Morrison Foerster is an international law firm with lawyers practicing throughout the United States, Asia, and Europe. Click to discover more.

mofo_share_image.jpg

Morrison Foerster

common-default.jpeg

Terms / Notices

Cookies

Privacy Policy

Reporting Hotline

Attorney Advertising

Alumni

  Linkedin

MoFo LinkedIN

  Facebook

MoFo Facebook

YouTube

MoFo Youtube

Morrison Foerster - Footer

Practising Law Institute's (PLI) FinTech 2024

You have not solved the recaptcha challenge yet or session expired, try again.

Email Disclaimer

Disclaimer

Unsolicited e-mails and information sent to Morrison Foerster will not be considered confidential, may be disclosed to others pursuant to our <a href="https://www.mofo.com/about/privacy-policy.html">Privacy Policy</a>, may not receive a response, and do not create an attorney-client relationship with Morrison Foerster. If you are not already a client of Morrison Foerster, do not include any confidential information in this message. Also, please note that our attorneys do not seek to practice law in any jurisdiction in which they are not properly authorized to do so.

Feedback

mofo-logo-2022.svg

People

Capabilities

Resources

About

Culture

Offices

Careers

Stay Connected

MoFo partners Deb Connor and Kelley Howes will join Practising Law Institute (PLI) for their FinTech program on December 6, 2024.

MoFo partners Deb Connor and Kelley Howes will join Practising Law Institute (PLI) for their FinTech program on December 6, 2024. Deb, co-chair of the program, will provide the opening remarks for the day and lead the panel titled "FinTech Regulatory Enforcement Updates" at 9:15 a.m. ET, which will discuss the most significant enforcement actions of 2024 and what to consider for 2025. Kelley will speak on the “Investment Funds: A Focus on Tokenization and the Use of AI” panel at 1:45 p.m. ET, which will address various issues related to the use of AI by registered investment companies of blockchain technology to tokenize fund securities.PLI’s FinTech program will address recent developments and trends within the rapidly evolving landscape of technology and regulation in the financial services industry. Participants will gain insights into the key regulatory actions taken in 2024, explore the impact of emerging technologies on financial services, and learn strategies to minimize potential risks. For more information and event registration, visit the <a href="https://www.pli.edu/programs/fintech?t=live" target="_blank">event website</a>.<hr>

Practising Law Institute's (PLI) FinTech 2024

Sign Up

Deborah L. Connor, former chief of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), is a partner in MoFo’s Investigations + White Collar Defense Group. With more than 25 years of service at DOJ, most recently leading its anti-money laundering (AML)/Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) enforcement, Deborah is a leading authority in criminal AML/BSA matters. Drawing upon her unmatched experience in criminal investigations, litigation, and enforcement, Deborah focuses on guiding financial institutions, multinational companies, and individuals through cross-border internal investigations, regulatory enforcement defense, white collar criminal defense, and compliance counseling involving legal issues pertaining to sanctions, anti-corruption, AML/BSA, and cryptocurrency, among others.As chief and principal deputy chief of MLARS, Deborah supervised investigations and prosecutions of numerous high-profile cases involving allegations of corporate and financial misconduct and resolutions involving deferred prosecution and non-prosecution agreements in relation to financial institutions and emerging technologies in the financial services markets, as well as blockchain-based digital assets. As chief, she exercised supervisory authority over the DOJ’s AML program, specifically any charges involving violations of BSA statutes. Deborah has worked with domestic regulators, including the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Reserve, and the Office of Foreign Assets Control, as well as enforcement officials throughout the federal government, including the Departments of State, Commerce, and Treasury. She was also responsible for helping to oversee the Department’s Asset Forfeiture Program. Deborah also served as senior counsel to the assistant attorney general for the Criminal Division.Prior to joining the Criminal Division, Deborah had a distinguished 16-year career as an assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, where she held several leadership positions and supervised hundreds of prosecutors. In her last five years with the office, Deborah served as chief of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section, where she supervised the office’s white collar prosecutions including complex AML and sanctions evasion investigations and prosecutions against global financial institutions and their employees, civil and criminal forfeiture cases, and major financial fraud actions involving corporations and government agencies. As a criminal prosecutor, Deborah has investigated a broad range of white collar and other federal criminal matters, tried over 40 criminal trials in both D.C. Superior and Federal Courts, supervised more than 100 criminal trials, and briefed and argued criminal appeals. Deborah began her career at DOJ as a civil trial attorney in the Antitrust Division’s former Computers and Finance Section.Deborah received numerous awards while at DOJ, including five Special Achievement Awards, and the United States Attorney’s Star Award in the U.S. Attorney’s Office. During her time at the Criminal Division, Ms. Connor twice received the Assistant Attorney General’s Exceptional Service Award and the Assistant Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service. In 2021, Deborah was named one of Global Investigations Review’s (GIR) Top 100 Women in Investigations.Prior to joining DOJ, Deborah was a litigation associate at a large D.C.-based law firm, and before entering the practice of law, she joined a large Chicago-based commercial bank, where she served as a relationship manager for U.S. subsidiaries of multinational corporations.Deborah is a frequent speaker on AML and financial crimes enforcement. She has participated as a keynote speaker or panelist at conferences such as the American Bar Association’s (ABA) National Institute on White Collar Crime, ABA’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Conference, the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists’ (ACAMS) Annual AML & Anti-Financial Crime Conference, the Practising Law Institute, and the American Gaming Association.Deborah received her J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center, where she served on the Georgetown Law Journal as a notes editor. She received her B.A. from Miami University of Ohio.<h4>Representative Experience</h4><ul><li>Supervised the investigation and resolution of a matter involving a global financial institution and its European subsidiary related to fraud on financial investors. The matter resulted in a deferred prosecution agreement with the parent and a guilty plea with a subsidiary, guilty pleas of three employees, financial penalties, fines, and disgorgement.</li><li>Supervised the investigation and resolution of a matter involving a global financial institution and a foreign subsidiary in connection with bond deal underwriting. The matter resulted in a deferred prosecution agreement, a guilty plea for a subsidiary, financial penalties, and the conviction of two former high-level employees.</li><li>Supervised the investigation and resolution of a matter involving a foreign sovereign wealth fund, as part of the misappropriation of over $4.5 billion from the fund. The matter resulted in seizures of over $1.7 billion in assets as part of a civil forfeiture recovery.</li><li>Supervised the investigation and resolution of a matter involving a foreign financial institution related to a money laundering conspiracy in connection with a bribery scheme. The matter resulted in a deferred prosecution agreement, financial penalties, forfeiture, and the guilty pleas of two employees.</li><li>Supervised the investigation and resolution of a matter involving a foreign financial institution related to the processing of transactions in violation of U.S. sanctions. The matter resulted in a parent-level guilty plea and a non-prosecution agreement with a subsidiary, in addition to forfeiture.</li></ul>

Deborah Connor

Partner

Kelley Howes is a Partner in the Denver office and Co-Chair of the Investment Management Group.Kelley has experience with a wide range of legal, regulatory, compliance, corporate governance, insurance, and other matters relating primarily to the representation of U.S. registered and unregistered investment companies, registered investment advisers, transfer agents, and broker-dealers.Kelley has counseled independent fund directors on governance issues, and has advised mutual funds on mergers, reorganizations, compliance, and regulatory matters, including examinations and enforcement matters.Kelley has more than 30 years’ experience in investment management-related matters. Prior to joining Morrison Foerster, she served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Janus Capital Group Inc., a NYSE-listed global asset management holding company. She also previously served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Janus Capital Management LLC, a U.S. registered investment advisory subsidiary of Janus Capital Group, and as President of the Janus funds and President of Janus Distributors LLC.Kelley is ranked by Chambers for her expertise in Registered Funds. She was also recognized as a "Top Lawyer" for Securities in the 2022 guide of 5280, Colorado's largest local publication and recognized as a “next generation lawyer” by Legal 500 US 2017.Kelley has served on the boards of directors of Young Americans Bank/Young Americans Center for Financial Education; ICI Mutual Insurance Company; and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.

Practising Law Institute's (PLI) FinTech 2024

06 Dec 2024 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM EST