ERIN DELIVERS INNOVATIVE REGULATORY, COMPLIANCE, AND DEFAULT SOLUTIONS TO CLIENTS IN THE FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY.

Erin is a Co-Chair of the Firm’s Consumer Financial Services Group. She is also a member of the Firm’s Technology Industry Group and Finance & Restructuring Practice Group. Erin is passionate about identifying innovative legal solutions for her clients. She draws on her prior in-house experience as a Senior Corporate Counsel for one of the largest banks in the United States in order to anticipate her clients’ evolving business needs and tailor her legal services to their specific goals.

Erin’s regulatory and compliance practice includes advising clients on anti-money laundering laws, cannabis regulations, collections, consumer lending, consumer loan servicing, credit reporting, default servicing, the Dodd-Frank Act, earned wage access products, electronic banking, financial technology, government examination/supervision, licensure, mortgage (origination, servicing, and warehouse lending), and privacy. Her default and bankruptcy practice includes bankruptcy litigation, consumer bankruptcy compliance, lien enforcement, receiverships, and out-of-court commercial workouts.

Learn more about Erin Bryan here: https://www.dorsey.com/people/...

JOE IS A LONG-TIME ADVISER TO THE FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, WITH A DEPTH OF EXPERIENCE THAT ALLOWS HIM TO “CONNECT THE DOTS” FOR CLIENTS IN THE COMPLEX (AND SOMETIMES CONFLICTING) REGULATORY AND STATUTORY SCHEMES CONFRONTING FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES.

Joe is a partner in the Firm’s Finance & Restructuring Group and a member of the Banking Industry Group. He practices in both the Firm’s Washington, D.C. and Southern California offices. Joe possesses a broad knowledge base regarding foreign banks and domestic banks, savings associations, bank holding companies, finance companies, mortgage banking companies and their subsidiaries and affiliates. His practice includes providing financial intermediaries advice in the areas of regulatory and strategic planning, application and licensing, legislative strategy, commercial and consumer lending, examination, supervision and enforcement, and general corporate matters. Joe’s FDIC-insured financial institution clients benefit from his experience in the special state and federal statutory and regulatory requirements—including safety and soundness issues—that apply to regulated financial intermediaries. He regularly counsels clients on matters such as retail operations, privacy, identity theft, consumer compliance, application and underwriting, payments systems, Internet, electronic commerce, examination, supervision and enforcement, operational and strategic planning matters. Joe is a frequent lecturer on legal topics involving the operation and regulation of financial service companies. Specific regulatory topics upon which Joe has advised clients and spoken at conferences include the Dodd-Frank Act, prudential regulation, the Volcker Rule, the Bank Secrecy Act (and other anti-money laundering provisions), mortgage lending and the CFPB.

Learn more about Joe Lynyak here: https://www.dorsey.com/people/...

Sonia Roschelli, LCSW-S, LCDC, is director of Addictions and Recovery Servicesat Menninger. She has expertise in evidence-based practices for co-occurring disorders and is skilled in working with adolescents, adults and families at inpatient and outpatient levels of care. Sonia has completed advanced training in acceptance and commitment therapy, motivational interviewing and other mindfulness and self-compassion-based approaches to treatment.

Roschelli is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, Texas Association of Addiction Professionals and NAADAC, the Association for Addictions Professionals. She has given presentations locally and nationally about treating co-occurring disorders and mindfulness and acceptance-based approaches to treatment.

Learn more about Sonia Roschelli here!
 

A manager with Menninger 360, Emily Pyle, LPC-S, offers a collaborative, strengths-based, person-centered therapeutic approach. She helps empower and equip individuals and families with the confidence and skills that they need to achieve positive mental health and sustainable wellness in all dimensions of their lives. Emily has worked with individuals and families of diverse ages, backgrounds and presenting problems in hospital, school and community settings.

Learn more about Emily Pyle here!

Although Valerie Fayle, JD, CPRS, LMSW, has more than 20 years of experience as a lawyer, she now serves as an associate addictions counselor at The Menninger Clinic, where she previously served as a peer recovery specialist. She has been in recovery for more than 10 years and was the recipient of the 2019 Spirit of Social Work Award.

She earned an undergraduate degree in History and Politics from Washington & Lee University, and a law degree from the South Texas College of Law. Valerie is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Lawyers Assistance Program and Texas Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers.  

Learn more about Valerie Fayle here!

Usman Sheikh is Chair of the Blockchain & Fintech Practice. He is a Transactional Partner in Baker McKenzie's Toronto office and is also a member of the Firm's Litigation and Government Enforcement Practice Group. In 2018, Usman was named as one of the "Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers" in Canada by Canadian Lawyer and for six consecutive years (2020 to 2025) as one of the top fintech lawyers (Band 1) in Canada by Chambers.  Usman regularly advises clients on FinTech, blockchain, AI and quantum computing strategy, including on corporate / commercial, regulatory and litigation matters. Over the years, his clients have included Canada's largest banks and stock exchanges, supranational organizations, social media platforms, sovereign wealth funds, public companies, crypto and AI pioneers, and more. He routinely interacts with regulators on cutting edge issues (e.g., AI, blockchain, IoT, etc), such as the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), Financial Stability Board (FSB), IOSCO, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and others, and also speaks frequently on these issues. Since 2019, Usman has served as an Adjunct Professor with the University of Toronto (Faculty of Law) and teaches a course on blockchain, digital assets and the law. 

Learn more about Usman Sheikh here: https://www.bakermckenzie.com/...

Michael serves as the head of the Financial Services Regulatory Practice for Canada and is a Transactional Partner in Baker McKenzie's Toronto office. His practice focuses on Canadian financial regulation and compliance for FinTechs, financial institutions and financial market participants, payment services, online marketplaces, blockchain and web3 devs. He is a co-author of Baker McKenzie's Doing Business in Canada, the Annotated Bank Act (2025-2023 editions) and the Jurisclasseur en valeurs mobilieres, a long leading treatise on securities laws in Canada. Michael’s specialized practice areas cover legal issues, including those relating to banking, AML/FT, privacy, insurance, securities and OTC swaps and derivatives, among others.

Learn more about Michael Garellek here: https://www.bakermckenzie.com/...

Justine Johnston is a senior associate in Baker McKenzie's Global Antitrust & Competition Group and International Commercial Practice Group, focusing on competition/antitrust law and foreign investment review. Justine advises clients on all aspects of Canadian competition law, with a particular focus on obtaining competition clearance in domestic, cross-border and multi-jurisdictional transactions. She provides strategic advice to clients regarding criminal and civil investigations, including for allegations of conspiracy and abuse of dominance as well as pricing and distribution practices, and all other compliance matters.

Learn more about Justine Johnston here: https://www.bakermckenzie.com/...

Laurie Shieff is a seasoned corporate, commercial, and banking attorney with extensive experience negotiating a wide variety of contracting arrangements. Laurie joined RBC in March 2023 as Managing Counsel, and as an integral member of RBC’s Global Procurement Legal Team, she leads complex contract negotiations and the development of enterprise contract templates while working closely with internal cross-functional teams.  Prior to joining RBC, Laurie advised financial institutions and corporate borrowers on the structuring and negotiation of domestic and cross-border loan transactions at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt. She then joined the in-house legal team at Moneris (a leading Canadian payments company) and advised across a variety of practice areas. She then joined TD, initially as a member of the Canadian payments legal team, then as a member of the sourcing legal team. Laurie graduated from the University of Ottawa with a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) degree, and from Western University with a Bachelor of Laws degree. 

Vipul Nishawala is Global Head of our Complex Commercial Transactions & Outsourcing Group, a team of 50+ lawyers worldwide that advises clients on their most important outsourcing, core systems, cloud, professional services and digital transformation transactions and initiatives.

Vipul is a recognized leader in this space, with more than 25 years of experience in structuring and negotiating strategic outsourcing, services and technology-driven deals for clients across industries, most notably for major financial institutions. He has extensive experience in IT and business process outsourcings, complex cloud arrangements, core systems deals, and the adoption of new technologies like artificial intelligence.

Vipul assists clients through every stage of their deals, from developing objectives and issuing RFPs through negotiations and closing. He also counsels on contract management strategies and works with clients to resolve challenging scope, performance and financial disputes.

Learn more about Vipul Nishawala here: https://www.cliffordchance.com...

Holger Lutz advises German and international companies on all aspects of information technology law, including artificial intelligence as well as intellectual property law, data protection law, telecommunications law and leasing.

He particularly focuses on the legal issues related to (out-)sourcing contracts, hardware and software contracts, e-commerce and data protection.

Learn more about Dr. Holger Lutz here: https://www.cliffordchance.com...

Michael is an intellectual property trial lawyer, with an emphasis on patent litigation. He is recognized for being “superb at working up cases and delivering them in the right key for district court, Federal Circuit and PTAB judges” (IAM Patent 1000, 2020). Michael has extensive experience across a wide array of technologies and has also been recognized for his patent litigation work by Chambers USA since 2019 and The Legal 500 US in 2021. He has been named a Super Lawyers’ “Rising Star” for intellectual property litigation since 2015.

Learn more about Michael Bittner here:https://www.winston.com/en/pro... 

Danielle is the managing partner of Winston’s Charlotte office and co-chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice. She is a high-stakes business litigation lawyer. With 25 years’ experience, Danielle handles significant, high profile disputes for publicly traded and privately held companies involving material damages demands. Over her career, she has represented clients in federal and state courts across the country and in arbitrations in patent infringement, trade secret misappropriation, copyright infringement, breach of contract, antitrust, and environmental matters. Her patent infringement cases have been concentrated in the top patent litigation courts in the country and span a variety of technologies and industries including financial services, high tech, semiconductors, telecommunications, software, mobile applications, and consumer products.

Learn more about Danielle Williams here: https://www.winston.com/en/pro...

KYLE J. GLOVER is a partner at the law firm Pierce Atwood LLP and a consultant on negotiation and dispute resolution.  In his law practice, Kyle assists clients with a wide range of matters related to the negotiation of complex technology and intellectual property transactions.  In addition to his subject-matter and legal expertise, Kyle advises his clients on negotiation strategy throughout the deal life cycle, including advising on deal set-up and structure, process, and substantive contract issues.  He also typically represents his client in negotiations with counterparties to the transaction, where he employs cutting-edge negotiation techniques and best practices to resolve conflict, clarify concepts, and create value.   Other attorneys also regularly consult Kyle for advice on how to resolve difficult negotiation problems. 

In addition to the practice of law, Kyle teaches and consults on negotiation-related matters. Kyle is Adjunct Professor of Law in negotiation at Georgetown University Law Center. He also regularly designs and conducts trainings and workshops on negotiation and effective communication for non-profit and for-profit companies in the United States and abroad. He is a past faculty member of the Harvard Negotiation Institute, where he taught a week-long negotiation course for mid-career professionals from 2014 to 2019, and he has been appointed twice to serve as a Lecturer on Law in negotiation at Harvard Law School.   

 Prior to entering private law practice, Kyle clerked for the Hon. Jon O. Newman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and for the Hon. F. Dennis Saylor IV of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.  Kyle is a graduate of Harvard Law School, cum laude (JD), where he served as a court-certified mediator in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts through the Harvard Mediation Program.  Kyle is also a graduate of the Fletcher School at Tufts University (MA), where he was awarded the Stewart Prize for academic excellence.  He earned his bachelor’s degree (BA) from the University of Chicago.

Learn more about Kyle J. Glover here: https://www.pierceatwood.com/p...

Jasmine Samra is counsel in Gowling WLG's Toronto office and a member of the firm's Cyber Security and Data Protection Group and Technology Group. Jasmine advises clients on a wide range of privacy, cyber security, AI and data governance issues across industries such as technology, financial services and insurance.

Jasmine supports organizations in navigating complex privacy requirements, including compliance with emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, big data and the Internet of Things. She addresses intricate privacy challenges, including those related to AI tools and biometrics, by providing clients with strategic, forward-thinking guidance to assist in compliance with evolving legal standards while mitigating risks. She helps clients develop and implement privacy compliance programs and privacy frameworks tailored to their unique operational needs. Her experience extends to advising on corporate transactions, outsourcing arrangements, data processing agreements and cross-border data flows.

With broad experience handling requests under Canada's Access to Information Act and provincial freedom of information legislation, Jasmine assists clients in safeguarding confidential third-party business information. She also provides practical and strategic advice on managing data breaches and other privacy-related incidents, serving as a trusted advisor.

Jasmine’s expertise also encompasses Canada’s anti-spam law (CASL) and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission's Do Not Call rules, ensuring her clients remain compliant with marketing and electronic communication regulations.

Prior to joining Gowling WLG, Jasmine served as senior counsel at one of Canada’s largest financial institutions. In this role, she provided legal advice on a variety of privacy, cyber security and social media issues globally, including implementing compliance measures for the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Her experience also includes developing global privacy policies, consent frameworks and data protection agreements.

Jasmine is dedicated to helping organizations balance innovation with privacy, delivering practical solutions that align with both regulatory requirements and business goals.

Learn more about Jasmine Samra: https://gowlingwlg.com/en/peop...

Karen Shin focuses her practice on a diverse range of data privacy and information security matters, including compliance with various privacy laws and regulations, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act, General Data Protection Regulation, HIPAA, and state data protection and breach notification laws.

Karen also assists clients develop and implement internal and external privacy policies, drafts various commercial and technology-related agreements on both the customer and service provider side (including contracts for goods, professional service agreements, cloud services and software, mobile applications and data licensing agreements, end user license agreements, terms of service, and data processing agreements/addenda), and performs due diligence reviews related to data privacy and security.

She previously served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Josephine L. Staton, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. During law school, Karen served as a staff editor for the UC Irvine Law Review and a research fellow for the Korea Law Center and Lawyering Skills. She also served as co-chair for the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association and the communications chair for the Entertainment and Sports Law Society.

Learn more about Karen H. Shin: https://www.blankrome.com/peop...

Chris is the co-leader of the Consumer Financial Services Regulatory Practice Group at the firm. He advises financial services institutions facing state and federal government investigations and examinations, counseling them on compliance issues including UDAP/UDAAP, credit reporting, debt collection, and fair lending, and defending them in individual and class action lawsuits brought by consumers and enforcement actions brought by government agencies.

Chris also leverages insights from his litigation and enforcement experience to help clients design new products and processes, including machine learning marketing, fraud prevention and underwriting models, product structure, advertising, online application flows, underwriting, and collection and loss mitigation strategies.

Chris brings a highly practical focus to his legal advice, informed by balancing a deep understanding of the business of consumer finance and the practical priorities of federal and state regulatory agencies.

Chris speaks frequently at conferences across the U.S. on consumer financial services law and has been featured in numerous articles in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, American Banker, National Law Journal, BNA Bloomberg, and Bank Safety and Soundness Advisor.

Learn more about Chris Willis: https://www.troutman.com/profe...

Lori, a partner in the firm’s Consumer Financial Services Practice Group, is a seasoned consumer financial services attorney with more than 25 years of experience in federal government, in-house, and private practice settings. She draws upon these varied experiences to provide practical, actionable legal advice to banks and nonbanks. 

Lori advises clients on all aspects of regulatory compliance and helps them navigate examinations, supervisory issues, investigations, and enforcement actions. Particularly experienced with consumer financial products and services, she counsels clients in regulatory compliance matters, and routinely represents financial services companies in preparing for examinations by the CFPB and federal and state banking agencies. Lori also regularly helps clients in navigating supervisory issues, and successfully represented many clients in investigations and enforcement actions.

Additionally, Lori has deep experience in fair lending and responsible banking regulatory compliance, including the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act, and unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices laws (UDAP/UDAAP). She advises clients on traditional areas of fair lending risk as well as fair lending statistical analyses and complex predictive data analytics, including artificial intelligence and machine learning models and variables.

Lori leverages her in-house experience at a major bank in building, implementing, and managing fair lending and responsible banking risk management programs to help clients with all aspects of their programs. She has also successfully defended clients in dozens of fair lending investigations and enforcement actions by the CFPB and the U.S. Department of Justice. Additionally, Lori is highly experienced in advising clients concerning compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, particularly regarding accessibility of physical spaces and digital platforms (websites and mobile applications).

Clients benefit from Lori’s extensive experience in the financial sector, which includes significant roles as in-house counsel at major financial institutions and her most recent position as executive vice president and deputy general counsel for consumer banking at a regional bank. Additionally, Lori has served as outside counsel for financial services clients with two nationally recognized law firms. She began her career as a staff attorney at the FDIC in Washington, D.C., where she contributed to the formulation of bank consumer protection and safety and soundness policies and regulations.

Lori speaks frequently at industry and legal conferences. Her engagements have included: The American Bar Association’s Consumer Financial Services Committee meetings; American Bankers Association Regulatory Compliance Conference; CBA Live; CRA & Fair Lending Colloquium; Minnesota Banking Law Institute; banking and credit union trade association conferences; and various law firm webinars and client workshops.

Learn more about Lori Sommerfield here: https://www.troutman.com/profe...

Jesse provides comprehensive guidance to clients in the financial services sector as they navigate state and federal regulatory landscapes. He began his career in senior roles in state government and at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), enabling him to apply an insider’s understanding of state and federal enforcement to his clients’ matters. As chief legal and compliance officer for several fintechs, Jesse also brings a business perspective as he guides clients from product idea to deployment.

Jesse helps financial services clients design and manage regulatory compliance programs. He integrates compliance strategies throughout his clients’ business units, including product design, advertising, fundraising, vendor procurement, and governance. Jesse also serves as a liaison for his clients’ interactions, inquiries, and enforcement proceedings involving state and federal regulatory agencies.

Learn more about Jesse Silverman here: https://www.troutman.com/profe...

Ramina Dehkhoda-Steele is the Partner-in-Charge of the Firm’s Redmond, Washington office of Wong Fleming and manages the West Coast operations for the Firm. Ms. Dehkhoda-Steele is the Chair of the Transactional Group and the Co-Chair of the Commercial Litigation practice group. She is an avid litigator and has extensive experience in various areas of the law. In addition to litigation, Ms. Dehkhoda-Steele focuses on complex technology transactions, complex real estate transactions.

Ms. Dehkhoda-Steele has represented many Fortune 500 companies in transactional matters and has been representing large companies with respect to general liability, employment law for the past 20 years.

Ms. Dehkhoda-Steele has an active arbitration and mediation practice and she is an Arbitrator with the AAA.

Learn more about Ramina Dehkhoda-Steele here: https://www.wongfleming.com/me...

Shahzad Qadri is a Partner in the Firm’s Redmond, Washington office of Wong Fleming and Chair of the Immigration Law practice group.  He concentrates his practice in the areas of immigration law, real estate and corporate matters with a focus on investment based EB-5 Regional Centers.

Prior to joining Wong Fleming, Mr. Qadri served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the King County Prosecutors’ office in Seattle, Washington.  Mr. Qadri also has significant experience in the areas of insurance defense and toxic torts.

Mr. Qadri is also an Arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association (AAA), helping facilitate fair resolutions in business and commercial disputes.

Mr. Qadri has the distinct honor of being named as a “rising star” in the legal profession by Law & Politics. Mr. Qadri was nominated as a fellow to the Washington Leadership Institute.

Learn more about Shahzad Qadri here: https://www.wongfleming.com/me...