As the Regulatory Section Leader of the Firm’s Financial Institutions Group, John concentrates his practice on regulatory, governance, and investigative matters involving financial institutions.  He is a frequent speaker and author in the financial institutions area on issues surrounding banking regulations, examinations, and enforcement actions, as well as on national security issues.

Professional Organizations & Associations

John is active in the financial industry and has served as a leader at various organizations involved with financial services law. Some of these organizations include:

• American Bar Association, Banking Law Committee

  • Vice-Chair
  • Chair, Legislation & Regulation Subcommittee
  • Chair, Enforcement, Insider Liability & Troubled Banks Subcommittee
  • Chair, Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering Subcommittee

• American Association of Bank Directors, Task Force on Mitigating Director Liability

• Illinois Bankers Association

  • Thought Leadership Council
  • Faculty Advisor, Law & Banking Principles Class

• Chicago Bar Association, Financial Institutions Committee

  • Chair
  • Legislative Liaison

Anti-Money Laundering & National Security

John devotes significant time to anti-money laundering and related national security issues. In this regard, he lectures and advises institutions around the country, engages with relevant organizations, and has published on the subject. Some of his notable achievements include:

• Chicago-Kent College of Law

  • Founding Co-Director, Center for National Security and Human Rights Law
  • Founding Co-Director, Consortium for the Research and Study of Holocaust and the Law (CRSHL)
  • Adjunct Professor, National Security Law Class

• Distinguished Lecturer, Case Western Reserve University School of Law’s Master of Arts in Financial Integrity (MAFI) Program

• Lecturer

  • Boston University School of Law
  • Case Western Reserve University School of Law
  • Georgetown University Center for Security Studies

• Advisor, Harvard Kennedy School’s National Security Fellows Program

• The Anti-Money Laundering Association

  • President, Midwest Chapter
  • Board of Advisors

• Editor and Contributor, Countering the Financing of Terrorism: Law and Policy (Forthcoming)

• Co-Editor and Contributor, Holocaust and the Law (Forthcoming)

• Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS)

• Member, Business Executives for National Security (BENS)

Banking Thought Leadership

Working at the forefront of banking law and regulation, John is a thought leader in the field, primarily through teaching, writing, and frequent media interviews. Some of these contributions include:

• Chicago-Kent College of Law

  • Adjunct Professor, Graduate Program in Financial Services Law
  • Board of Advisors, Institute for Compliance

• Instructor, Fundamentals of Banking Law

  • Boston University School of Law
  • University of California, Berkeley, School of Law

• Contributor, Keys to Banking Law: A Handbook for Lawyers

• Co-Editor and Contributor, Advising Illinois Financial Institutions

Regulatory & Compliance Background

Prior to joining the Firm in 1999, John worked as a bank regulator and also as a compliance consultant.  He served as legal counsel for the Illinois bank regulatory agency, now the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. John also obtained practical experience with respect to bank operations and compliance issues as a regulatory consultant with a regional accounting firm, performing compliance reviews and training for a variety of financial institutions.