RESPA Source
Stanley M. Gordon has been a leading legal expert on RESPA with regards to Affiliated Business Arrangements and the referral fee prohibitions under Section 8 of RESPA for the past 30 years. His services can be of significant value to a law firm as an expert witness for major RESPA litigation as well as being a consultant for the real estate industry in structuring and reviewing their business relationships to comply with RESPA.
RESPA and Real Estate Services
RESPA, which prohibits referral fee arrangements in the residential real estate services industry, must be adhered to by all settlement services providers. This includes residential real estate brokerage companies interacting with affiliated service companies such as mortgage or title, or relating to independent service companies through the use of marketing agreements and compensation arrangements based on providing services for such companies. Mr. Gordon has been at the forefront of these issues for years.
Most recently he interacted with HUD in shaping its Interpretive Rule on the compensation of real estate brokers by home warranty companies and on marketing agreements with real estate service companies. Mr. Gordon has worked closely with HUD and testified before Congress for over 30 years on major RESPA issues involving Affiliated Business Arrangements and referral fee issues. This includes having been directly involved in Congressional hearings and interaction with HUD, as well as the National Association of Realtors, on major RESPA issues such as the adoption of the Affiliated Business Arrangements amendments to RESPA when he was General Counsel for the Coldwell Banker Residential Group which included being in charge of government affairs.
Consulting on Business Aspects of RESPA
Mr. Gordon’s value to the business and legal community goes well beyond his legal expertise in this area as a result of being actively involved in the management of real estate services area in multiple capacities. This includes having been at different times Chairman of a major mortgage banking company, a residential home building company and an escrow company. This has enabled Mr. Gordon to understand the business roles and functions of these entities and their personnel which is important in evaluating the validity of services and relationships in terms of RESPA compliance.
Mr. Gordon is a graduate of UCLA law school and is currently engaged in private practice in Orange County California. He focuses on business and real estate issues with emphasis on RESPA and mortgage banking.