Mortgage Banking Attorney John Levonick Joins Ballard Spahr in NYC

John V. Levonick, a mortgage banking and financial services attorney who focuses on regulatory compliance and emerging technology, has joined Ballard Spahr in the firm's New York City office.

Mr. Levonick applies his nearly 20 years of legal experience to advise clients on how to define, translate, and build business infrastructure around regulatory obligations. He worked for more than 17 years as in-house counsel at technology, auditing, consulting, and mortgage lending firms, in roles that included general counsel, chief compliance officer, and senior regulatory counsel.

Mr. Levonick joins Ballard Spahr as of counsel in the firm's Mortgage Banking Group. With a background in cloud computing and IT governance, he guides mortgage banking and other financial services firms effectively through the ongoing evolution of IT infrastructure regulation as federal and state agencies implement emerging cybersecurity and privacy laws. The Group—part of Ballard Spahr's nationally recognized Consumer Financial Services practice—represents banks and nonbank mortgage lenders as well as brokers, investors, and service providers in transactional, regulatory, and litigation matters. The Group's attorneys have specific experience with emerging technologies in Fintech and payments systems.

Mr. Levonick handles all aspects of mortgage and consumer lending asset origination and servicing, as well as loan purchase and sale transactions, due diligence/third-party review, and loan-level reviews. He advises originators, creditors, servicers, investors, and service and technology providers on vendor management and application configuration, licensing, and service agreements, as well as federal and state examinations. He advises on the risk associated with leveraging emerging technologies and the public cloud, and audits third-party service provider technology for content sufficiency and accuracy.

"John's knowledge and experience at the intersection of financial services, technology, and government regulation positions him perfectly to help clients adapt to—and even anticipate—the rapidly evolving landscape in mortgage banking and other financial services," said John Socknat, Co-Leader of Ballard Spahr's Mortgage Banking Group. "His addition to the New York office and ability to handle the latest emerging issues—such as consumer debt as a digital asset and federal and state cybersecurity regulation and enforcement—will be a tremendous asset in the current fast-paced environment."

"As technology creates an entirely new marketplace for digital assets, the consumer lending industry will face monumental changes in how business is conducted, as well as the ancillary legal considerations that must be addressed," Mr. Levonick said. "Ballard Spahr provides the outstanding resources and strong national platform I need to leverage my focus on and passion for technology, to be at forefront and continue to establish myself as a legal leader in the digital asset marketplace."