Brett J. Natarelli

The value of Brett's counseling comes from both his knowledge of the letter of the law and his understanding of how the law intersects with the operational and management realities of consumer and mortgage lending. His advice is not theoretical or esoteric but grounded in what will actually work for each client, what will best protect their interests, and what will minimize current and future compliance concerns.

As a seasoned litigator, Brett has substantial experience successfully defending his clients in consumer class actions, complex contested mortgage foreclosures, and investigations and enforcement actions by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, state licensing and other regulatory authorities. His efforts and approaches often lead to early resolutions that spare his clients the cost, disruption, and exposure of protracted litigation.

Brett has been involved in litigation and/or compliance-related matters relating to a wide range of state and federal consumer protection statutes and regulations. These include the CFPB and Dodd-Frank Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and the Mortgage Servicing Rule, the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA), the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) including Section 8, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA), the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and TRID, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), the Fair Housing Act (FHA), and CARES Act and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Brett has also handled matters involving data privacy, vendor management, unfair, deceptive or abusive practices, UDAP and UDAAP). Brett is well-versed regarding the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA), E-Sign, and notarizations (including traditional, in-person electronic, in-person remote, remote online, and remote tangible notarization).

He has handled many high-stakes, high-value actions, including assisting in the defense of multiple bank defendants in suits by the successor to the country’s largest private purchaser of mortgage loans seeking repurchase and indemnification arising out of the sale of billions of dollars in mortgage loans into residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS).

Brett is a prolific and popular author of articles, books, and other works regarding consumer finance and mortgage lending compliance matters. Among his many credits, he is the co-editor of and a contributing author to PLI's Consumer Financial Services Handbook, one of the leading treatises in the field of consumer finance. For more than ten years, he has been a member of the Board or active committee co-leader with the Illinois Mortgage Bankers Association.