After a year serving as the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Federal Financial Monitor for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Rob Couch has rejoined Bradley’s Banking and Financial Services Practice Group. Couch was selected for the position by HUD Secretary Ben Carson in response to reports of financial mismanagement and corruption in Puerto Rico. As a career member of HUD’s Senior Executive Service, Couch oversaw HUD’s Community Development Block Grants (CDBG)-Disaster Recovery efforts in Puerto Rico, which involves aid intended to help the island nation’s recovery from Hurricanes Maria and Irma in 2017 and to help it prepare for future natural disasters.
Prior to this most recent year-long service with HUD, Couch also served as general council of HUD from 2006 to 2008 before joining Bradley’s Banking and Financial Services Practice Group in July 2009. He also served as President of Ginnie Mae and as Chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association. He has also served as a commissioner on the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Housing Commission, was a member of President George W. Bush’s Task Force on the Status of Puerto Rico, President and CEO of New South Federal Savings Bank in Birmingham, and General Counsel and CFO of First Commercial Bancshares.
“We are pleased to welcome Rob back to Bradley,” said Bradley Chairman of the Board and Managing Partner Jonathan M. Skeeters. “His wealth of knowledge and the breadth of his experience across the financial services industry, particularly with regard to its interplay with federal and state regulatory bodies, as well as government-sponsored enterprises, is exceptional. Rob’s return further deepens the resources available to our clients through our national Banking and Financial Services team.”
“I am excited to be returning to Bradley,” stated Couch. “The firm is a leader in the financial services industry, and I look forward to helping our financial institution clients as they navigate the legal and business challenges facing the industry as we witness the changes in Washington and the continuing impact of the pandemic.”
Couch will focus on mortgage lenders and investors in both the forward mortgage and reverse mortgage industries, affordable housing, and regulatory matters involving HUD, Ginnie Mae, FHA, and other government-sponsored enterprise matters. He will also assist clients with a broad array of legal and strategic issues across the housing industry.
In addition to his work with HUD and Bradley, Couch has also written a book, “Now What?: So You Think You Want to Retire”. Amazon describes the book, which takes a lighthearted approach to planning your retirement, saying, “Rob Couch uses the analogy of one of life’s final road trips to explore his goals for what (he hopes) is the last third of his life–and how to best increase the odds of reaching them. Couch eschews the usual topic of financial independence and instead focuses on well-being, mental fitness, resilience, spirituality, and laughter as the keys to a well-spent retirement. After confessing a lack of professional training in any of these topics, he reviews current academic research from a layman’s perspective, ultimately developing his own matrix for assessing the endless possibilities for an engaged retirement. Part II of his book describes the application of the matrix to five disparate activities, ranging from Sacred Harp singing to stand-up comedy. Along the way, he has a good deal of fun and learns some surprising lessons about his own personality. Whether you are approaching retirement age, have already pulled the trigger, or know a loved one who is facing this stage of life, “Now What?” is an enjoyable and lighthearted way to examine the topic.”
