FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:	Kathleen Guerrette-Mitchell
		Executive Director
		Default Attorney Group
		(703-599-3069)

DAG member firm Hughes, Watters & Askanase, L.L.P., facilitates ground-
breaking event with Houston Association of Debtors's Attorneys and the 
Bankruptcy Judiciary
 
HOUSTON, Texas (February 13, 2008)

DAG member firm Hughes, Watters & Askanase, L.L.P, also a member of the American 
Legal & Financial Network "AFN," facilitated a ground-breaking event on January 22, 
2008 at South Texas College of Law. This event, entitled "Strategic Initiative, Consumer 
Chapter 13 Bankruptcies; Building Bridges between the Debtors' Attorneys, the 
Judiciary, the Chapter 13 Trustees and Mortgage Holders / Servicers" was sponsored by 
the Houston Association of Debtors' Attorneys.

The stated goals of the initiative were:

1) To facilitate communication between debtors' attorneys, the judiciary, Chapter 13 
trustees, and the mortgage lenders/servicers, 

2) To provide an historical perspective and discussion of the current state of consumer 
residential mortgage origination and servicing, 

3) To identify the unique issues faced by the debtor, the servicer, the investors, the 
judiciary, and the trustees, and

4) To engage in a joint effort to structure case administration, procedures and forms to 
increase efficiency and communication.  

 Speakers included William M. LeRoy, CEO of American Legal & Financial Network; 
Diane Mitchell, Select Portfolio Servicing; JoAnn Goldman, Select Portfolio Servicing; 
Robin Toothman, Freddie Mac;  William Heitkamp, Chapter 13 Trustee; and David 
Peake, Chapter 13 Trustee. Four of the five Houston Bankruptcy Judges were also in 
attendance. 

About the Default Attorney Group 

The Default Attorney Group is an association of eight law firms and a non-judicial trustee 
who have associated together to offer lenders and servicers a network of excellence in 25 
states.  Committed to professional and ethical representation of the mortgage servicing 
industry, the Group’s members consistently excel in timeline management across all 
default processes, while simultaneously focusing on reducing loss severity through 
innovative loss mitigation programs.  The Group’s sophisticated litigation support is 
maintained by deployment of state-of-the-art technology and integration of systems 
which enhance the efficiencies of their clients.  The managing members are: Berry F. 
Laws III of Martin, Leigh, Laws & Fritzlen, P.C., and Alan Such of the Fein Such Law 
Group, and John Duncan of Pite Duncan, L.L.P..   Other members are:
James P. Bonner of Brock & Scott, P.L.L.C.; Carolyn A. Taylor of Hughes Watters & 
Askanase L.L.P.; Daniel C. Consuegra of the Law Offices of Daniel C. Consuegra;  
Frank J. Veneziano of Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Co., L.P.A.; and Avis Thomas of 
CalWestern.
 
For additional information on the Default Attorney Group visit:  
www.defaultattorneygroup.org