Hutchens Law Firm Opens Columbia, SC Office
August 20, 2014
COLUMBIA, SC – Hutchens Law Firm, one of North Carolina’s leading law firms concentrating in default service and business law, has opened an office in Columbia, S.C. Located at 240 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 400, the office is led by Managing Attorney John Kay and practicing attorneys John Kelchner and Ashley Z. Stanley. With 52 years of combined experience in South Carolina default-related matters, they have concluded over 10,000 foreclosures as part of the former FNMA Retained Attorney Network and FHLMC Designated Counsel Program since 2008 and 2003 respectively, with continuation of services into the new investor programs implemented in 2013.
The attorneys have provided legal services to clients in the areas of foreclosure, bankruptcy, deed-in-lieu, loss mitigation, litigation, title curative, REO, eviction, and manufactured homes. Each has been active in current issues facing the default services industry, which include manufactured home issues, matters of “standing,” general housing-related issues, homeowners associations, and compliance with two South Carolina Supreme Court Administrative Orders that have had a large impact on how foreclosures are processed in the state. The attorneys have also developed procedures to utilize the new South Carolina “Expedited Foreclosure” statute (Senate Bill S1007).
Hutchens Law Firm Founding Partner Terry Hutchens said, “We have spent considerable time choosing South Carolina lawyers to join our firm. We now cover all the Carolinas in providing default services to our clients.”
John S. Kay, Managing Attorney of the South Carolina office, has focused his practice in the areas of mortgage default servicing and bankruptcy, and is a frequent speaker at continuing legal education seminars on issues related to these areas. Mr. Kay was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in 1986 and is admitted to practice in all state courts in South Carolina, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the district of South Carolina, the United States Federal Court for the District of South Carolina, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He is a member of the South Carolina Bankruptcy Law Association, and is a former Board member of the Association. He served on the 2008 Advisory Committee for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Carolina. Mr. Kay has been active in the USFN for over twenty years and is the former Chair of the Education Committee for the organization. Mr. Kay is also a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association of the Carolinas and has served on its Loan Administration Committee. John has also authored numerous articles related to the default servicing industry, including a manual for mortgage servicers dealing with manufactured housing issues in South Carolina. Mr. Kay has an “AV” rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
John B. Kelchner, Attorney, has been practicing for over 17 year representing mortgage creditors in consumer bankruptcy and foreclosure matters. He graduated from Washington and Lee University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in American History in 1994. He received his J.D. degree from the University of South Carolina and was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in 1997. He is admitted to practice in all state courts in South Carolina, the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, and the Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Carolina. Mr. Kelchner is a member of the South Carolina Bankruptcy Law Association and the USFN. He has been a panelist in several continuing legal education seminars regarding bankruptcy, foreclosure, and other creditor-debtor related issues.
Ashley Z. Stanley, Attorney, was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in 2007, received her A.B.J., Cum Laude, from the University of Georgia in 2004, and her Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina in 2007. She is a member of the Richland County Bar Association, South Carolina Bar, and American Bar Association. She has spent the last two years as a Compliance Attorney, focusing on ensuring legal, regulatory, and servicer compliance, as well as Quality Assurance.
The firm is supported by three department managers, each with considerable experience in the default services industry: Vanessa Hartley, Margaret Osburn, and Scott Robinson. Support staff include: Jodie Brull, Lisa Robinson, Virginia Shropshire, Tiffanie Watson, Nicole Behrend, Lorikay Kienzle, and Amber Gee.
About Hutchens Law Firm
Founded in 1980 and headquartered in Fayetteville, N.C., Hutchens Law Firm is a high performance, client-driven firm dedicated to providing the highest level of professional legal representation. Practice areas include business law, creditors’ rights, civil litigation, mediation and arbitration, catastrophic personal injury, workers’ compensation, Social Security disability, real estate, trusts and estates, and administration law. The firm has three offices in North Carolina, including Fayetteville, Charlotte, and Wilmington, and one in Columbia, S.C. employing over 30 attorneys and 190 staff. Additional information about Hutchens Law Firm may be found online at www.hutchenslawfirm.com.
