advertising Review Redux," Reverse Review Magazine, July/August 2012
Co-author, "The Problem with the DOJ's Case against GFI Mortgage," Law360, April 10, 2012
Co-author, "Reverse Mortgage Documentation: Learning the Lessons from Forward Mortgage Foreclosures," Reverse Review Magazine, March 2012
Co-author, "Preparing for the New Challenges of Fair Lending," Bloomberg Law Reports, February 24, 2012
"CFPB Focus: Consumer Protection Or Consumer Complaints?" Law360, December 12, 2011
"It May Take Two to Tango Under RESPA," Law360, October 31, 2011
Co-author, "Reverse Mortgage Regulation in the New World After Dodd-Frank," Reverse Review Magazine, January 2012
"UDAP Class Actions and the Foreclosure Crisis—Potential Theories of Recovery and Defenses to Liability," Practising Law Institute, 2011
"What Is an Attorney General's Burden of Proof? Evidentiary Requirements in UDAP Actions Brought by State Attorneys General," Practising Law Institute, 2010
"Nuts and Bolts of Rescission under TILA," Review of Banking & Financial Services, 2010
"Fair Lending Class Actions: An Analysis of Class Certification Issues," Review of Banking & Financial Services, 2009
Speaking Engagements
Mr. Willis regularly speaks at national-level seminars on topics relating to consumer financial services litigation, such as unfair and deceptive trade practices litigation, the Truth in Lending Act, and mortgage lending litigation. Recent presentations include:
"Auto Finance Industry in the CFPB's Crosshairs," Ballard Spahr webinar, April 16, 2013
"The CFPB's Proposed Rule Defining Larger Participants in the Student Loan Servicing Market," Ballard Spahr webinar, April 1, 2013
"HUD's FHA 'Discriminatory Effects' Final Rule – What It Means for Fair Lending Litigation and Enforcement," Ballard Spahr webinar, March 27, 2013
Panelist, "Creditors, Collectors, and Debt Buyers Beware: What the FTC's Debt Buying Study Means for the Consumer Financial Services Industry," Ballard Spahr webinar, February 21, 2013
Panelist, "Defending Against and Obtaining Insurance Coverage for CFPB and Other Governmental Investigations," Ballard Spahr webinar, February 13, 2013
Panelist, "Ready or Not, Here Comes the CFPB," 16th Annual DBA International Conference, Las Vegas, February 7, 2013
Panelist, "The Impact of the D.C. Circuit Court NLRB Ruling on the CFPB," Ballard Spahr webinar, February 4, 2013
Moderator, "Regulatory and Enforcement Roundtable Part II: The View from State Agencies and Attorneys General on New and Emerging Initiatives," 15th National Conference on Consumer Finance Class Actions & Litigation, New York, February 1, 2013
Panelist, "The CFPB and Consumer Finance Litigation: Preparing for New and Emerging Regulatory Priorities, an Increase in Enforcement Actions, and Enhanced Oversight and Heightened Scrutiny of Financial Institutions and Nonbank ‘Larger Participants,’ Including Debt Collection Agencies," 15th National Conference on Consumer Finance Class Actions & Litigation, New York, January 31, 2013
Panelist, "The CFPB Has Thrown Down the Fair Lending Gauntlet! Part II in a Ballard Spahr Webinar Series on the CFPB Education Loan Examination Procedures," Ballard Spahr webinar, January 16, 2013
Panelist, "The CFPB Will Not Be Grading on a Curve! Part I in a Ballard Spahr Webinar Series on the CFPB Education Loan Examination Procedures," Ballard Spahr webinar, January 15, 2013
Panelist, "Happy Anniversary Director Cordray: A Look Back at the Highlights of the CFPB Director’s First Year and What To Expect During 2013," Ballard Spahr webinar, January 9, 2013
Panelist, "The CFPB's Amicus Program: Its Implications and Potential Impact," Ballard Spahr webinar, November 21, 2012
Panelist, "A Deep Dive into the CFPB Debt Collection Examination Procedures," Ballard Spahr webinar, November 20, 2012
Panelist, "What Debt Collectors, Debt Buyers, and Collection Lawyers Need To Know About the CFPB Larger Participant Rule and CFPB Exams," Ballard Spahr webinar, November 6, 2012
Panelist, "Ballard Spahr's CFPB Election Scorecard," Ballard Spahr webinar, November 2, 2012
"Culture Change – Managing Customer Experience," Financial Services Collections Credit Risk Conference, October 25, 2012
Panelist, "Ready or Not – CFPB Examinations," NARCA 2012 Fall Collection Conference, October 19, 2012
Panelist, "Board of Directors and Management Involvement in Consumer Compliance and Consumer Risk," Ballard Spahr webinar, October 15, 2012
Panelist, "Fair Lending Lessons from the DOJ's Settlement with GFI," Ballard Spahr webinar, October 10, 2012
Panelist, "Preparing for the CFPB," Association of Consumer Vehicle Lessors (ACVL) Lessor Legal Committee Meeting, October 1, 2012
Panelist, "How To Respond to CFPB Civil Investigative Demands," Ballard Spahr webinar, August 29, 2012
Panelist, 2012 Dodd-Frank Webinar Series, "Part 2: The New Age of the Whistleblower," October Research LLC, August 23, 2012
Panelist, "The CFPB Report on Private Student Loans and Its Implications for Examinations and Enforcement Actions," Ballard Spahr and Navigant Consulting webinar, August 22, 2012
Panelist, "Your Questions about CFPB Answered," American Collectors Association International, August 16, 2012
Panelist, "The Top 10 Ways To Get in Trouble with the CFPB," Ballard Spahr webinar, August 14, 2012
Panelist, "The CFPB Turns One: A Look Back and a Look Ahead," American Bar Association Annual Meeting, Business Law Section, August 3, 2012
Moderator, "Regulatory and Enforcement Roundtable Part I: The View from Federal Agencies on New and Emerging Initiatives," and Panelist, "Fair Lending: Managing and Defending Against Claims of Discriminatory Lending and Assessing the Status of 'Disparate Impact' in Lending Litigation and Enforcement," American Conference Institute's 14th National Conference on Consumer Finance Class Actions & Litigation, July 31, 2012
Panelist, "Part 1: CFPB's Supervision of Loan Originations," 2012 Dodd-Frank Webinar Series, October Research LLC webinar, July 26, 2012
Panelist, "The One-Year Anniversary of the CFPB: A Look Back and a Look Forward," Ballard Spahr webinar, July 23, 2012
"Avoiding Fair Lending Scrutiny in the Dodd-Frank Era," Mortgage Mastery Series interview, Abacus Mortgage Training and Education, June 2012
Panelist, "Service Provider Relationships in the CFPB Era, Safeguarding Yourself from Regulatory Liability," Ballard Spahr webinar, June 20, 2012
Panelist, "The Fate of Mortgage Fee Mark-Ups: After Freeman v. Quicken Loans," Ballard Spahr webinar, June 18, 2012
Panelist, "Beyond the Numbers: The Impact to the Industry of the Multistate/National Mortgage Settlement, Parts IV and V, Third-Party Vendor Management: Oversight and Liability Monitoring, and Reporting: The Continuing Evolution of the Servicing Standards," Ballard Spahr webinar, June 12, 2012
Panelist, "The Explosion in Residential Mortgage Litigation: What Explains the Recent Trends and Spike in Filings," Ballard Spahr webinar, May 30, 2012
Panelist, "Update on Privilege in the Litigation and Regulatory Process," Mortgage Bankers Association’s Legal Issues and Regulatory Compliance Conference, May 20, 2012
Panelist, "Whistleblower Claims and Qui Tam Lawsuits: The Latest Assault on the Consumer Financial Services Industry," Ballard Spahr webinar, May 14, 2012
Panelist, "Staying Off the Regulatory Radar: Handling Complaints to Minimize Examination and Enforcement Risk," Ballard Spahr webinar, May 8, 2012
Panelist, "From UDAP to UDAAP – UDAAP Front and Center," American Bankers Association Risk Management Forum, May 4, 2012
Panelist, "Beyond the Numbers: The Impact to the Industry of the Multistate/National Mortgage Settlement, Part III, Enforcement Actions and Litigation: FHA, AGs, CFPB and Beyond," Ballard Spahr webinar, April 24, 2012
Panelist, "The Way Forward – Fair Lending and Disparate Impact Analysis after the Dismissal of Magner v. Gallagher," Ballard Spahr webinar, April 19, 2012
Panelist, "CFPB Exams for Mortgage Companies," Ballard Spahr webinar, April 18, 2012
Panelist, "The Industry’s Reaction to the CFPB’s First Nine Months" and "Hot Litigation Topics," Minnesota State Bar Association’s Ninth Annual Banking Law Institute, April 16, 2012
"Ready or Not: Preparing for a CFPB Examination," ACA International teleseminar, April 12, 2012
Panelist, "Beyond the Numbers: The Impact to the Industry of the Multistate/National Mortgage Settlement, Part II, Data, Documentation and Enhanced Consumer Interactions: The Challenges of Implementing the New Servicing Standards," Ballard Spahr webinar, April 11, 2012
Panelist, "Mortgage Litigation," Practising Law Institute’s 17th Annual Consumer Financial Services Institute, April 9, 2012
Panelist, "Beyond the Numbers: The Impact to the Industry of the Multistate/National Mortgage Settlement, Part I, Identifying and Prioritizing the New Servicing Standards," Ballard Spahr webinar, April 4, 2012
Panelist, "What Does the Multistate/National Settlement Mean to the Mortgage Industry?" Ballard Spahr webinar, March 6, 2012
Panelist, "Fair Lending and Other Compliance Issues," Institute of Continuing Education in Georgia's Seminar on Banking and Finance Law, February 17, 2012
"The Meaning of Richard Cordray’s Appointment as Director of the CFPB," Ballard Spahr webinar, January 18, 2012
Panelist, "The Next Billion-Dollar Issue—Documentation in Non-Mortgage Collections: Preventive Measures," Ballard Spahr webinar, January 12, 2012
"Consumer Lending – Will Documentation Issues Affect Non-Mortgage Lending?" Ballard Spahr webinar, November 22, 2011
Moderator, "Consumer Finance Class Actions and Litigation," in-house counsel roundtable, American Conference Institute's Conference on Consumer Finance Class Actions and Litigation, Orlando, October 27-28, 2011
Panelist, "Recent Trends and Developments in eDiscovery for the Financial Industry," Ballard Spahr webinar, October 13, 2011
Moderator, "Consumer Finance Class Actions and Litigation," State and Federal Regulatory Roundtable Panel, American Conference Institute's Conference on Consumer Finance Class Actions and Litigation, Chicago, July 27-28, 2011
"Strategies for Examining and Handling Whistleblower and Retaliation Claims Panel," American Conference Institute's Advanced Forum on Whistleblower Enforcement and Compliance, New York, March 2011
Panelist, Class Action Developments and UDAP panel, Practising Law Institute's Consumer Financial Services Litigation Institute, New York and Chicago, February and April 2011
Panelist, Arbitration and Dodd-Frank panels, American Conference Institute's Conference on Consumer Finance Class Actions and Litigation, New York, January 27-28, 2011
"UDAP Litigation Against Financial Institutions on the Rise: Defense Strategies for Individual, Class Action and State AG Enforcement Actions," Strafford Publications Webinar, November 30, 2010
Moderator, In-House Counsel Roundtable on Mortgage Lending Litigation, American Conference Institute's Forum on Residential Mortgage Litigation Regulatory Enforcement, October 2010
Guest on the KUCI radio show "Privacy Piracy," discussing information security, privacy, and identity theft issues, September 13, 2010
"State Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Litigation," Practising Law Institute's Consumer Financial Services Institute, February and April 2010
"Truth in Lending Act Litigation," American Conference Institute's Conference on Consumer Finance Class Actions & Litigation, January 2010
"Mortgage Lending Litigation," Practising Law Institute's Consumer Financial Services Litigation Institute, 2008 and 2009
Presenter at numerous in-house seminars for clients, including Recent Developments in Consumer Financial Services, Reasonable Investigations Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Closed-End Mortgage Loan Disclosure under the Truth in Lending Act, Securities Litigation Risk Areas for Public Companies, and Protecting the Attorney-Client Privilege
Board Memberships
Zoo Atlanta, Board of Directors
Member, Facilities Committee