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Dewey B. Morris

Director

Tel: 804-698-6225
Fax: 804-649-0654
Email: dbmorris@t-mlaw.com

Dewey Morris has represented banks and other creditors since 1967 in commercial loan transactions and in complying with federal and state consumer credit laws.  He is a member of the Consumer Financial Services Committee of the ABA Section on Business Law and currently represents two Virginia associations, and many of their members, consisting of consumer finance companies, sales finance entities, and brokers and lenders licensed under the Virginia Mortgage Lender and Broker Act.  His practice areas also include banking, business law and asset based lending.  He regularly serves as Virginia counsel in connection with multi-state and international credit facilities. 

Mr. Morris has been listed in Virginia Business’ Legal Elite, Virginia Super Lawyers, and Best Lawyers in America for over a decade.  He is a permanent member of the Judicial Conference of the Fourth Circuit and is a Founding Fellow of The American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers.  He is the only lawyer in private practice in Virginia that has been elected to membership in the College.

Representative Matters

• Reviews consumer loan and sales finance documents for compliance with Virginia and federal laws.
• Acts as Virginia counsel in multi-state and international credit transactions.  He reviews deeds of trust, security agreements, financing statements and other loan documents for compliance with Virginia law and renders legal opinions as to their enforceability.
• Represents lenders and brokers doing business in Virginia, advising about licensing requirements, permitted charges, state specific disclosures, and other substantive provisions of Virginia law, including:  Mortgage Lender and Broker Act, Consumer Finance Act, Consumer Protection Act, and Payday Loan Act.
• Representation concerning compliance with federal laws, including:  Truth in Lending Act, RESPA, Fair Credit Reporting Act, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, regulations promulgated under such statutes, various trade regulation rules of the Federal Trade Commission, and other laws relating to consumer financial services.
• Representation in federal and state courts defending consumer claims for alleged violations of Virginia and federal laws.
• Representation in obtaining licenses from the Virginia Bureau of Financial Institutions under various statutes, including the Mortgage Lender and Broker Act.
• Representation in connection with adverse examination reports by the Bureau.

Publications

• Author of the Consumer Law chapter in the The Virginia Lawyer, a Deskbook for Practitioners
• Author of the following surveys of consumer law prepared for firm clients:
  • A Guide to Consumer Lending: Virginia Laws Relating to Consumer Financial Services (prepared in 1997)
  • A Guide to Consumer Lending: Federal Laws Relating to Consumer Financial Services (prepared in 1998)

Speeches

• Program Speaker:  CLE Committee of the Virginia Law Foundation:
  • Commercial Law Update: Virginia Interest and Usury Laws, A Survey for the General Practitioner
  • Commercial Law Update: Consumer Remedies under Federal and Virginia Law
  • The Seller and Consumer: Equal Credit Opportunity Act
  • 11th Annual Elder Law Program – Virginia and Federal Consumer Protection Laws:  How They Can Help the Elderly
  • Protecting Your Client’s Rights (Truth in Lending Act)
  • Revisions to the UCC, Article 2A, Personal Property Leases
• Panelist at various ABA programs on consumer financial services and at meetings of the Virginia Bar Association
• Regular Program Speaker at meetings of Virginia Financial Services Association and Virginia Association of Mortgage Brokers
• The Implications of Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act:  A Federal Consumer Protection Privacy Law.  Information Policy Leaders Institute, Balancing Privacy and Profits, Atlanta, Georgia, February 13-18, 2000
• Doing Business Online:  Marketing and Transactional Issues, Consumer Protection Laws which Impact Online Business Transactions.  CLE Program in Atlanta, Georgia, June 2000

Education and Background

• Board of Editors, Virginia Law Review
• Winner, Lile Moot Court Competition
• Member of National Moot Court Team
• Raven Society, President
• Phi Alpha Delta

• President of Student Council
• Omicron Delta Kappa
• Editorial Board, Cavalier Daily
• Naval ROTC
• Varsity letters in baseball
  

Professional Activities

• Virginia Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• Bar Association of the City of Richmond

Other Activities

• Former Deacon, First Presbyterian Church
• Former Director:  The Country Club of Virginia; Wintergreen Partners, Inc.; Westwood Racquet Club; Team of Progress; Children’s Theatre of Richmond, Inc.; Richmond Bar Foundation
• Member:  The Country Club of Virginia; The Commonwealth Club; Farmington Country Club; The Army and Navy Club; Kiwanis Club of Richmond

Military Service

• Captain, United States Marine Corps Reserve; Active Duty 1960–62