CHICAGO, Aug. 25, 2015 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Former Acting Secretary at the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Manuel (Manny) Flores has joined the national law firm of Arnstein & Lehr LLP as a partner in Chicago. He will be a member of the Banks and Financial Institutions Practice Group.

Mr. Flores was recognized for changing the IDFPR’s culture during his four years there, increasing transparency, engaging with consumers and industry leaders, streamlining and modernizing operations and raising the agency’s profile nationally. Previously, Mr. Flores spent one year as the Acting Chairman for the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) and served as 1^st Ward Alderman on the Chicago City Council for nearly two terms.

“We are pleased to have Manny join us at Arnstein & Lehr LLP,” said Michael Gesas, Managing Partner of Arnstein & Lehr LLP’s Chicago office. “He brings a wealth of experience to our banking practice as well as adds significant depth to the capabilities of our office.”

As a regulator, Flores developed and implemented Illinois statewide policy for the financial services industry. Working with federal banking regulators, he supervised examinations, major investigations and enforcement actions of depository institutions and consumer finance companies relating to prudential and regulatory compliance matters. As a member of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS), Flores worked with state regulators from around the country to shape policy on significant and emerging issues in the financial services industry. With the CSBS, Flores and his IDFPR team strengthened consumer protection standards for mortgage servicers in the wake of the financial crisis, and were party to the $25 billion settlement with five of the biggest mortgage lenders following the collapse of the housing market.

“I’m so proud of what we were able to accomplish at the IDFPR,” Flores says. “I was there during a critical time for the financial services sector and it was essential to help re-establish public confidence in the system. Now that I am moving on in my professional career, I’m thrilled to be joining Arnstein & Lehr, a Chicago institution with a rich history and great reputation, built on the trust they’ve earned through long relationships with clients. I look forward to being part of the next chapter of their continued success.”

About Arnstein & Lehr LLP

Arnstein & Lehr LLP, with offices in Illinois and Florida, is one of the country’s oldest and most respected law firms. Since its founding in 1893, the firm has served clients of all sizes throughout the U.S. and abroad. It is a full-service firm with attorneys practicing in five main practice areas – business, litigation, local government, tax and estate planning services and real estate. Clients include governmental bodies, health care entities, financial institutions, trade associations, individuals and a broad range of businesses in the retail, industrial, manufacturing, distribution, technology and services sectors. For more information visit: www.arnstein.com.

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