Joseph F. Yenouskas

Joe Yenouskas, a partner in Goodwin's Financial Industry group and Consumer Financial Services Litigation practice, focuses on general civil litigation in federal and state trial and appellate courts, with a particular emphasis on defending banks, mortgage lenders, insurers, and consumer reporting agencies in complex consumer class action lawsuits.

Mr. Yenouskas has litigated cases arising under TILA, RESPA, FDCPA, FCRA and FHA, state and federal unfair and deceptive practice statutes, the False Claims Act, and common law. He has handled lawsuits on origination, servicing, payoff and foreclosure practices, including yield spread premiums, cancellation of private mortgage, predatory lending practices, escrow account withholding, and reconveyance and payoff fees.

Mr. Yenouskas also possesses an extensive general litigation background, including cases involving telecommunications carriers, lender liability lawsuits, complex environmental actions, defense of white collar investigations and insurance coverage litigation.

Mr. Yenouskas has handled a wide variety of matters, including:

• Representing a consumer reporting agency in putative nationwide class actions alleging failure to use reasonable procedures to assure maximum accuracy of consumer reports under the FCRA.
• Defending multiple putative class actions alleging use of borrower credit information in violation of FCRA.
• Defending putative class actions filed by borrowers challenging lenders’ origination and servicing practices under federal and state laws.
• Defense of False Claims Act litigation alleging improper origination of FHA-insured loans.
• Defense of lawsuit by county alleging discrimination against minorities in origination and servicing of mortgage loans.
• Coordinating nationwide defense of multiple lawsuits filed by counties challenging use of the Mortgage Electronic Registration System loan registry system.
• Defending actions by counties for recovery of transfer tax payments for properties sold at foreclosure sales.
• Obtaining summary judgment in a putative class action alleging that origination fees were charged in violation of Missouri’s Second Mortgage Loan Act.
• Obtaining summary judgment and order striking class allegations in putative class action alleging that prepayment penalties violated state law. 
• Obtaining dismissal of putative class action by borrowers alleging that lenders should be held liable for actions of broker that committed fraud in origination scheme.
• Representing lender in claims against mortgage guaranty insurer for improper rescission of insurance coverage. Defendant settled in discovery.

Mr. Yenouskas is a member of the Virginia and District of Columbia Bar Associations.

Prior to joining Goodwin in 2003, Mr. Yenouskas practiced complex commercial litigation at several Washington, D.C. area law firms.

Mr. Yenouskas served as notes editor for the George Washington Law Review.