The Financial Protection Law Center is a non-profit public interest law firm founded in 2001. We provide legal services and support to protect low-income people and families from unfair and predatory financial practices to preserve home ownership and enhance their ability to build equity and prosper.
Mallam J. Maynard
The Financial Protection Law Center was founded by Mal Maynard. He served as Executive Director through 2019 and retired from the firm in 2020. Mal is a nationally recognized consumer advocate who saved thousands of family homes and farms and served as co-counsel in class action cases against mortgage and payday lenders throughout his distinguished legal career. FPLC owes its existence to Mal and his legacy and spirit continue to inspire our work.
Charles A. Bentley, Jr.
Durham, NC
Richard P. Cook
Wilmington, NC
Andre C. Brown
Wilmington, NC
Auley M. (Lee) Crouch, III
Wilmington, NC
Anne J. Randall
Wilmington, NC
Maria McIntyre
Maria has been an attorney with FPLC since its inception and became the Executive Director in 2020. Her advocacy is focused on defending and seeking justice for lower-income and financially distressed homeowners and clients. Maria practices primarily in the areas of foreclosure defense, mortgage and mobile home lending litigation and consumer bankruptcy. She is a member of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys and the National Association of Consumer Advocates. Maria is a proud Tar Heel, having received her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of North Carolina.
April Cheers
With over 30 years of experience working in the legal field, April joined our organization in 2011 as an Office Manager and North Carolina State Bar Certified Paralegal. She is a native of the Wilmington, NC, area and graduated from UNCW with a B.A. in English.
Michael Gillespie
Michael Gillespie is an attorney with the Financial Protection Law Center. Prior to joining FPLC in 2025, he spent twelve years representing disabled workers and their families in Social Security disability claims at both the administrative and federal court levels, developing extensive experience in hearings, appeals, and complex evidentiary matters.
Michael earned his Bachelor of Arts from Davidson College in 2000 and his Juris Doctor from Charleston School of Law in 2012. He is licensed to practice law in North Carolina and is admitted to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
Michael is active in the Wilmington Rotary Club, where he serves on the Education Committee and as co-chair of the UNCW Rotaract Club initiative. He also helps lead international development efforts to expand solar power infrastructure, supporting healthcare delivery in rural Sierra Leone. In his free time, he enjoys music and welding.
Ruth Green
With over 20 years of experience in the legal field, Ruth Green joined our organization in 2025 as a part-time paralegal. Ruth manages client intake applications and communications.
Ruth grew up in the mountains of North Carolina and graduated from Appalachian State University with a B.A. in Communications.