Merger with Baltimore-based Wittstadt & Wittstadt Provides for End-to-End Real Estate Title Services – From Closing Through Re-Sale
ATLANTA & BALTIMORE– LAWFUEL – Law Firm Newswire –Atlanta-based Morris|Hardwick|Schneider, the largest real estate closing law firm in the Southeast and one of the largest in the nation, announced today that two new mortgage service divisions – National Default Services Division and National REO Division – have been established. Keri Mason Roth, partner with the firm, has been tapped to lead and grow the existing National REO practice; the National Default Services Division has been established through a merger with Wittstadt & Wittstadt.
The merger announced today is a key step in expanding the M|H|S business model beyond traditional and REO real estate closings. The merger enables the firm to offer the full spectrum of end-to-end lender services — from loss mitigation to foreclosure to REO to resale. It also broadens the footprint area served by M|H|S and its title company, LandCastle Title, which encompasses Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee. The merger with Wittstadt & Wittstadt will add Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware and Washington, D.C. to the M|H|S-LandCastle Title direct service area.
“I’m very excited about this union. Wittstadt & Wittstadt has the right people, vision and commitment to client service that will ensure a seamless fit into the M|H|S culture,” said Nat Hardwick, M|H|S senior managing partner and CEO of LandCastle Title. “Both organizations also share the belief that foreclosure is a last resort, which is best avoided through loss mitigation and open communication between lenders and borrowers.
“However, in the unfortunate event that a foreclosure must occur, the new divisions make it possible for our firm to provide real estate solutions for the entire life cycle of a property. Coupled with the recent establishment of our Vender Management Division, we are now one step closer to our goal of providing end-to-end services to clients in all 50 states.”
The National Default Services Division will provide loss mitigation, bankruptcy, foreclosure and eviction services in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware and Washington, D.C. It is led by Mark Wittstadt, Managing Partner of M|H|S’s National Default Services and president of LandCastle Title’s National Default Division.
“The inherent benefits of merging with the largest real estate law firm in Southeast are numerous. M|H|S has the technology, scope of service and scalable business model that will enable us to respond to our clients’ default service needs more quickly,” said Wittstadt. “M|H|S also shares our aspirations of developing a national presence, has a large market share and is a profitable company driven by a team of highly-motivated, energetic attorneys. M|H|S is as close to a perfect match as we could have hoped for.”
The National Default Services Division’s expansion into new states has already begun. Recently, M|H|S began planning to provide default services in Ohio and plans to move next into Florida. Wittstadt hopes to extend services into more states as clients’ needs dictate.
The National REO Division will handle the re-sale of previously foreclosed assets. It is led by Keri Mason Roth, M|H|S partner and LandCastle Title president of National REO operations.
“Merging with Wittstadt & Wittstadt and the creation of these new divisions gives M|H|S the vehicle and capability to serve the demand for REO and default services on a national level, especially in states where there is significant need and volume. We are conversing with our clients to find out where their immediate pressing needs are and then we are executing a plan to accommodate those needs,” said Roth.
M|H|S and LandCastle Title is ramping up to provide REO services to 31 states, both directly and indirectly through strategic alliances with partnering law firms and title companies.
“There is a tremendous demand nationwide within the mortgage industry for the kind of comprehensive, end-to-end real estate title services M|H|S is now prepared to provide,” said Hardwick. “Not only does this approach make lenders’ jobs easier, but it is much more cost efficient for them to work with just one firm. We look forward to expanding this model throughout all 50 states as our clients’ needs expand.”
Established in 1995 by Wittstadt and his father Gerard Wittstadt Sr., a retired Baltimore County District Court associate judge, Wittstadt & Wittstadt P.A. grew from a small general practice firm into a highly-specialized real estate law firm providing mortgage services to four states and the District of Columbia. Gerard Wittstadt Jr., a former attorney in the United States Navy Judge Advocate General’s Office, joined the firm in 1997. He will serve as M|H|S partner in charge of bankruptcy and eviction and LandCastle Title executive vice president of national default services.
Morris|Hardwick|Schneider, a Georgia limited liability company, is one of the largest real estate closings law firm in the United States. Together with its title company, LandCastle Title, M|H|S has more than 50 offices serving 13 states. To learn more, go to www.closingsource.net.
