Nassau County was already one of the top counties in the state suffering excessive mortgage foreclosures when Superstorm Sandy hit last October. In an effort to expand Nassau County Bar Association's mortgage foreclosure legal services and help meet the growing needs in the community, attorneys Kristina Wesch of Albertson and Greg Fishkin of New Hyde Park have joined Gale Berg, NCBA director of pro bono attorney Activities, to help take NCBA's Mortgage Foreclosure Pro Bono Project services to the next level, it was announced today by NCBA president Marian Rice.
"As we reach the six month mark, we are seeing that residents harmed by Superstorm Sandy are increasingly facing mortgage foreclosure issues, so the need for legal assistance is more important than ever," said NCBA president Marian Rice. "We are fortunate to have funding through the New York State Attorney General Homeownership Protection Program to be able to expand our services to assist more families."
NCBA was the first bar in the state to address the mortgage foreclosure crisis, launching the Mortgage Foreclosure Pro Bono Project in 2008 to provide free legal assistance to help Nassau homeowners stave off foreclosure on their homes. Monthly clinics have been held since March, 2009, and pro bono attorneys have represented homeowners at court mandated settlement conferences since 2010. To date, more than 200 attorneys have stepped forward to provide valuable and much-needed service to more than 5,300 families.
NCBA's Mortgage Foreclosure Pro Bono Program has won top awards for outstanding bar association public service and law-related educational programs from the National Association of Bar Executives (NABE), an affiliate of the American Bar Association, as well as from the New York State Bar Association and New York Law Journal.
Wesch, was hired as the director of Pro Bono Outreach and Education. Previously, she was employed at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer and Feld, LLP in its Financial Restructuring group in the New York City office. She has been an active volunteer with NCBA's mortgage foreclosure and Sandy Recovery clinics. Kristina received her law degree from St. John's University School of Law.
Greg Fishkin was hired as the Settlement Conference/ Sandy Relief Coordinator. He was previously employed at the Nassau Supreme Court in the Law Department and Foreclosure Settlement Conference Part. He earned his law degree from the University of Miami School of Law. Tags: