Walter Zalenski is a partner in the Washington, DC, and New York, NY,
offices of Buckley LLP. With more than 25 years of private practice
experience, Mr. Zalenski advises banks and other financial institutions,
specialty lenders, retail installment lenders, private equity firms, and
other entities on bank regulatory and consumer finance issues, corporate
and transactional matters, and related issues. Mr. Zalenski has an active
corporate practice and regularly provides counseling in connection with
financial services mergers and acquisitions. In particular, he is
regularly called on to assist private equity sponsors and strategic buyers
in acquisitions of bank and non-bank financial services firms, providing
regulatory and transactional advice to identify and mitigate risk. His
counseling practice encompasses issues related to bank powers, retail
banking, consumer finance, including credit cards, auto finance, retail
installment credit, and mortgage credit, debt collection, electronic
finance, payment systems, and anti-money laundering. He represents
financial service providers in connection with litigation matters and in
enforcement actions by regulatory agencies including the CFPB, DOJ, FTC,
and HUD.
Mr. Zalenski lectures and writes on a wide variety
of issues such as electronic finance, privacy laws, payment systems, Truth
in Lending, fair lending laws, arbitration clauses, bank interstate
expansion, RESPA, assignee liability, asset-based financing, preemption of
state law, lender liability, and the impact of tax policy on consumer credit.
He is an active member of various professional associations, including the
American Bar Association’s Committee on Consumer Financial Services
(past chair of its Real Estate Finance Subcommittee) and the New York City
Bar’s Banking Law Committee. Since 2008, Mr. Zalenski has been ranked
consistently in the top tier of practitioners for his work in the area of
Financial Services Regulation by Chambers USA. He also has been recognized
by the International Financial Law Review IFLR1000, Super Lawyers, and the
Washington Post Magazine.
Professional Affiliations
- Member, ABA Committee on Consumer Financial Services
- Former Chairperson, ABA Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act Subcommittee
- Bar Admissions: District of Columbia; New York; Maryland; U.S. District Court (DC)