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Source: Tulsa World, Okla.self storageOct. 21--So far, the largest financial beneficiary of Oklahoma's mortgage settlement program is a young attorney who used a system of vouchers and possibly a family connection to acquire dozens of clients.A few months after attorney Benjamin Lepak passed his Oklahoma bar exam in 2012, he took free continuing legal education classes in foreclosure defense paid for by the state's mortgage settlement program.Then Lepak, 29, used the program's voucher system launched in 2013 to pick up 35 new clients.The vouchers are a feature of Resolution Oklahoma, the program crafted by Attorney General Scott Pruitt after he opted the state out of the National Mortgage Settlement.Oklahomans can apply for free foreclosure defense assistance through Legal Aid, or for vouchers of up to $5,000 to hire an attorney if their income exceeds the threshold for free help from Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma.Records show that the 326 cases approved for legal voucher assistance so far may result in a payday of more than $1.6 million for Oklahoma attorneys.Lepak has earned nearly $40,000 in voucher funds so far and could make as much as $171,000 from Pruitt's program with his current client roster.Two of Lepak's clients told the Tulsa World it was Legal Aid's Tulsa office who referred them to Lepak. Others did not return calls seeking comment.Lepak's mother, Linda Lepak, is the managing attorney for Legal Aid's statewide application line in the Tulsa office.Ben Lepak told the World he wasn't sure how many clients he picked up through the voucher program or how they may have been referred to him."I'm sure there have been some cases referred to us," he said. "I don't know how -- if they keep a list or something. My mom works in the Tulsa office, but it's just a coincidence."According to Legal Aid's written policies, "no officer, staff or board member, or agent shall participate in the selection, award, or administration of a contract supported by Federal or state funds if a real or apparent conflict of interest would be involved."The policy states that "such a conflict would arise when the employee, board member, officer, or agent, any member of his or her immediate family, his or her partner, or an organization which employs or is about to employ any of the parties indicated herein, has a financial or other interest in the firm selected for an award."Linda Lepak did not return calls seeking comment.Michael Figgins, executive director of Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, said he doesn't think Ben and Linda Lepak's family relationship qualifies as a conflict of interest.Figgins said Legal Aid anticipated it was going to have increased training needs for his staff because of the grant. Figgins said he "thought it would be nice if I could find a private attorney in Tulsa and one in Oklahoma City to help with implementation."So he said he reached out to Ben Lepak, who lives and works in Norman, and attorney Brian Huddleston of Tulsa, for their foreclosure defense experience.'We needed help'The Oklahoma Bar Association now has a list of more than 60 member attorneys practicing foreclosure defense. More than 240 attorneys received free training through seminars funded by Resolution Oklahoma. At least 15 have submitted billing for vouchers to the Attorney General's Office.But Legal Aid's initial list from January through March for referrals had only two names: Ben Lepak and Brian Huddleston."All of the calls presented dire circumstances with homes at risk," Figgins said. "I quickly created a list of two attorneys that I knew were quite good at foreclosure defense and that would make a difference for the foreclosure clients."Figgins said he was aware Ben Lepak was his employee's son when he interviewed him, but there was no conflict of interest in his view."The fact that he was Linda's kid wasn't enough for me," he said. "His mother had nothing to do with it. It was more his proximity to the OKC metro area. There's a dearth of qualified people, and we needed help."Legal Aid received its own $1.285 million grant through Resolution Okla迷你倉oma to assist low-income homeowners with mortgage modifications, refinancing, short sales, housing counseling and navigating the foreclosure process. It is separate from the attorney general's voucher program.Now Legal Aid uses the bar association's expanded list to refer callers to foreclosure attorneys, Figgins said.One of Lepak's 35 clients told the World she has questions about his dedication to her case and how she was referred to him by Legal Aid."They recommended him because he dealt a lot with those types of cases," said Tulsa resident Monisha Steele.Lepak emailed her the application for a voucher after she was told she earned too much to qualify for help from Legal Aid. She said Legal Aid gave Lepak her contact information."He showed himself pretty friendly at first," she said.But they've never met in person and have only spoken on the phone a few times. Lepak has taken no action on her legal case since March and rarely returns her calls or emails, she said. Records show Lepak has billed Resolution Oklahoma $1,000 for her case as of Oct. 11.When Steele complained earlier this year about a lack of action in her case, Lepak told her, "I have 31 cases just like yours," she said. She has asked him to withdraw so she can use her voucher to hire new counsel. Steele has decided to file bankruptcy so she can save her house from foreclosure by U.S. Bank."If he's not going to do it, I would just like to know," she said. "I just don't want other people to go through this."Ben Lepak said he was unaware of Steele's emails or complaints. After the World contacted him Oct. 4, he returned Steele's phone calls. On Oct. 10, he filed a motion to withdraw as Steele's counsel, court records show.'Working hard'Ben Lepak has a law degree from the University of Notre Dame and is also a member of the Texas Bar Association.He said he learned the ins and outs of foreclosure defense working on the other side for a large corporation in Texas.The experience made him passionate about helping homeowners who are having a hard time, and his firm is willing to travel throughout the state to do it, he said."I've seen how much of a mess the mortgage industry made," he said. "They took this massive taxpayer bailout and then refused to work with homeowners. We're working hard to help people."Lepak said his firm takes cases "that other lawyers simply will not take.""We have an outstanding reputation in the legal community in Oklahoma," he said. "Our professional network is large, and they know that we do good work on foreclosure cases."In the case of Donna Compton, a Tulsa resident fighting foreclosure by Bank of America, Lepak has been hard to reach at times but effective, she said."He is being very helpful," Compton said.Though Bank of America recently offered her a modification plan with payments she may be able to afford, Lepak is still fighting the foreclosure case in court, she said.Compton was referred to him after she called the Tulsa office of Legal Aid and was told she didn't qualify for its program. She said Legal Aid gave her the names of two attorneys: Huddleston, who she was told required payment up front, and Lepak, who billed the attorney general's voucher program as he worked on cases.Through Oct. 11, attorneys participating in the program have billed more than $128,000 for work on cases involving 57 Oklahoma homeowners.Most of the 15 attorneys who have billed so far have received vouchers for between one and four cases.Oklahoma City attorney Scott Harris has the most total cases through the voucher program but has only billed for four so far.Harris said he's been practicing foreclosure defense for nearly three years throughout the state. He could earn as much as $270,000 from the program.He said none of his 54 foreclosure voucher clients have been referred to him by Legal Aid.Cary Aspinwall 918-581-8477cary.aspinwall@tulsaworld.comCasey Smith 918-732-8106casey.smith@tulsaworld.comCopyright: ___ (c)2013 Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.) 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