Rachel M. Dollar

Office	Northern California
Phone	707.522.1100 ext 1108
Fax	707.522.1101
Email	rdollar@smithdollar.com

Biography

Ms. Dollar is a Certified Mortgage Banker, a Certified Financial Crimes Investigator and a recognized expert on mortgage fraud. Ms. Dollar represents lending institutions and investors in mortgage banking related matters including:

Litigation of regulatory and disclosure law violations including RESPA and TILA
Lender liability litigation defense
Servicing related litigation including actions involving contested foreclosures and evictions after foreclosure
Litigation of mortgage fraud and related actions including causes of action based in Federal RICO, broker bond and fidelity bond claim and appraiser and settlement agent errors & omissions policy claim litigation
Title and closing protection letter claims and litigation
Repurchase litigation
Mortgage banking related real estate litigation
Mortgage insurance claim and rescission litigation
Drafting of standard documents such as escrow instructions, broker agreements and internal policies and procedures

Ms. Dollar’s clients have included insurance companies, major banks, mortgage lenders, secondary market investors and other financial service companies. She has been involved in the discovery, investigation, resolution and litigation of most of the large-scale mortgage fraud schemes in play across the country over the past several years.

Ms. Dollar has developed a reputation as one of the foremost innovators and thought leaders in the real estate finance industry and has been widely quoted in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times and other publications. She was recognized in 2005, 2006 and 2007 by Inman News as one of the 100 Most Influential Real Estate Leaders. She is a nationally recognized speaker on the topics of mortgage banking and mortgage fraud, has testified before Congress and has appeared on CNN, CBS News and other radio and television programs.

She is the editor of the acclaimed public industry website, Mortgage Fraud Blog, recognized in 2007 as Most Innovative Real Estate Blog. Ms. Dollar is an author of Protect Yourself from Real Estate and Mortgage Fraud the first full scope mortgage fraud book released by a major publisher (Kaplan Publishing, August 2007.)

Ms. Dollar is also a licensed California real estate and mortgage broker.

Bar admissions

All California State Courts including California Supreme Court
United States District Court, Northern District of California
United States District Court, Eastern District of California
United States District Court, Central District of California
United States District Court, Southern District of California
United States District Court, District of Colorado

Multiple state and federal pro hac vice admissions

Education

Newport University, School of Law, J.D.

Professional associations and memberships

International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators
Fellow, American College of Mortgage Attorneys
Media Committee, CMB Society, 2008-2009
Quality Control Leadership Committee, Mortgage Bankers Association, 2008-2009
MORPAC Committee, 2008-2009
President, Sonoma County Bar Association, 2007
Chair, MBA Appraisal Outreach Task Force, 2007
California Real Estate and Mortgage Broker
Association of Financial Crimes Investigators
Mortgage Bankers Association
California Mortgage Bankers Association

Publications and Presentations

Congressional Testimony - February 10, 2008 - "Foreclosure Aftermath: Preying on Senior Homeowners"; Senate Special Committee on Aging
Protect Yourself from Real Estate and Mortgage Fraud, Rachel Dollar and Ralph Roberts with Joe Kraynak, Kaplan Publishing, August 2007
Mortgage Fraud Blog, 2004-2009

Please contact Smith Dollar PC for CV if interested in Ms. Dollar's prior speaking engagements

Awards and designations

Certified Financial Crimes Investigator
Certified Mortgage Banker
2004-2007 Inman News Top 100 Most Influential Real Estate Leaders
2007 Inman News Most Innovative Real Estate Blog