Eric North / Attorney, Moore, Brewer, Wolfe, Jones, Tyler, & North

Eric North is an attorney who has represented the interests of credit unions for more than thirty years. His areas of expertise include compliance, privacy, corporate, collections and bankruptcy matters. Eric is admitted to practice before the courts of the State of California, the United States District Courts in Northern, Eastern, Central and Southern districts of California, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal, but has also appeared in other federal courts by special permission of those courts. Prior to becoming an attorney, Eric worked within the consumer finance industry in management, and in lending, collections, and operations departments.

In addition to practicing law, Eric spends a significant portion of his time providing training for credit unions and their attorneys with respect to legal issues. Through his separate business “NorthLegal Training and Publications,” Eric has worked closely with CUNA and other state and local credit union associations, to present local programs like this one, frequent “NorthLegal Webinars” conducted online, and annual conferences such as the NorthLegal Collections Conference and the NorthLegal Bankruptcy Conferences.

Art Sookazian / President of National Credit Union Collections Alliance (NCUCA)

Art Sookazian serves as the Vice President of Special Services and Risk Management for Los Angeles Federal Credit Union (LAFCU). In addition, he is the President of the National Credit Union Collections Alliance (NCUCA). The NCUCA is a nationwide collections organization for credit unions providing networking, best practices, and educational services. He oversees collections, recoveries, litigation, repossessions, and remarketing at LAFCU. He has twenty years of experience in collections at both captive finance and credit union industries. Art has worked at some of the leading captive finance companies including Toyota Financial Services, Lexus Financial Services, and Isuzu Motors Acceptance Corp. Prior to his time at Los Angeles Federal Credit Union, Art served as the Vice President of Collections at Xceed Financial Credit Union. Art has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from The University of Virginia. In 2016, Art was awarded the CU Times Trailblazer 40 Below award for his success overseeing collections programs at credit unions while forming the NCUCA.

Bruce A. Pearson / Senior Partner, SW&M

Bruce Pearson is a senior partner at the law offices of Styskal, Wiese & Melchione, LLP (“SW&M”). SW&M has been involved in the financial institution movement since 1936 when its founding partners began practicing law. Bruce has over twenty-four years of experience representing the industry. He provides clients with results oriented, practical and strategic legal and business advice focusing upon corporate governance, insurance coverage, operations and regulatory matters. Bruce’s past credit union work experience provides the firm’s clients with a valuable “in the trenches” perspective.

Bruce received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Illinois where he majored in Russian, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and graduated Cum Laude in 1985. While working for a credit union, he attended Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1992. He is licensed to practice in the state of Arizona, California, New York, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

Bruce is a frequently requested speaker and teacher at credit union industry meetings and events; he is on the faculty of Western CUNA Management School and regularly trains senior management and volunteers on fiduciary duties and responsibilities, vendor contract negotiations and is a main speaker at SW&M’s annual legal update seminars.

Alana Anaya, Esq. / Anaya Law Group

Alana B. Anaya, Esq. is the principal/owner of Anaya Law Group located in Westlake Village, California. Ms. Anaya has proudly been representing Credit Unions throughout California since 1998 for all of their collection, real estate and contractual needs. The firm’s focus areas are collection, real estate and bankruptcy matters on behalf of creditors. The firm also provides business and legal guidance to its Credit Union clients.

Alana Anaya, Esq. and her associates at the firm have extensive knowledge and experience in all aspects of collection and post judgment remedies. They also have ample experience in business, real estate and bankruptcy litigation.

Ms. Anaya has given numerous presentations at educational seminars focusing in on collections and bankruptcy. She has prepared written educational materials on the topic of collection, bankruptcy, lending and real estate that have been utilized by educational seminar groups.

Her firm has also established important legal precedents in our legal system benefitting Credit Unions and creditor’s rights. Aside from the legal practice, Anaya Law Firm believes in giving back to the community and is a founding member and participant of a growing non-profit organization that provides ongoing educational training and mentoring to at-risk children in low socio-economic areas of Los Angeles.

Thomas J. Prenovost, Jr. / Managing Principal Attorney

Education:

• Loyola Law School (Los Angeles), Juris Doctor Degree, 1977
• University of California, Los Angeles, Graduate Studies in Architecture and Urban Planning, 1973-1974
• California State University, Long Beach, Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science/Public Administration, “Cum Laude”, 1972

Practice Areas:

• Automobile Law & Dealership
• Banking Law/ Commercial Litigation
• Creditor’s Bankruptcy Law
• Civil Litigation
• Commercial Litigation
• Corporate Law
• Credit Unions
• Financial Institutions
• Real Estate Law

Admitted To Practice In:

• United States Supreme Court
• California Supreme Court
• All California Courts of Appeal
• All Federal, State and Bankruptcy Courts in California

Professional Profile:

• Managing Principal of Prenovost, Normandin, Bergh, & Dawe (1984-Present)
• Director – California Credit Union Collectors Council – Orange County Chapter (2012-2017)
• Director – California Domestic Water Company (2015 – present)
• Top 100 Irish Attorney in U.S.A. (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)
• Planning Commissioner for the City of Brea (1998-2013)
• Parks & Recreation Commissioner, City of Brea (1996-1998)
• Served on the Board of Governors for Loyola Law School (1995)
• Served on the Board of the St. Vincent de Paul Society (1996)
• Associate Professor at Chapman University (1977-1983)
• Founder (2000) and President (2010-2012) of the Celtic Bar Association of Orange County
• Speaker on various topics, including “Current Legal Issues” and “Update on Legal Lending Issues” at California Bankers and Lenders Conference
• Brea-Olinda High School Football Booster President (1994-1999)
• Member of American Bar Association, Orange County Bar Association, Debt Collection, Bankruptcy and Real Estate Sections, Community Bankers of California, California Bankers Association, American Financial Services Association, Mortgage Bankers Association of America, and Trial Lawyers Association of America
• Member of the California Association of REALTORS® (“C.A.R.”) Attorney Referral Panel (2006 to present)
• Expert Witness
• California Licensed Real Estate Broker
• Judge Pro-Tem, Orange County Superior Court (1983-1988)

Karel Rocha

Education:

• University of San Diego, California, Juris Doctor, 2000
• University of California, San Diego, CA., Bachelor of Arts Degree, Sociology with a minor in Spanish Literature, 1997

Practice Areas:

• Civil Litigation
• Banking Law/ Commercial Litigation
• Collection
• Bankruptcy
• Real Estate Law
• Title Insurance Defense
• Mortgage Banking Law
• Escrow Defense

Admitted To Practice In:

• All United States District and State Courts in California

Professional Profile:

• Mr. Rocha is a Member of State Bar of California, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Orange County Bar Association, and the Hispanic Bar Association of Orange County.
• Mr. Rocha became a Principal at Prenovost, Normandin, Bergh & Dawe in January 2015 and represents credit unions, escrow companies, banks and financial institutions in all manner of civil litigation, including consumer finance and real estate matters, and compliance.
• Over the last sixteen years, Mr. Rocha has successfully handled court and jury trials throughout the State of California in the fields of real estate, consumer finance contract enforcement, auto dealer and auto finance defense, contractual disputes and personal injury on behalf of individuals and corporate clients.
• He has also been a panelist speaker at various seminars throughout the State relating to consumer finance litigation and compliance (FDCPA, TCPA, Rosenthal Act, Rees-Levering Act, CFPB), bankruptcy law, escrow law, and real estate matters.

Jennifer Smith / Senior Counsel at Buchalter

Jennifer Smith focuses her practice primarily on representing financial institutions and corporate clients, specializing in pre- and post-judgment remedies, workouts, and general business-related matters. Ms. Smith is also experienced in unlawful detainer prosecution and defense, and in defending worker’s compensation/ Labor code 132a claims. She is counsel to more than 70 credit unions throughout California.

Ms. Smith is on the Executive Board of the Fashion Industries Guild of Cedars-Sinai. Ms. Smith also serves on the Board of Directors for the California Credit Union Collector’s Council, North Los Angeles Chapter. She speaks regularly at various credit union chapter meetings and conferences on issues of Rees-Levering, vehicle lien laws, garageman’s liens, Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (Federal and State), indirect and direct loans, and California’s anti-deficiency laws. Ms. Smith also speaks on the enforcement of judgments. Additionally, she presents educational seminars for attorneys on Judgment Debtor Examinations, Writs of Possession, and Writs of Attachment. Ms. Smith co-authored, “When Should You File a Form 1099-C?” Points & Authorities, 2000.

Valerie Bantner Peo / Attorney at Buchalter

Valerie Bantner Peo has a broad commercial practice with significant experience at the trial and appellate levels in bankruptcy, federal, and state court, as well as mediation. She has represented financial institutions, manufacturers, airports, landlords, and trustees in state and federal court, and in all aspects of bankruptcy reorganization and liquidation, including lease assumptions and rejections, plan confirmation, claim disputes, fraudulent transfers, and preference liability.

Ms. Bantner Peo served as a clerk for the Honorable Edward D. Jellen, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California.

In 2016, Ms. Bantner Peo was one of The International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation’s (IWIRC) 2016 “Rising Star” award finalists and was featured in their IWIRC Connection’s Member Spotlight.