Powell Goldstein's state and municipal practice group offers government relations clients effective and innovative solutions to legislative challenges. Our team concentrates in legislative, regulatory and public policy advocacy, serving a wide range of national and multi-national corporations and state and municipal governmental agencies and authorities. We represent clients facing state and municipal practice problems, as well as federal funding or regulatory issues. We monitor legislative and regulatory activities for our clients and shape our actions accordingly.

Because of the complexity, the necessary governmental affairs strategy for the Association will be complex and involve multiple disciplines.

Joel Williams and Greg Worthy, supported by other lawyers and various specialized practice areas comprise a regulatory legislative team. They represent a combination of regulatory litigation and corporate talents. Collectively, they bring diverse backgrounds to the team, including government enforcement work, lobbying and legislative affairs experience, corporate finance work and dealing with regulatory issues from the perspective of the Mortgage Association. This team will combine its legislative talents with the depth and knowledge provided by our real estate financial group and banking practice group to effectuate changes in the existing mortgage/lending and finance legislation. In each of these areas, we will take a team approach utilizing the best resources from each specified practice group.

We feel that we have the depth of experience, the knowledge, and strong existing relationships with the individuals who are going to be making important decisions on how this project develops. We have always maintained strong relationships with our elected and appointed officials regardless of party affiliation. Our team believes we are strongly positioned and uniquely qualified through our personal experience with tax regulatory issues, real estate finance issues, local governments, and legislative processes/contacts, to provide the Association with effective legislative monitoring and lobbying support in the dramatically changing political environment. Our contacts and ties with the current State of Georgia Legislative Leadership and the potential future leadership are close. So, too, are our relationships with the rising new breed of leaders, both Democrat and Republican. These relations will help to facilitate the Association's relations with the new Republican Governor and Republican controlled State Senate and House.

Specifically, Joel Williams, leader of the State & Municipal practice group, has long-term involvement with the State Republican Party. In addition to being a charter member of the State Republican Party Foundation, he has served on numerous campaign finance committees, including the present leadership of the legislature and the present Republican Governor. In addition, he served as finance co-chairman for the Georgia Bush-Cheney campaign in 2000 and was delegate to the Republican National Convention on behalf of Bush-Cheney. Moreover, Joel Williams served for a number of years as a member of the Board of Directors of a public mortgage company and brings to this representation the unique experience of understanding the business side of the mortgage, banking, brokerage and financing.

Furthermore, minorities and women have steadily increased their membership in the Georgia General Assembly. Of the 180 member House and the 56 member Senate, many are women and African­-American and those numbers are expected to increase. Being attuned to these changes and realizing the important role that these groups play in the Legislature, our team has established strong relationships with members of the Legislative Black Caucus and the Women's Legislative Caucus - an important factor for the future success of the Association's endeavors. Additionally, Greg Worthy, a former legislative aide to former Congressman John Spratt of South Carolina, has deep roots in the Democratic Party and has a close relationship with the Democratic Minority in the Georgia Legislature and with the Legislative Black Caucus.

Each member of our team does and has successfully worked in a team environment, thus, they are fully cognizant of the importance of communication and following critical directions from the Association's team leaders.

The following are a few examples of our financial and regulatory legislative experience:

• Represented a national home builder and developer in legislation in opposing and amending Georgia predatory lending provisions which were passed during the legislative session of 2002 and became effective October 1, 2002 that drastically enlarged the assignee liability and permitted borrowers to sue assignees who bought the loans and consolidated them in mortgage pools for sale in the secondary market. Successfully assisted in rewriting the law to cap punitive damages and protect assignees

• Represented sub prime lenders before the Georgia Banking Commission

• Assisted clients in their efforts to deregulate natural gas providers

• Consulted on municipal zoning matters for major real estate developments, nationally and internationally