People

Jeffrey Hydrick Partner

Washington, D.C.

He has significant experience building strategic alliances between emerging and traditional payments companies, particularly in the mobile payments area, and he frequently advises clients on payment network issues and regulatory issues related to payments.

Prior to joining Orrick, Jeff was a partner at Buckley LLP. He also was counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, where he handled corporate and transactional matters.

Hayden Irwin Associate

Santa Monica

Prior to joining Orrick, Hayden was an associate at Buckley LLP.

Melissa Klimkiewicz Senior Counsel

Washington, D.C.

She frequently assists Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgagees with their program approval efforts, annual recertifications, compliance with and understanding of program rules and self-reporting obligations, audits by the Quality Assurance Division (QAD), inquiries from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) and enforcement actions by the Mortgagee Review Board (MRB). Melissa performs similar work related to the Ginnie Mae, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 184, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA Department) and U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Housing Service loan programs. Her work also includes assisting clients with False Claims Act (FCA)-based risk assessments arising from participation in government lending programs. She represents both mortgage and reverse mortgage/Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) lenders and servicers.

In addition, Melissa’s practice focuses on the mandatory purchase of flood insurance requirements under the Flood Disaster Protection Act, which includes regularly advising lenders and servicers on the ins and outs of the federal banking agencies’, FHA’s and the government sponsored enterprises’ (GSE) flood insurance-related regulations and guidance. She also assists clients with satisfying Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and other regulators’ expectations for providing assistance to consumers impacted by presidentially declared disasters.

Melissa frequently counsels clients in matters arising under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), Truth in Lending Act (TILA), Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA), Mortgage Acts and Practices Rule (MAP), the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act (SAFE) and related state licensing laws, state regulation of real estate brokers and property managers, and a range of other federal and state consumer financial laws impacting lending and servicing.

Melissa has been recognized by The Legal 500 in the Financial Services: Litigation practice area. She is a former Co-Chair (2014-2017) and Co-Vice Chair (2011-2014) of the Housing Finance Subcommittee of the American Bar Association’s Consumer Financial Services Committee. She also is an active member of the Mortgage Bankers Association and National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association.

Prior to joining Orrick, Melissa was senior counsel and a former partner at Buckley LLP. Previously, she was an associate at Howrey LLP and was a law clerk at Buckley Kolar LLP while attending law school.

Joseph Kolar Partner

Washington, D.C.

In addition to closely monitoring the regulatory and enforcement activity of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Joe advises on Federal Housing Administration-insured and Department of Veterans Affairs-guaranteed single-family loan programs, Ginnie Mae guaranteed securities programs and the programs and policies of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as they relate to loan origination, servicing, and secondary market transactions. In addition, Joe frequently represents mortgage lenders and others in negotiating joint ventures, marketing and internet origination agreements, vendor agreements, as well as other contracts used or needed by a wide variety of financial services companies.

He is a member of the Consumer Financial Services Committee of the American Bar Association, where he is a past Co-chair of the Housing Finance and RESPA Subcommittee, and a member of the American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers. Prior to practicing law, Joe worked as a staff member for former U.S. Representative Jim Leach (R-IA).

Joe currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Legal Counsel for the Elderly, which is associated with AARP, and of Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington. He was President of the Kolar Charitable Foundation at Buckley.

John Kromer Partner

Washington, D.C.

John helps clients navigate the complex maze of federal and state laws and regulations. He regularly counsels clients on compliance with regulations issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) as well as examination and enforcement actions by the bureau, federal banking agencies, state regulators and other enforcement agencies. He advises on the laws governing licensing and chartering, usury, advertising, disclosures, privacy, lending and servicing practices, and laws prohibiting unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices (UDAAP).

He advises financial services firms on new product and business line development, including structuring and negotiating commercial relationships, joint ventures and partnership agreements. He also assists financial and strategic purchasers of fintechs and financial services firms on regulatory matters, including due diligence of companies, assets and portfolios, and transactional structuring in light of federal and state licensing and regulatory requirements.

John is recognized by Chambers USA as a leading attorney in the field of Consumer Finance Compliance and has been noted by The Legal 500, in the practice areas of Financial Services Regulation, Cyber Law (including Data Protection and Privacy), and Fintech. He frequently speaks at industry conferences on legal issues affecting consumer finance companies. John is a co-author of a number of publications, including Residential Mortgage Lending: State Regulation Manual; Residential Mortgage Lending: Brokers; Pratt’s State Regulation of Second Mortgages and Home Equity Loans; Mortgage Bankers Guide to Regulatory Compliance and The Law of Electronic Signatures and Records, and has written numerous articles for consumer financial services industry publications.

John is Fellow of the American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers, served on the Advisory Council of the American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators from 1998-2018, was a Board member of the Online Lending Policy Institute from 2016-2021 and is a past Chair of the Housing Finance Subcommittee of the Consumer Financial Services Committee of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association.

Prior to joining Orrick, John was a partner at Buckley LLP. He served as Buckley’s Co-Managing Partner from 2009-2019 and was a member of the firm’s partner board from 2019-2022.

Jon Langlois Partner

Washington, D.C.

He represents banks, nonbanks, fintechs, private equity and other financial services companies in a variety of corporate and transactional matters, particularly those involving residential mortgage and consumer loans, mortgage servicing rights, and servicing and subservicing relationships. He combines practical strategic advice with a deep knowledge of consumer lending and servicing to provide efficient, successful results.

In addition to his transaction practice, Jon assists clients on a wide range of regulatory issues, including compliance with key consumer financial laws, such as the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts and practices (UDAAP), and other consumer protection issues.

Prior to joining Orrick, Jon was a partner at Buckley LLP. While in law school, he was a Legislative Analyst with Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, and a Government Affairs Representative with the American Financial Services Association.

Amanda Lawrence Partner

Washington, D.C.

She is a trusted adviser to and first call in high-stakes litigation and enforcement matters, including government investigations, regulatory examinations, class action and complex litigation, and internal investigations. Her matters include investigations, examinations, and enforcement actions before the CFPB, FTC, federal and state bank regulators and state attorneys general, including defending a leading bank in one of the CFPB’s first enforcement actions—a joint investigation and enforcement action with the FDIC.

Amanda also represents clients in bet the company litigation, including financial institutions and lenders in residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) matters, consumer class actions and other complex civil litigation matters.

Amanda is well versed in all aspects of her clients’ business and is known for providing thoughtful and practical advice. She leverages her experience with litigation and enforcement agencies to stay ahead of regulatory trends impacting the finance and fintech industries. Key among these is data monetization and regulators’ heightened focus on how data is collected, used, stored and transferred. Amanda’s practice started in the cyber and privacy spheres, and today she helps clients manage compliance with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) and Regulation P, the Safeguards Rule, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

Prior to joining Orrick, Amanda was a partner at Buckley LLP, where she was a member of the partner board. She also has an active pro bono practice.

Sasha Leonhardt Partner

Washington, D.C.

Sasha also has substantial experience advising clients on the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), Military Lending Act (MLA), Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA), Truth in Lending Act (TILA), Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), Fair Housing Act (FHA), and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). He advises companies, non-profits and industry associations with consumer privacy issues arising from the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) and Regulation P, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and its Affiliate Marketing Rule and state and federal laws that address data privacy and information security.

In addition to representing clients, Sasha has published numerous articles on various aspects of consumer financial services law and practice, including data privacy, class action litigation, white collar litigation, whistleblower lawsuits and recent trends in regulation and enforcement. He also maintains an active pro bono practice and serves as a member of the Legal Counsel for the Elderly’s Young Lawyers Alliance. A frequent speaker on a variety of legal topics, Sasha has taught at Duke University School of Law and American University Washington College of Law, and was previously a Professorial Lecturer in Law at the George Washington University Law School.

Prior to joining Orrick, Sasha was a partner at Buckley LLP. He also previously served as Deputy Press Secretary to Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley. He is accredited as a Privacy Law Specialist, a Fellow of Information Privacy, a Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM/US), and a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) by the International Association of Privacy Professionals.

Fredrick Levin Partner

Santa Monica; Chicago; San Francisco

In addition, Fredrick has represented corporate and individual clients in a wide array of national and transnational commercial disputes involving contract enforcement, corporate governance, debt collection, intellectual property, mergers and acquisitions, real estate and securities. He also has an active appellate practice and has briefed and argued numerous cases in federal and state courts throughout the U.S.

Fredrick is a frequent author and lecturer on litigation and compliance issues regarding the consumer financial services industry, including on topics such as federal preemption under the Dodd-Frank Act, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) mortgage servicing rules, the CFPB’s proposed arbitration rule, residential mortgage backed securities litigation, management of multi-jurisdictional litigation, enforcement of jury trial waivers and the use of American discovery in support of foreign litigation and damages measurement.

Prior to joining Orrick, Fredrick was a partner at Buckley LLP. He is co-located in the firm’s Chicago office and practices regularly in Illinois and Michigan.

Elizabeth McGinn Partner

Washington, D.C.; New York

In conjunction with this work, she develops policies and procedures, records retention schedules and training materials. A significant part of her practice involves addressing data security breaches, working proactively with clients to prevent such breaches from occurring, and advising clients in responding to regulatory inquiries, investigations and enforcement actions related to privacy, information security and cybersecurity issues. She also assists numerous professional sports teams comply with data privacy concerns, consumer financing laws and payment system issues.

Beth also represents financial institutions, corporations and individuals in a wide range of matters. She advises clients in investigations, examinations and litigation initiated by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), state attorneys general and bank regulatory agencies. She has represented financial institutions in class action litigation concerning federal and state fair lending laws, mortgage fraud, unfair and deceptive trade practices statutes, consumer fraud statutes and consumer privacy laws. She has extensive experience counseling clients in response to federal and state subpoenas and handling all aspects of e-discovery.

Over the course of her career, Beth has represented clients in matters involving simultaneous criminal, civil administrative and congressional proceedings. She has defended clients in matters relating to money laundering compliance issues and investigations and litigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the Department of Treasury, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and various congressional committees, including the U.S. Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, the U.S. House Financial Services Committee and the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Beth has published and spoken on a variety of topics, including privacy, cybersecurity, electronic discovery, vendor management and consumer financial services litigation. She authored the chapter on “Oversight of Compliance and Control Responsibilities” for Navigating the Digital Age – The Definitive Cybersecurity Guide for Directors and Officers. She has been recognized for her work in Cyber Law (Data Protection and Privacy) by Legal 500 since 2013, which describes her as “outstanding on privacy and e-discovery issues,” “able to advise both on the regulatory and litigation sides of problems,” an attorney who "exceeds expectations on response and turnaround times,” “has strong industry knowledge in data security and privacy, and is able to walk the fine line between operational efficiency and regulatory compliance' when developing IT policies.” It also described her as “top notch, incredibly responsive, thoughtful, and provides advice that is both practical and efficient.”

Prior to joining Orrick, Beth was a partner at Buckley LLP where she was Co-chair of the firm’s Privacy, Cyber Risk & Data Security practice and E-discovery Committee. Previously she was an associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. She clerked for Federal Magistrate Judge P. Trevor Sharp of the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina after law school. Beth is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US).

James McGuire Partner

San Francisco

James has deep experience in the full range of consumer financial products, including credit cards, debit cards and deposit accounts – most recently demonstrated in overdraft cases involving “authorize positive, settle negative” transactions. He has also represented plaintiffs seeking declaratory or injunctive relief in lawsuits against state attorneys general and other government officials.

An experienced appellate lawyer, he has argued numerous appeals before numerous federal appellate courts, the California Courts of Appeal and state supreme courts.

Chambers USA recognized James in consumer finance litigation for his “A+ legal mind” and his “very grounded and strategic advice.” He is also recognized by Legal 500 for financial services litigation.

James maintains a robust and diversified pro bono practice and has handled matters involving same-sex spousal benefits, sensible gun legislation and advocacy for the homeless.

Prior to joining Orrick, James was a partner at Buckley LLP. He also was a partner at Morrison Foerster. James also served as a law clerk to the Hon. Eugene A. Wright of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit following law school.

Sarah Meehan Senior Associate

Washington, D.C.

Sarah has an active pro bono practice that includes assisting federal inmates with post-conviction relief and parole, as well as assisting residents with housing-related eviction matters in housing court.

Sarah received her J.D. from the University of Richmond (summa cum laude, Order of the Coif) in 2018. During law school she served as the Manuscripts Editor for the University of Richmond Law Review and was awarded the J. Westwood Smithers Award and the Phillip Cudlipp Medal. She received her B.A. from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2015.

Prior to joining Orrick, Sarah was an associate at Buckley LLP. Prior to joining Buckley, Ms. Meehan clerked for the Honorable Judge Roderick C. Young (then-Magistrate Judge) in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.