Firefly Legal

We have been busy! Jennifer Dlugolecki and I represented the Firefly Legal team and attended The Five Star/Legal League 100 Servicer’s Summit Conference in Dallas, TX at the Hilton Anatole September 5^th – 7^th, 2012, which was a great success. Check out The Five Star to find out more about what they do!

The conference kicked off with guests Mary Matalin and James Carville, who entertained the crowd with witty banter intermixed with discussions on current politics and the effects of the foreclosure crisis. There was no doubt that both Democratic and Republican ideals were communicated through the lively pair.

Following the special guest appearance by Matalin and Carville was a joint conversation with President George W. Bush and the former First Lady Laura Bush. Ed Delgado interviewed the power couple, who answered tough questions on the state of dirty politics, their thoughts on running any political campaigns in the future (Mrs. Bush said no), the ever-present housing crisis and whether or not home ownership is still a part of the American Dream, and their humanitarian and educational efforts. When asked if she planned to pen another book in the future, Mrs. Bush acknowledged that she would like to, much to George’s chagrin.

This year, the Five Star Institute made a great effort to really get the conversations started on tough topics in the mortgage servicing industry by introducing the debate-style round-table session.  Sessions throughout the conference included discussions on the state of Fannie Mae led by Todd Barton, vice president and deputy general counsel of Fannie Mae, which proved to be especially helpful and informative. Conversations on how the industry has adjusted in the wake of “robo-signing,” and how new regulations are changing business were also held. The exhibit hall was filled with vendors who offered a variety of services and products helpful to those in the industry.

Wrapping up the conference was an artistic slideshow highlighting the “firsts” of presidents passed, followed by a high-energy and exciting band that included a special drum performance at its conclusion. The closing keynote speaker was President Bill Clinton, who offered great insight in his speech “Embracing Our Common Humanity,” which focused on improving the state of the nation through uniting, creating a plan, and working together to put it into action. He discussed the US economy and included ideas for finding a way to work through the debt.  Also included in the speech, President Clinton highlighted the humanitarian efforts that the Clinton Foundation has made. He talked about the contributions he has made individually after his presidency and what it meant to be a public servant. Following his speech, Clinton sat down for a more personal conversation, answering questions from Todd Mobraten of Res.Net.

All in all, the Five Star and Legal League 100 conference was a pleasure to attend; entertaining, informative, and essential for anyone involved in the mortgage servicing industry. It allowed us the platform to forge new relationships, network, and join in the conversation that’s always buzzing.

Where will Firefly be flying to next?

• Sept. 13-14^th Minneapolis, MN. Jenn will be representing the Firefly Team solo for the ALA Region 3 Conference
• Sept. 27^th-28^th Atlanta, GA Jenn and I will be attending the ALA – Region 2 Conference

Check out our Facebook page for more pictures!