Deputy General Counsel for the Mortgage Enforcement Litigation Division

City of New York•New York City, NY

About The Position

About the Agency: The New York City Department of Housing Preservation Development (HPD) promotes quality and affordability in the city's housing, and diversity and strength in the city’s neighborhoods because every New Yorker deserves a safe, affordable place to live in a neighborhood they love. - We maintain building and resident safety and health - We create opportunities for New Yorkers through housing affordability - We engage New Yorkers to build and sustain neighborhood strength and diversity. HPD is entrusted with fulfilling these objectives through the goals and strategies of “Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness,” Mayor Adams’ comprehensive housing framework. To support this important work, the administration has committed $5 billion in new capital funding, bringing the 10-year planned investment in housing to $22 billion the largest in the city’s history. This investment, coupled with a commitment to reduce administrative and regulatory barriers, is a multi-pronged strategy to tackle New York City’s complex housing crisis, by addressing homelessness and housing instability, promoting economic stability and mobility, increasing homeownership opportunities, improving health and safety, and increasing opportunities for equitable growth. Your Team: Within HPD’s Office of Legal Affairs (OLA) the Mortgage Enforcement Litigation Division (MELD) handles complex legal issues relating to defaults on HPD loans, including mortgage foreclosures, workouts, and other collections and enforcement actions. Your Role: You will supervise and manage complex legal work in the areas under MELD’s jurisdiction. As a Deputy General Counsel (DGC), you will be a senior legal advisor to the agency on mortgage enforcement and related matters. You will lead, support, and train a team of talented lawyers and support staff. You will provide legal advice and strategic guidance to senior agency staff. You will report to the General Counsel. Your Responsibilities: The DGC for MELD handles complex legal issues relating to defaults on HPD loans, including mortgage foreclosures, workouts, and other collections and enforcement actions. The DGC is responsible for and supervises all attorneys and support staff who are responsible for the following:

Requirements

Admission to the New York State Bar; and four years of recent full-time responsible, relevant, satisfactory legal experience subsequent to admission to any bar, eighteen months of which must have been in the supervision of other attorneys, in an administrative, managerial or executive capacity, or performing highly complex and significant legal work.
Incumbents must remain Members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment.

Nice To Haves

Substantial mortgage enforcement experience involving multifamily properties including, but not limited to, default-related legal experience such as foreclosure, bankruptcy, and related litigation.
Excellent writing, legal research, and analytic skills, and attention to detail.
Experience managing and supervising attorneys and other professionals.
Ability to review and analyze proposed legislation and rules and digest impacts on the agency
Ability to liaise with the New York City Law Department on litigations.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
Familiarity and experience with Federal, State and City laws and rules relating to mortgage enforcement.
Ability to work independently or as a part of a team.

Responsibilities

Review, analyze and prepare cases for mortgage foreclosure and for the filing and enforcement of relocation liens under the New York City Administrative Code.
Draft and file mortgage foreclosure pleadings and review and draft legal briefs and memoranda on complex legal issues involving mortgage foreclosures and the defense and foreclosure of relocation liens that have significant legal implications for HPD and the City.
Communicate the City’s position with respect to relocation liens with title companies, owners’ attorneys, and members of the public.
Negotiate monetary recovery of the relocation liens with owners, their attorneys, and title companies and manage the overall settlement of relocation liens.
Advise HPD program personnel on the validity of relocation liens and members of the New York City Law Department on case law and litigation strategies when a relocation lien must be foreclosed.
Draft court orders for the renewal and redocketing of relocation liens to extend their statutory duration under the appropriate provisions of the lien law and the New York City Administrative Code.
Review, analyze, and prepare cases for mortgage foreclosure and enforcement of mortgage loan agreements.
Research relevant statutes, rules, regulations, and relevant case law to resolve problems and issues and properly prepare for litigation.
Obtain all necessary approvals from Corporation Counsel, Mayor’s Office, and Comptroller’s Office on foreclosure litigation and transactions.
Conduct negotiations on foreclosure matters and advise HPD program staff whether cases should be litigated or settled.
Review and analyze relevant legislation that may impact the agency in the areas overseen by MELD.