A rising star to help fix Countrywide?

Kenneth D Lewis, the blunt-speaking chief executive of Bank of America, has a lot hanging on the performance of a colleague few people outside of banking have heard of.

Her name is Barbara Desoer, the bank's chief technology officer. With the expected closure Tuesday of Bank of America's controversial $2.6 billion acquisition of Countrywide Financial, she takes over as head of the bank's newly combined mortgage operation.

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Pro Bono or Pro Nono? Law Firms Split on Fulfilling Deals With TrumpExternal link

Pro Bono or Pro Nono? Law Firms Split on Fulfilling Deals With Trump