Haley’s practice focuses on financial institution litigation and compliance, internal investigations and white collar criminal defense.

A trial lawyer with a diverse practice and extensive courtroom experience, Haley focuses on obtaining efficient and outstanding results for clients. She regularly represents financial institutions, businesses and individuals in a range of litigation matters, including consumer protection laws, the Bankruptcy Code, civil and criminal government investigations, and regulatory inquiries.

Haley always approaches litigation with trial in mind, providing clients with a practical analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of each case. Her pragmatic approach has achieved full victories for clients in state and federal trial and appellate courts.

Haley uses her comprehensive litigation knowledge and experience to represent a variety of clients, from auto lending, mortgage lending, and credit card-issuing financial institutions accused of violating the Bankruptcy code or state consumer credit protection statutes to businesses and individuals facing civil forfeiture actions or allegations of financial crime and corruption. She also works to minimize clients’ future litigation costs by advising them on compliance with federal and state consumer protection statutes, including preparation and implementation of policies and procedures aimed at consumer compliance.

Prior to joining the firm, Haley served as an Assistant District Attorney for the State of Texas. While there, she prosecuted misdemeanor and felony offenses, serving as lead counsel in over sixty jury trials and numerous bench trials, evidentiary hearings, and dispositive motion hearings.  She also successfully argued several cases before the Fifth District Court of Appeals.

Relevant Experience

• Presented oral argument for client before Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, securing affirmation of earlier trial court win.
• Advised national bank regarding its internal regulation of residential mortgage lenders and brokers and resulting state law implications across the country.
• Developed new auto lending policies and procedures for national bank, including proscriptions for notices of intent, consumer protection, finance charges, interest rates, dealer regulation, payoff practices, borrower correspondence, gap insurance cancelation, retail installment contract requirements, mid-term contract revisions and lien perfection.
• Assisted national auto lending financial institution in responding to civil investigative demands from attorneys general across multiple states.

• Advised auto lending, mortgage lending, and credit card issuing financial institutions on compliance with the Bankruptcy Code, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act and state-specific debt collection compliance statutes.
• Represented national mortgage servicer in Telephone Consumer Protection Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Bankruptcy Code litigation matters.
• Advised financial institution regarding bankruptcy recoupment practices and procedures, as applied to overpayments to borrowers and ungarnished wages.
• Advised national mortgage servicer regarding compliance with Telephone Consumer Protection Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act and related policies and procedures.
• Represented clients in pro bono matters including divorce cases, state law criminal defense and Hague Convention petitions.
• Advised financial institution obtaining licensing for provision of unsecured consumer loans.
• Assisted domestic corporation in overhauling loss prevention policies and procedures, including development of anti-profiling policy and customer bill of rights.
• Advised government contractor regarding voluntary disclosure to Department of Justice to address allegations of kickbacks associated with direct and indirect contracts with the government.

Bar Admissions

Education
JD, SMU Dedman School of Law, 2012BA, Communication, Texas A&M University, 2008