In her new role, Burke will work with First American’s Eagle Academy Learning Design Team to develop courses containing a variety of educational and technical content, including industry areas of practice, and state-specific and national materials for First American’s title insurance agents.

Burke previously served as claims counsel, underwriting counsel, and corporate counsel for a large title insurance company.  In addition, as owner of Real Estate Law Series®, Burke provided seminars and training for title insurance professionals, real estate licensees, attorneys, paralegals and county official records staff.  She was an adjunct professor in paralegal studies at Valencia Community College, teaching real property law and business law and is the author of the Real Property textbooks, which are used in the paralegal studies program.

"Burke possesses extensive title industry knowledge regarding legal, regulatory, transactional and underwriting issues that will help to increase the diversity of curricula offered through the Eagle Academy’s educational programs," said Mike LaRosa, vice president and Florida state agency manager for First American Title Insurance Company. "Bringing someone of Burke’s caliber on board sends a clear message to our agents that we are dedicated to adding the resources necessary to provide the highest quality product, services, expertise, and customer experience in the industry."

Burke holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Vanderbilt University, a master’s degree and a doctorate degree in communication from Florida State University, and a law degree from Florida State University College of Law. She is currently licensed to practice law in Florida, serves on The Florida Bar’s Unlicensed Practice of Law standing committee, and spent six years as a member of its Professional Ethics committee.  In her spare time, Barbara volunteers for the Rotary Club of College Park, Fla., and the Adult Literacy League.

About First American Title Insurance Company

First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), traces its history to 1889. One of the largest title insurers in the nation, the company offers title services through its direct operations and an extensive network of agents throughout the United States and abroad. The company has its headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif. Information about First American Financial Corporation’s subsidiaries and an archive of its press releases can be found on the Internet at www.firstam.com.

The new office will open on Oct. 8, 2012. First American’s downtown Santa Rosa operations at 400 E Street will remain at the same location.

The College Avenue facility, which was built in the 1960s, housed KSRO radio station for more than 20 years, and more recently, Peterson Insurance.

“With this move to a location that has historically housed local businesses, First American is continuing its commitment to the community it has served for more than 50 years,” said Steve Bramble, Sonoma County manager for First American Title Company.

The College Avenue office has undergone an extensive interior renovation that was designed to create a pleasant escrow closing environment.  The main office phone number will remain as 707-544-1560.

About First American Title Insurance Company

First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), traces its history to 1889. One of the largest title insurers in the nation, the company offers title services through its direct operations and an extensive network of agents throughout the United States and abroad. The company has its headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif. Information about First American Financial Corporation’s subsidiaries and an archive of its press releases can be found on the Internet at www.firstam.com.

As part of the alliance, First American Title Insurance Company will provide property-level collateral data, including lien priority insurance information, property characteristics and property valuations for integration into Home LoanPort’s Hope LoanPortal^® platform, which is used by servicers to assess options for borrowers who are facing foreclosure. The addition of First American’s data to Hope LoanPortal means that servicers will receive a complete foreclosure alternative package from a single source, enabling them to provide borrowers in financial distress with faster decisions.

"Servicers today are seeking to maximize home retention. Having quick access to complete, accurate information simplifies the review process and facilitates better communication with their customers," said Eric Friedman, chief operating officer for First American Mortgage Services’ default segment.

Since its creation in 2009, Hope LoanPortal has been the prototype for a collaborative, multi-party, web-based transactional platform focused on foreclosure prevention. HLP’s mission is to provide transparent, efficient and traceable access to foreclosure-alternative options while ensuring homeowner information is securely and confidentially shared among key stakeholders such as housing counselors, mortgage services and homeowners.

"The support of all industry partners to continue our efforts is paramount in solving the problems mortgagors and borrowers are currently facing. Having a partner with the industry knowledge, technology and the quality reputation of First American will provide a great lift to our organization," said Camillo Melchiorre, president of Hope LoanPort.

About First American Mortgage Services

First American Mortgage Services, a division of First American Title Insurance Company, is a leading provider of origination and default solutions and a primary source of national title insurance, settlement, and valuation services for residential retail originators and servicers. The division supports all aspects of the residential origination and the default servicing processes, successfully supplying products and services that have assisted in closing more than one million mortgages nationwide. Through our flexible technology and vast resources, we are unique in our ability to provide customized, comprehensive and seamless solutions. More information about the division’s solutions can be accessed on its website at www.famortgageservices.com.

About First American Title Insurance Company

First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of First American relationship Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), traces its history to 1889. One of the largest title insurers in the nation, the company offers title services through its direct operations and an extensive network of agents throughout the United States and abroad. The company has its headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif. Information about First American Financial Corporation’s subsidiaries and an archive of its press releases can be found on the Internet at www.firstam.com.

About Hope LoanPortal

Hope LoanPorta a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit company based in Washington DC, is a member of the HOPE NOW Alliance. Hope LoanPortal, powered by Rx Office^®, is HLP’s web-based tool that streamlines the processing for foreclosure alternatives on behalf of at-risk homeowners, allowing housing counselors to efficiently transmit completed loss mitigation applications to mortgage servicers. Hope LoanPortal provides a safe harbor for homeowners struggling with their mortgage, and use of the platform is free for borrowers and their HUD-approved nonprofit housing counselors. Currently over 3,600 housing counselors in 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have access to the mortgage servicers representing over 80% of the United States mortgage market. For more information, please visit www.hopeloanportal.org.

In his new role, Altes assists Florida-based title insurance agents with risk evaluation and the legal aspects of clearing title on real property.

Altes previously served as southeast regional counsel for a title insurance company where he supervised real estate-related litigation and title insurance underwriting decisions. Prior to that, he was an independent practitioner for public, private and government entities in multiple disciplines, including commercial real estate development and financing, real estate litigation, zoning and land use, real estate titles, title insurance, and wills and probate.    

"The addition of Mike Altes to our Jacksonville operations further bolsters our agent resources in Florida and demonstrates our commitment to providing the highest level of underwriting support in the industry," said Mike LaRosa, vice president and Florida state agency manager.

Altes received a Bachelor of Arts degree, with honors, in English Literature from Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, N.C., and a juris doctor, with honors, from the University of Florida College of Law. He was admitted to the practice of law in 1980 and is a member of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law section of The Florida Bar, the Jacksonville Bar Association and the Catholic Lawyers Guild.
 

About First American Title Insurance Company
First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), traces its history to 1889. One of the largest title insurers in the nation, the company offers title services through its direct operations and an extensive network of agents throughout the United States and abroad. The company has its headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif. Information about First American Financial Corporation’s subsidiaries and an archive of its press releases can be found on the Internet at www.firstam.com.

In his new role, Prescott oversees the activities of Florida’s underwriting department and develops and presents educational programs for First American’s Florida-based title insurance agents.

Prescott previously served as underwriting counsel for several large title insurance companies, where he primarily focused on examining and underwriting complex commercial transactions. In addition, Prescott worked in private practice, specializing in intellectual property and employment law and in the securities and private banking sectors as a financial advisor with major investment banking firms.

“Len is a seasoned attorney and proven underwriter who brings a wealth of knowledge and ability to the role of state counsel,” said Mike LaRosa, vice president and Florida state agency manager. “Bringing an underwriter of Len’s caliber on board sends a clear message that we are dedicated to adding the resources necessary to provide the highest quality product, services, expertise and customer experience in the industry.”

Prescott graduated, summa cum laude, from the University of New Hampshire and is a member of the Academic Honor Society Phi Beta Kappa. He received his Law Degree in 1998 from the Georgetown University Law Center and is a member of the Real Property Sections and the State Bar of both Florida and Maryland.

About First American Title Insurance Company
First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), traces its history to 1889. One of the largest title insurers in the nation, the company offers title services through its direct operations and an extensive network of agents throughout the United States and abroad. The company has its headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif. Information about First American Financial Corporation’s subsidiaries and an archive of its press releases can be found on the Internet at www.firstam.com.

With this new integration, myFirstAm subscribers are able to manage their newsletter account, select content, add or delete subscribers and perform other standard account management functions without leaving the myFirstAm platform. In addition, myFirstAm subscribers who do not currently have a Housing Trends eNewsletter subscription will be directed to a link to subscribe.

MyFirstAm is First American’s new Web interface designed to make the closing process more efficient by providing easy access to title and escrow orders and other products and services.

"Housing Trends eNewsletter has shown remarkable growth since its inception more than three years ago," said Alan Arora, vice president of customer-facing technology for First American Title Insurance Company. "Providing the option of accessing the newsletter from within our system is just one example of our efforts to simplify processes for our customers."

First American added this functionality as an accommodation to myFirstAm users who are Housing Trends eNewsletter subscribers. The newsletter is a monthly communication published by eFrogPond, Inc., that includes a variety of content such as U.S. Census Bureau key market indicators, articles, videos, blog links, community reports and real estate sales and price activity provided by local Multiple Listing Services and the National Association of REALTORS^®.

"We think our tech-savvy subscriber base will appreciate the convenience of being able to access their Housing Trends eNewsletter account from the myFirstAm platform,” said Susie Hale, chief executive officer of eFrogPond, Inc.

Access to the Housing Trends eNewsletter through the myFirstAm platform is now available to subscribers in California, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, with other states expected to follow throughout the year.
 

About First American Title Insurance Company

First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), traces its history to 1889. One of the largest title insurers in the nation, the company offers title services through its direct operations and an extensive network of agents throughout the United States and abroad. The company has its headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif. Information about First American Financial Corporation’s subsidiaries and an archive of its press releases can be found on the Internet at www.firstam.com.

The Energy Group works in collaboration with First American offices and agents across the country to implement title-related due diligence and insurance offerings that address the unique requirements of energy transactions. 

Energy projects tend to be extremely complex and require dedicated resources to analyze risks associated with mineral and water rights, encroachments, and severable and future improvements. The Energy Group, working with the Company’s senior underwriters, has developed a targeted coverage approach to address the unique requirements of energy development activities. This specialized group also helps to simplify transaction processes, lowering costs and mitigating risks. Focused land title due diligence, escrow and insurance solutions are offered for national and international transactions through a proprietary electronic delivery platform that includes links to products and documents.

“The complexities of the energy submarket challenge the national title insurer to develop specialized products and services,” said Sally French Tyler, executive vice president and divisional president of First American Title Insurance Company’s Centralized Businesses.  “With the Energy Group, we’ve built a talented team of focused and experienced experts to meet this challenge.”

About First American Title Insurance Company
First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), traces its history to 1889. One of the largest title insurers in the nation, the company offers title services through its direct operations and an extensive network of agents throughout the United States and abroad. The company has its headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif. Information about First American Financial Corporation’s subsidiaries and an archive of its press releases can be found on the Internet at www.firstam.com.

In his new role, Friedman is responsible for all areas within the company’s Default Services group, including new product development, compliance, client relations management and technology.  

Prior to joining First American, Friedman served as president and chief operating officer for PREO LLC, an online real estate marketplace for distressed assets. He has also held positions at OneWest Bank, formerly Indymac Federal Bank, and at Fannie Mae.

A native of Southern California, Friedman holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from California State University, Northridge.

About First American Title Insurance Company
First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), traces its history to 1889. One of the largest title insurers in the nation, the company offers title services through its direct operations and an extensive network of agents throughout the United States and abroad. The company has its headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif. Information about First American Financial Corporation’s subsidiaries and an archive of its press releases can be found on the Internet at www.firstam.com.

In this new role, Hoffman is responsible for leading and overseeing all aspects of First American’s Los Angeles County  and Ventura County title insurance, escrow and sales activities. He is based in the company’s Glendale, Calif., office.

Hoffman has served as a sales manager for First American’s Los Angeles and Ventura counties’ operations for the past two years. Prior to joining the company, he managed and led sales and operations for several multi-national organizations, both public and private.

"Judd has a long career of demonstrated leadership in both sales and operations," said Curt Caspersen, president of the Southwest Division of First American Title Insurance. "He will be an asset as we grow our business throughout the greater Los Angeles area."
 

About First American Title Insurance Company
First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), traces its history to 1889. One of the largest title insurers in the nation, the company offers title services through its direct operations and an extensive network of agents throughout the United States and abroad. The company has its headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif. Information about First American Financial Corporation’s subsidiaries and an archive of its press releases can be found on the Internet at www.firstam.com.

HARP 2.0 differs significantly from the previous version of HARP in that there is no limitation on loan-to-value (LTV) ratios, credit score requirements are lower and mortgage lenders can approach borrowers proactively, in accordance with the program guidelines. These program changes are expected to help lenders reach a previously untapped population of American homeowners, allowing those qualified to refinance into loans with lower interest rates and, in some cases, shorter terms.

First American’s Quick Start HARP solution supports the revised program by helping mortgage lenders develop their own "push” or "pull” approach to soliciting homeowners.  In a "push” version, the lender utilizes internal loan data and First American’s proprietary title automation to proactively solicit homeowners who might benefit from HARP 2.0. The "pull” version is used when homeowners contact the lender to inquire about HARP 2.0.  In both cases, First American’s automated title technology delivers a title commitment to the lender in seconds, rather than a non-binding title "decision”.

First American developed its original solution in early 2010, for use with the first version of HARP. In doing so, the company worked closely with mortgage lenders to design specialized workflows that improve pull-through and closing times. Quick Start HARP adds to these features with significantly reduced title premium rates and settlement costs for qualified refinances. This allows lenders to further assist homeowners by offering "no closing cost” loans that roll fees into the mortgage principal or into the new mortgage rate.

"Successful ‘push’ programs have the dual advantages of cost and time reduction for lenders and borrowers,” said Patrick E. McLaughlin, president of First American Title Insurance Company’s Mortgage Services division. "Our experience and capacity will be advantageous to lenders who want to maximize their ability to bring HARP 2.0’s benefits to qualifying borrowers"

HARP 2.0 transactions are prioritized for special handling within First American’s settlement centers and follow streamlined curative guidelines. This results in closings that can be completed in as few as 14 business days. The program can be customized to include mobile notary signings or the use of First American’s eSignSmart, a technology that allows homeowners to sign loan documents electronically on a mobile tablet or digital signing pad.

 "Through advanced, accurate title automation and prioritized processes, we were able to achieve above-average results in speed to loan closings for the first version of HARP,” said Robert Camerota, chief operating officer of First American’s Mortgage Services division. "Our Quick Start HARP solution can be rapidly adapted to a lender’s current or proposed workflow and supports a variety of refinance strategies, including lower interest rates, shorter-term mortgages, earlier rate locks and no closing cost loans.”

About First American Mortgage Services
First American Mortgage Services, a division of First American Title Insurance Company, is a leading provider of origination and default solutions and a primary source of national title insurance, settlement, and valuation services for residential retail originators and servicers.  The division supports all aspects of the residential origination and the default servicing processes, successfully supplying products and services that have assisted in closing more than one million mortgages nationwide.  Through our flexible technology and vast resources, we are unique in our ability to provide customized, comprehensive and seamless solutions.  More information about the division’s solutions can be accessed on its website at www.famortgageservices.com.

About First American Title Insurance Company
The First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), traces its history to 1889. One of the largest title insurers in the nation, the company offers title services through its direct operations and an extensive network of agents throughout the United States and abroad. First American Title provides comprehensive title insurance coverage and professional services for purchases, construction, refinances, or equity loans. The company’s thorough searches, title clearance, and insurance help to produce clear property titles and enable the efficient transfer of real estate. 

The transaction is expected to close in January 2012 pending regulatory approval and terms of the deal were not disclosed. With the acquisition of Hexter-Fair, First American will increase its market share by adding 21 new offices in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area.  

Hexter-Fair’s current owner, David Fair, will remain as chairman of the new entity, Hexter-Fair/First American Title Company, LLC, and will continue to be an integral part of the leadership team.

“This acquisition will significantly enhance First American’s title operations in Dallas-Fort Worth,” said Dennis Gilmore, president of First American Title Insurance Company.  “Together with Republic Title, the new entity will increase our range of service in that area and further our strategy to grow market share in the largest title and settlement services markets.”

About First American Title Insurance Company
First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), traces its history to 1889. One of the largest title insurers in the nation, the company offers title services through its direct operations and an extensive network of agents throughout the United States and abroad. The company has its headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif. Information about First American Financial Corporation’s subsidiaries and an archive of its press releases can be found at www.firstam.com.

A primary benefit of the new portal, which can be accessed online at www.myFirstAm.com, is its ability to send notifications to its users via email or text message when key tasks in the closing process are completed. These notifications, along with other integrated features, help streamline residential real estate transactions, which can result in a better buying experience for the consumer.

“The myFirstAm portal is one of several innovative technologies that we’re bringing to market to help ease and simplify the process of doing business with First American Title,” said Dennis Gilmore, chief executive officer of First American Financial Corporation. “It’s an example of our commitment to help streamline the procedures and the communication involved in the real estate transaction process, in turn benefiting both real estate professionals and consumers.”

The myFirstAm suite of tools includes detailed status updates on title insurance and escrow orders; access to useful property information*, including basic property characteristics, sales and tax data, and aerial imagery*; and calculation tools for title insurance and escrow services. It also allows users to electronically place title orders.

“The ability for everyone involved in the transaction to communicate quickly and clearly helps to increase customer satisfaction in our business,” said myFirstAm early adopter Paula Serven, an associate broker with Realty Executives in Arizona and current president of the Scottsdale Area Association of REALTORS®.  “A real estate agent using myFirstAm can easily track their orders’ closing status so they, in turn, can communicate in a timely manner with the appropriate parties.”

The new myFirstAm portal for residential real estate professionals is currently available in Arizona, many areas within Florida, Minnesota, Ohio, and Texas and will deploy nationwide by the end of 2011. A current list of available states, along with an option to subscribe to rollout updates via email, can be found at www.firstam.com/myFirstAm.

* Fees may apply. Not available where prohibited by law. Not available in Texas.

About First American Title Insurance Company
First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), traces its history to 1889. One of the largest title insurers in the nation, the company offers title services through its direct operations and an extensive network of agents throughout the United States and abroad. The company has its headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif. Information about First American Financial Corporation’s subsidiaries and an archive of its press releases can be found at www.firstam.com.

This electronic integration helps to increase accuracy and reduce the cycle times and costs associated with loan settlement activities by eliminating the need for re-keying and the manual exchange of data.  By using eCN as the communication backbone, lenders can now transmit loan data and documents directly to settlement partners using FAST and receive data and documents from First American’s FAST system.  It also provides lenders with a complete view of the loan status during origination and closing.

“eLynx and First American are committed to administering and managing an integrated loan and HUD-1 data exchange environment that saves lenders time and money,” explains Sharon Matthews, president and chief executive officer of eLynx. “Both companies’ customers can now easily and seamlessly share their existing workflows to collaborate and deliver loan data for the lifecycle of a loan.”

Christos Bettios, chief information officer for First American Title Insurance Company’s Mortgage Services division, emphasized, “This data integration is based on MISMO/UMDP standards and supports the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Loan Quality Initiative, one of the mortgage industry’s most important efforts.”

“Lenders are looking to improve transparency and efficiency in their closing processes,” said Robert Camerota, chief operating officer for First American Title Insurance Company’s Mortgage Services division. “We are helping the lenders we serve to efficiently implement electronic HUD data processing that streamlines their closing workflow while meeting their unique needs.”

The loan and HUD-1 data integration is available to all users of eCN and the fully automated option is available for use by First American Title Insurance Company’s direct operations and its extensive network of agents nationwide.

eLynx and First American will be demonstrating the eCN automated data integration platform to existing customers at MBA’s 98th Annual Convention and Exposition in Chicago, Oct. 9-12, 2011.

About First American Title Insurance Company
First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation (NYSE:  FAF), traces its history to 1889.  One of the largest title insurers in the nation, the company offers title services through its direct operations and an extensive network of agents throughout the United States and abroad.  The company has its headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif.  Information about First American Financial Corporation’s subsidiaries and an archive of its press releases can be found at www.firstam.com.

About eLynx
eLynx, a portfolio company of American Capital (NASDAQ: ACAS), provides the most widely used network for data-centric document collaboration, distribution, and connectivity services for the financial services and real estate industries. Enterprises use eLynx to capture and maintain data electronically throughout the document life cycle, automating paper-intensive processes, improving workflow, reducing costs and ensuring compliance with industry regulations. The company has built the largest and most comprehensive U.S. real estate settlement agent database and is a recognized leader in electronic closing services. eLynx serves more than 4,000 clients of all sizes worldwide, including 25 of the top 50 U.S. banks and has processed over 50 million loans. More than 4 million users utilize eLynx's enterprise document output solutions. The company was founded in 1994 with headquarters in Cincinnati and offices in Portland, Oregon. It maintains redundant data centers in Beaverton, Oregon, and Cincinnati, Ohio. For more information, visit www.elynx.com.

“AgentNet 2 is just one of the technologies that we are building to streamline communication and business processes for our customers and associates,” said Dennis Gilmore, chief executive officer for First American Financial Corporation. “Through the development of products that simplify workflow, we are demonstrating our commitment to providing the best user experience in the industry.”

AgentNet 2 features include:

• Data input tools – Allow agents to get pricing validation with an enhanced rate calculator and to generate approved closing protection letters and electronic policy jackets with the automatic population of stored data
• Shared visibility of invoices and statements – Provides paperless delivery of invoices, instant access to online statements, and the ability to grant access to past invoices and statements to colleagues and associates
• Payment activity summary and detail – Allows users to locate payment details and make electronic payments
• Remittance options – Enable agents to choose their preferred submission process and view  up-to-date remittance activity at a glance
• Research capabilities – Provide transparent access to financial data and electronically organizes transaction details for simplified viewing

Current AgentNet users will be automatically upgraded to AgentNet 2 by November 7, 2011. Following this upgrade, AgentNet 2 users will have the ability to integrate with some of the leading title production systems for a convenient and seamless user experience. This integration will automatically populate data from a user’s existing title production software into AgentNet 2, helping to keep data consistent across all interfaces and minimizing the need to work across systems.

Agents interested in using the new AgentNet 2 may contact First American’s Agency Services Center at 866-701-3361.

About First American Title Insurance Company
First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), traces its history to 1889. One of the largest title insurers in the nation, the company offers title services through its direct operations and an extensive network of agents throughout the United States and abroad. The company has its headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif. Information about First American Financial Corporation’s subsidiaries and an archive of its press releases can be found at www.firstam.com.

Rogers, who has been with First American for nearly 17 years, began his career with the company as claims counsel and was responsible for claims administration, including evaluation of liability and claim resolution. Most recently, he served as vice president and senior national underwriting counsel for the New York division, underwriting and coordinating complex, national commercial transactions and counseling customers and staff regarding title insurance and national title and conveyancing issues and managing the division’s staff of National Commercial Services’ underwriters. He has also served as branch manager of the company’s Uniondale, New York, office, where he was responsible for all aspects of that operation and as a director with the National Commercial Services division, where Rogers acted as a liaison with offices in other regions of the country on matters related to underwriting and servicing.

In this new role, Rogers is responsible for all aspects of First American Title’s New York division, including business development, both direct and agency, and underwriting.  He will be located in the company’s New York City office.
“Steve is a highly experienced and well respected title insurance transaction professional—both in New York and throughout the country,” said Dennis J. Gilmore, CEO of First American Financial Corporation, First American Title’s parent company. “Not only is he is one of the most highly skilled underwriters in the New York market, he also brings strong leadership abilities to his new role.”

Rogers is a member of the American Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, the Nassau County Bar Association and an associate member of the International Council of Shopping Centers. He has been published in the New York Law Journal and attained his juris doctorate at the University of Miami School of Law and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Banking and Finance from Hofstra University.

About First American Title Insurance Company
First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), traces its history to 1889. One of the largest title insurers in the nation, the company offers title services through its direct operations and an extensive network of agents throughout the United States and abroad. The company has its headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif. Information about First American Financial Corporation’s subsidiaries and an archive of its press releases can be found on the Internet at www.firstam.com.

In her new role, LaBelle’s responsibilities include underwriting commercial transactions involving major customers throughout the region, as well as acting as an underwriting resource for First American attorneys within the region. She comes to First American with more than 30 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry. 

Prior to joining First American, LaBelle worked as major transactions counsel for Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Prior to that, she was the mid-Atlantic regional counsel for Chicago Title Insurance Company from 1990 to 2001 and associate regional counsel in Boston prior to 1990. She is a member of the Massachusetts and District of Columbia bar associations and has spoken and written extensively on real estate law and title insurance for national associations including the American Bar Association; American Land Title Association; Practicing Law Institute; and numerous state bar and land title associations, including Virginia Law Foundation, Inc. and Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc. LaBelle served as the 2009-2010 president of CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) Washington, D.C., and is currently active with the Washington, D.C., chapter and CREW Network.

A native of Chicago, LaBelle holds a bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota and her juris doctor cum laude from Suffolk University Law School.

About First American Title Insurance Company

First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), traces its history to 1889. One of the largest title insurers in the nation, the company offers title services through its direct operations and an extensive network of agents throughout the United States and abroad. The company has its headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif. Information about First American Financial Corporation’s subsidiaries and an archive of its press releases can be found on the Internet at www.firstam.com.

The 2011 CLE program provided by First American Title Insurance Company’s New York Division offers 25 individual seminars on a range of topics from “Title Insurance 101” to timely and more practice-specific courses such as “Transfer and Mortgage Taxes in Foreclosure and Bankruptcy.”

The 2011 program is designed to satisfy increasing demand for market-specific information from attorneys and other professionals in the real property sector, as New York’s real estate markets enters recovery. Course information is designed to serve as a valuable resource to those seeking to understand regulatory developments impacting the industry.

For many years, First American has been the largest and most prolific provider of real estate-oriented CLE courses in New York. In 2010, approximately 2,500 attendees participated in nearly 60 individual CLE presentations across New York City and Long Island.

Featured lecturers this year are renowned veteran title experts, Michael J. Berey and S.H. Spencer Compton, Esq. Both are First American executives, frequent CLE lecturers and prolific contributors of real estate law articles to the prestigious New York Law Journal and the New York Real Property Law Journal. 

Among his numerous contributions to the CLE program in 2011, Berey will be lecturing on current developments in New York case law affecting real property and New York City development rights, a discussion of the law authorizing the transfer of development rights. Compton’s many presentations this year will include courses on 1031 exchanges, commercial leasing and title insurance in sophisticated real estate loans.

The CLE program also features seminars led by First American’s Andrew Jaeger, Esq.; Anthony Vozza, Esq.; David Wanetik, Esq.; Mitchell Gluck Esq.; Matthew Cahill, Esq.; Stephen Farber, Esq.; Vincent Plaia, Esq. and John Kelley, Esq.

Dedicated to keeping New York’s real estate community abreast of key topics and developments, First American’s CLE seminars are available on request and at the convenience of those they serve. For more information or to schedule a CLE presentation, First American invites interested parties to contact Michelle Donaldson at (212) 922-9700 or mdonaldson@firstam.com.

The full program of First American’s 2011 CLE seminars follows:  

Note to Editors: While typically, First American provides CLE courses onsite at individual law firms, the company periodically conducts sessions on critical topics that are open to the broader industry.  Information will be distributed on the latter sessions during the course of 2011, and interested members of the media may arrange to attend by contacting Margot Olcay at 212-843-8284.

About First American Title Insurance Company

First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), traces its history to 1889. One of the largest title insurers in the nation, the company offers title services through its direct operations and an extensive network of agents throughout the United States and abroad. The company has its headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif. Information about First American Financial Corporation’s subsidiaries and an archive of its press releases can be found on the Internet at www.firstam.com.

The 50 Happiest Companies in America list utilizes reviews from employees who know the companies from the inside. CareerBliss asks employees about their growth opportunities, compensation, benefits, work-life balance, career advancement, senior management, job security and whether the employee would recommend the company to others. From the confidential reviews, more than 700,000 data points are taken into consideration in determining which companies are the happiest corporations to work for in 2011.  

“Employees at First American Title Insurance Company enjoy a family-friendly environment and a cooperative work ethic at a stable company that has been in existence for more than 121 years,” said Dennis Gilmore, CEO of First American Financial Corporation, the title company’s parent. “We are proud to be recognized for our employee-focused environment, which enables employees to develop both personally and professionally.”

Heidi Golledge, co-founder and CEO of CareerBliss stated: “First American Title, which rated high in most categories, reveals that a well-respected senior management team can greatly affect employee happiness. In addition, employees of First American Title say that quality benefits contribute to a happy work environment.”  

Those on the 2011 list include Google, Johnson & Johnson, General Electric and The Walt Disney Company. First American is the only title insurance company to make the list.

About CareerBliss
CareerBliss is an online career community designed to help everyone find happiness in the workplace. An information hub for everyone who works, employers, job seekers and recruiters, CareerBliss offers the ability for folks to find out what makes them happy and the ability to seek that out in other jobs or improve it in their current one using our PhD Board of Advisors, more than 6 million independent company reviews and salary comparisons, and more than 1 million job listings. For more information, visit: www.CareerBliss.com.

About First American Title Insurance Company
First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), traces its history to 1889. One of the largest title insurers in the nation, the company offers title services through its direct operations and an extensive network of agents throughout the United States and abroad. The company has its headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif. Information about First American Financial Corporation’s subsidiaries and an archive of its press releases can be found on the Internet at www.firstam.com.

The volunteer work day coincides with the kickoff of the nation’s largest gathering of minority real estate professionals at the 2010 NAHREP/AREAA Real Estate and Marketing Conference scheduled for Oct. 10-13 at the Bellagio Casino and Resort.

This joint volunteer opportunity is part of the philanthropic initiative under the newly formed First American Community Fund, a division of First American Title Insurance Company, that is dedicated to providing strategic investments and promoting volunteerism to local communities throughout the nation. Corporate build days encourage collaboration and demonstrate good corporate citizenship as well as allow companies and their employees to give back to the community.

“I’m excited to know that our employees will be working side by side sharing a common goal and commitment to serve the Las Vegas community,” said Lionel Savage, vice president of industry relations and market development for First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation. “Everyone’s participation in this home-building event demonstrates the ongoing cooperative nature of the business relationship between First American and the nation’s leading minority real estate trade groups.”

Vegas Heights is one of three neighborhoods in Habitat’s Neighborhood Revitalization efforts in Clark County, Nevada.  Nine homes will be built over the next two years using privately donated money.  The city of Las Vegas provided funding for the purchase of the lots and civil improvements. The homes will be sold to families earning less than 80 percent of area median income who qualify and complete the Habitat for Humanity Homeownership Program, which requires adults to complete 300 hours of volunteer labor building Habitat homes, including the one they will eventually purchase.

“The spirit of renewal behind this volunteer effort is really what more of America’s neighborhoods need today,” said Alex Chaparro, NAHREP’s chairman. “NAHREP members are proud to be part of an effort that serves working families and the greater good of the community of Las Vegas.”

“Lending a helping hand to working families, along with the collaborative effort and spirit of volunteerism demonstrated here, makes this build extremely satisfying,” said John Fukuda, AREAA’s Chairman. “AREAA is thrilled to participate with First American Financial Corporation and Habitat for Humanity to build these safe affordable houses for those who lack shelter." 

About First American
First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF) is a leading provider of title insurance and settlement services to the real estate and mortgage industries, that traces its heritage back to 1889. First American and its affiliated companies also provide title plant management services; title and other real property records and images; valuation products and services; home warranty products; property and casualty insurance; and banking, trust and investment advisory services. With revenues of $4 billion in 2009, the company offers its products and services directly and through its agents and partners in all 50 states and in more than 60 countries. More information about the company can be found at www.firstam.com.

About Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas builds single-family homes throughout Clark County for working families earning less than 80 percent of area median income. The homes are sold at no profit through a no-interest mortgage. Families volunteer their labor to help build Habitat homes, including the one they will eventually purchase. For more information go to: www.habitatlasvegas.org.

About NAHREP
The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, a non-profit 501c6 trade association, is dedicated to increasing the homeownership rate among Latinos by educating and empowering the real estate professionals that serve them. Based in San Diego, NAHREP is the premier trade organization for Hispanics and has more than 18,000 members in 48 states and 62 affiliate chapters.

About AREAA
Established in 2003, the Asian Real Estate Association of America’s membership represents a broad array of real estate, mortgage and housing-related professionals that serve the diverse Asian/Pacific-American market. AREAA is the only national trade association dedicated to representing the interest of the Asian real estate market throughout the country. It pursues initiatives that expand home ownership opportunities for more Asian/Pacific-American families, that increase business opportunities for its members and that deliver tangible results for its national partners.

The FANTISS network provides a central point of contact to assist lenders in closing large volumes of real estate owned (REO) transactions through First American Title Insurance Company’s network of local offices nationwide. FANTISS team members provide lenders with a single point of contact throughout the settlement process, allowing for a greater level of simplicity and efficiency when closing multiple-property portfolios.

Through the FANTISS network, lenders closing multi-property REO portfolios will experience standardized and consistent processes, communication, technology, underwriting and pricing. Further, First American Title Insurance Company has a national underwriting staff dedicated to working directly with the FANTISS network, which allows lenders to efficiently resolve any title-related issues that may arise during the REO sales process.

“We are offering a unique and branded solution that benefits both lenders and their home-buying customers,” said Mike Conway, eastern division president for First American Title Insurance Company.  “With today’s high volume of REO sales transactions, traditional regional providers offer little standardization and can simply be overwhelmed. By utilizing the FANTISS network, national lenders will experience the convenience of working with a single point of contact while buyers will receive the same quality and personalized service that they have come to expect when working with First American Title Insurance specialists at the community level.”

About First American Title Insurance Company
First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), traces its history to 1889. One of the largest title insurers in the nation, the company offers title services through its direct operations and an extensive network of agents throughout the United States and abroad. The company has its headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif. Information about First American Financial Corporation’s subsidiaries and an archive of its press releases can be found on the Internet at www.firstam.com.

First American Title’s Mortgage Services division supports many of the nation’s largest financial institutions in pursuing a national strategy for residential origination that focuses on speed, efficiency, customer satisfaction and cost reduction by providing custom closing solutions, leveraging the strength of a national underwriter, applying proprietary technology and tapping into the extensive resources available within the First American family of companies.

First American Title’s Mortgage Services division will replace two legacy divisions of First American Title Insurance Company: National Lenders Advantage and Equity Loan Services, both of which have been collectively serving the residential lending market since 1983. Over the next year, all National Lender Advantage and Equity Loan Services operations and technologies will transition to First American Title’s Mortgage Services division.

In addition to a business strategy focused on the distinct objectives of each residential originator, Pat McLaughlin, division manager of First American Title’s Mortgage Services division, said: “First American understands that mortgage originators need more than a central point of contact to be competitive in a volatile market. We’ve listened closely to our clients and invested in the technology, personnel and infrastructure that our organization needs to support complex relationships with top national lenders. Our newly formed division better represents us as an innovative company with the capacity and experience to successfully deploy cost- and risk-reduction solutions for the mortgage industry.”

Robert Camerota, head of division operations of First American Title’s Mortgage Services division, adds: “Service is not only one of our core values, it’s also what separates First American Title Insurance Company’s Mortgage Services division from other providers. Because we recognize that every touch-point throughout the mortgage closing process is important, our employees are committed to delivering a superior experience on every transaction for both the mortgage lender and their customers.”

About First American Mortgage Services
First American Mortgage Services, a division of First American Title Insurance Company, is a leading provider of origination solutions and the primary source of national title insurance, settlement and valuation services for residential retail loan originators. Since 1983, First American’s national divisions serving residential originators have successfully supplied products and services that have assisted in closing more than 1 million mortgages nationwide and have led the development of proprietary technology to innovate the settlement process. This national division currently has active relationships with the top 10 residential retail originators. More information about the division’s residential origination solutions can be accessed on its website at www.famortgageservices.com.

About First American Title Insurance Company
First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), traces its history to 1889. One of the largest title insurers in the nation, the company offers title services through its direct operations and an extensive network of agents throughout the United States and abroad. The company has its headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif. Information about First American Financial Corporation’s subsidiaries and an archive of its press releases can be found on the Internet at www.firstam.com.

The AgentFirst mobile application, which was previously released for iPhone^® in April 2010 for download at no charge through the iTunes App Store^SM, provides real estate and lending professionals access to property and ownership information which covers 97 percent of all U.S. real estate transactions.

Users with active AgentFirst accounts on their mobile device can easily look up property addresses while in the field and gain access to property information, transaction history and tax data. In addition, the new mobile application allows agents to place title and escrow orders directly through their mobile device.*

"At Keller Williams, we understand the impact mobile computing is having on our clients as well as our associates, which is why we've developed mobile.kw.com," said Bryon Ellington, chief products officer for Keller Williams Realty. "AgentFirst mobile applications for the iPhone, Android and BlackBerry smartphones allow our associates to perform research and place orders while away from the office, which has proven to be extremely beneficial."

According to market research firm comScore, smartphone ownership in the U.S. has now surpassed 49.1 million users as of the second quarter of 2010.  With all four major U.S. carriers now offering at least two Android smartphone devices to their customers, Android smartphones are seeing a significant increase in market share while Research In Motion, maker of the BlackBerry, remains the dominant U.S. smartphone platform representing approximately 41 percent of the market.

"Since launching our AgentFirst app for the iPhone, our real estate professional customers have been asking us to build an app for Android and BlackBerry mobile devices," said Larry Godec, chief information officer for First American. "We see these apps as an opportunity for First American to provide innovative service-oriented solutions to our increasingly mobile customers."

Additional information on First American's AgentFirst mobile app can be found online at http://title.firstam.com/AFmobile. Android smartphone users can download the AgentFirst application at no charge through the Android Market. The AgentFirst application is available for BlackBerry users to  download at http://title.firstam.com/AFmobile. iPhone users may download the application from the iTunes App Store at http://itunes.com/apps/agentfirstrealestate.

For more information, or to establish an AgentFirst account, real estate professionals may contact their local First American Title sales representative.*

AgentFirst is a trademark of First American Title Insurance Company. Android is a trademark of Google, Inc., and BlackBerry is a trademark of Research In Motion, Inc. registered in the U.S. and other countries. Android Market is a service mark of Google, Inc. iPhone, iPad and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple, Inc.

*Not available in all geographic areas and fees may apply. Unavailable in Texas.

About First American Title Insurance Company

First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), traces its history to 1889. One of the largest title insurers in the nation, the company offers title services through its direct operations and an extensive network of agents throughout the United States and abroad. The company has its headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif. Information about First American Financial Corporation's subsidiaries and an archive of its press releases can be found on the Internet at www.firstam.com.

"The name Trustee Servicing Solutions more accurately reflects the broader range of products and services we offer to our customers. The name change is also reflective of our commitment to provide our business partners with a variety of solutions for their foreclosure processing needs,” said Wes Mee, president of First American National Default Title Services.

Trustee Servicing Solutions has established an office in Southern California and will transition selected functions from its Dallas operations to California. Performing functions in two locations will provide a high degree of flexibility in meeting client needs in a multi-state environment.

Trustee Servicing Solutions is a leading provider of foreclosure trustee services, managing non-judicial foreclosure cases. Its trustee services cover the states of California, Nevada, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, and Texas and follow Government Sponsored Enterprise (GSE) guidelines in performing foreclosures. Trustee Servicing Solutions’ services include direct source entry and review, foreclosure processing, loss mitigation solicitation, and title exam and curative resolution.

About First American National Default Title Services
First American National Default Title Services, a division of First American Title Insurance Company, provides the mortgage servicing industry with a variety of title insurance and information products and services in support of various default-related servicing activities. Its customizable array of loss mitigation, foreclosure, REO title, residential rental, and trustee services provides a “one-stop shop” for all aspects of the default servicing process.

About First American Title Insurance Company
First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), traces its history to 1889. One of the largest title insurers in the nation, the company offers title services through its direct operations and an extensive network of agents throughout the United States and abroad. The company has its headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif. Information about First American Financial Corporation’s subsidiaries and an archive of its press releases can be found on the Internet at www.firstam.com.

As escrow and title officer, Twellman’s responsibilities will include closing complex local and national transactions, facilitating multi-site and multi-state projects, and providing expertise on tax credit transactions and construction loans. He comes to First American following more than 13 years with another large national title underwriter where he served as assistant vice president and manager of construction disbursing services from 1997 to 2003, and as vice president and manager of commercial services for the last six years. During his tenure there, Twellman was responsible for underwriting and closing such projects as Busch Stadium, the Old Post Office and the new headquarters for the Centene Corporation.

Verde, who has been named national account manager, will oversee the division’s existing client relationships, as well as develop local and national commercial real estate business with new clients located in Missouri. His prior experience includes serving as general counsel at CreveCor Mortgage, Inc. from 2002 to 2006 and at an area title agency from 1997 to 2002. Prior to that, Verde served as associate counsel and manager in the downtown St. Louis office of a large national title insurance underwriter for five years.

A native of Missouri, Verde holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss., and a juris doctor from St. Louis University.

About First American Title Insurance Company

First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), traces its history to 1889. One of the largest title insurers in the nation, the company offers title services through its direct operations and an extensive network of agents throughout the United States and abroad. The company has its headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif. Information about First American Financial Corporation’s subsidiaries and an archive of its press releases can be found on the Internet at www.firstam.com.

The new AgentFirst app gives real estate and lending professionals mobile access to the nation’s largest source of property and ownership information, which covers 97 percent of all U.S. real estate transactions. With First American Title’s new AgentFirst app, users with active AgentFirst accounts can easily look up property addresses while in the field to gain access to complete property information and characteristics, historic sales information, tax data and more.

“We are very excited about the potential the AgentFirst app offers to increase the efficiency of our highly mobile work force,” said Stefan Peterson, director of operations of Zip Realty, which serves 35 major markets in 22 states and employs more than 3,000 agents. “In our view, the more steps of the real estate transaction that can be completed away from the desktop, the better.”

First American Title’s new AgentFirst app also allows users to place customer service orders for complimentary property profiles and recorded documents around the clock. Users can receive orders back on their iPhone via email or within the secure AgentFirst website.

According to a 2010 study conducted by the National Association of REALTORS^® Center for REALTOR^® Technology, more than 85 percent of real estate agents say they use a smartphone to conduct real estate business. Of those, 26 percent indicated that they currently use an iPhone, while another 15 percent stated that they are likely to switch to an iPhone within the next 12 months.

“Our new AgentFirst app gives iPhone users unprecedented mobile access to real estate data while enabling them to connect instantly with their local title sales representative,” said Larry Godec, chief information officer for First American. “We are committed to giving our customers the data and services they need, when and where they need them, so we are actively working to extend the mobile AgentFirst experience to other popular devices as well.”

The AgentFirst app is currently available at no charge from the App Store at http://itunes.com/apps/agentfirstrealestate. For more information, or to establish an AgentFirst account, real estate professionals may contact their local First American Title sales representative.

AgentFirst is a trademark of First American Title Insurance Company. iPhone, iPad and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple, Inc.

About First American Title Insurance Company

First American Title Insurance Company, the largest subsidiary of The First American Corporation (NYSE: FAF), traces its history to 1889. One of the largest title insurers in the nation, the company offers title services through its direct operations and an extensive network of agents throughout the United States and abroad. The company has its headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif. Information about The First American Corporation’s subsidiaries and an archive of its press releases can be found on the Internet at www.firstam.com.