Overview

Moorari Shah is a partner in the Finance and Bankruptcy Practice Group in the firm's Los Angeles and San Francisco offices. 

Areas of Practice

Moorari combines deep in-house and law firm experience to deliver practical, business-minded legal advice. He represents banks, fintechs, mortgage companies, auto lenders, and other nonbank institutions in transactional, licensing, regulatory compliance, and government enforcement matters covering mergers and acquisitions, consumer and commercial lending, equipment finance and leasing, and supervisory examinations, investigations, and enforcement actions involving state and federal agencies.

Moorari has significant experience negotiating asset- and stock purchases, bank partnership arrangements for fintech platforms, start-up company financings through IPO, payment processing and acquiring transactions, loan purchase and servicing agreements, and complex on-shore and off-shore information technology and business process outsourcing transactions.  He also has experience in real estate, asset-based, and unsecured financings, as well as enforcing rights and remedies against corporate debtors in non-bankruptcy workout negotiations.  His comprehensive approach emphasizes navigation of contractual, operational, and regulatory hurdles to achieve real-world business outcomes.

Clients rely on Moorari’s prudent and pragmatic approach to compliance with state and federal consumer protection laws and regulations, particularly in connection with those laws prohibiting unfair, deceptive, and abusive acts and practices (UDAP/UDAAP).  His expansive knowledge of state licensing requirements and product structuring options aids companies in carefully crafting compliant solutions, taking into account reputational, operational, and enforcement risks.  He is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US), and his advisory work for clients includes implementation of programs, policies, and procedures for purposes of complying with state and federal laws such as  the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and the New York Department of Financial Services Cybersecurity Regulation.

Moorari regularly counsels companies on California-specific financing topics, including new legislation impacting consumer and commercial lenders and lessors, and matters before the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI). He is the Chair of the Legislative and Regulatory Subcommittee of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA), whose membership includes more than 500 manufacturers, banks, and captive and independent leasing and finance companies. 

Moorari started his career as a prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, spent several years in private practice and then worked in-house at Toyota Motor Credit Corporation for nine years, handling a range of commercial transactional and regulatory matters, before rejoining private practice in 2013.  He is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt.

Experience

Experience

Representative matters include assisting:

  • Financial institutions develop new products and services, including consumer and small business financing products, banking services, point-of-sale financing options, and home acquisition and investment alternatives
  • Private equity companies in acquisitions and regulatory due diligence of mortgage, commercial equipment, automobile, and specialty finance company targets
  • Banks and nonbanks in Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and state regulatory examinations and investigations involving bank vendor activities
  • “Challenger banks” and other fintech platforms in bank partnership agreements
  • Equipment lessors in financing transactions and state regulatory and licensing matters
  • Mortgage companies in warehouse financings, affiliated business arrangement joint ventures, and loan purchase and sale agreements
  • Fintech companies preparing for funding rounds and initial public offerings
  • Financial institutions in acquiring core provider, information technology, and business process outsourcing services from domestic and foreign-based service providers

Honors

Honors

David H. Fenig Distinguished Service in Advocacy Award, Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, 2019

Insights

Articles

Consumer Finance and Fintech Blog Posts

Finance and Bankruptcy Law Blog Posts

Speaking Engagements

  • Speaker, “Engagement Session: The Latest on Regulatory Expectations for Vendor Management”, Mortgage Bankers Association Legal Issues & Regulatory Compliance Conference,” May 26, 2021

Memberships

Memberships

Mentorship Chair, South Asian Bar Association of Southern California, 2017-2019

Education

J.D., Boston University, 1996, cum laude

B.A., Duke University, 1993

Admissions

  • California
  • New York
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of California
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