Cost:

FWA Members: $10  |  Non-Members: $15

Registration closes at 11:59 pm EST on March 5, 2025.

 

Description: 

The FWA - New Jersey committee is delighted to invite you to a virtual fireside chat with Ellen Lafferty, Esq., Adjunct Professor at Fordham University School of Law and Silvia Merino-Topley, Chief Compliance Officer at Kearny Bank. This session will address how banks can build effective anti-corruption compliance programs as well as discuss opportunities and challenges for  women in financial compliance. 

Topics include:

•    areas of bribery and corruption risk for banks
•    strategies for how banks can both comply with anti-corruption laws and effectively manage client expectations
•    lessons from high profile bribery cases and enforcement trends
•    challenges and opportunities for women in financial compliance leadership

As the financial industry continues to evolve, Ellen and Silvia will share their extensive expertise on navigating complex legal and compliance challenges and driving innovation and change. The conversation will highlight strategies for banks to effectively manage bribery and corruption risks as well as discuss the challenges and opportunities for women that are inherent in financial compliance roles. Following the fireside chat, there will be an interactive Q&A session, where attendees can directly engage with Ellen and Silvia, ask questions, and share their own insights. We look forward to your participation in this inspiring and impactful discussion.

For helpful background, please take a look at Ellen's recent book, Anti-Bribery and Corruption Law and Compliance in a Nutshell. 

 

Bios: 

Ellen Lafferty, Esq., Adjunct Professor, Fordam University School of Law

Ellen Lafferty is an Adjunct Professor at Fordham University School of Law, a member of the Advisory Board for its Program on Corporate Ethics and Compliance, and the author of Anti-Bribery and Corruption Law and Compliance in a Nutshell, published by West Academic in July 2024. She is also a contributing author to multiple editions of the Complete Compliance and Ethics Manual, published by the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics. Ellen is a Guest Lecturer at various law schools and was previously a Visiting Faculty Member in the Financial Integrity Program at Case Western Reserve University School of Law. 

From 2017 through mid-2019, Ellen was the U.S. Head of Anti-Bribery & Corruption at HSBC and a Senior Vice President of Financial Crime Risk. Ellen joined HSBC from Deutsche Bank AG where she was a founding member of the Global Anti-Bribery & Corruption group and the Americas Head of Anti-Bribery & Corruption. In that role she was primarily responsible for establishing and implementing a dedicated anti-bribery and corruption program for the Americas. Prior to becoming the Americas Head of Anti-Bribery & Corruption at Deutsche Bank AG, Ellen was an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer for its Global Transaction Bank and the Interim Head of Anti-Money Laundering for Deutsche Bank Cayman. Before assuming those in-house roles, Ellen was a litigation attorney in private practice for eleven years at two different international law firms. She specialized in complex commercial litigation and advised clients regarding U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions matters.

Ellen received her B.S. in Urban and Regional Studies from Cornell University’s College of Architecture, Art and Planning. She received her J.D. degree from Fordham University School of Law where she was a Stein Scholar in Public Interest Law and Ethics and a Crowley Advocate in International Human Rights.

Silvia Merino-Topley, Chief Compliance Officer, 1st VP, Kearny Bank

Silvia Merino-Topley - who joined Kearny Bank in 2020 - is responsible for managing all aspects of the company's compliance department, which includes reporting on compliance issues and evaluating compliance risk. She holds a bachelor's degree in international business and marketing from Montclair State University and has earned American Banking Association certificates in lending compliance, deposit compliance, and BSA/AML compliance. She is a member of two New Jersey Bankers Association groups - the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council and the Women in Banking Committee.