Edward P. O'Keefe

Ed is the former Global General Counsel of Bank of America Corporation. Having also headed or served as a senior executive with Bank of America's compliance, technology, human resources, and operations functions, Ed’s broad experience includes all aspects of investigations, litigation, regulatory compliance, governance, cybersecurity, compensation, and risk management. His regulatory compliance practice includes working with clients with respect to BSA/AML, anti-bribery/anti-corruption, resolution planning, stress testing, and responding to regulatory inquiries.

Managing significant and complex bank issues, Ed’s experience ranges from supervisory issues to consent orders.  He also understands bank operations, including emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, on which he has addressed at international and national industry conferences. As the chair of the Clearing House Association, the industry association of the largest banks, Ed supported and approved the creation of the Real Time Payments system. 

Representative Experience

• Advised a global bank on enterprise regulatory issues
• Advised Global Systemically Important Banks (G-SIBs) on their resolution plans required under Section 165d of the Dodd Frank Act
• Advised national banks on their submissions required under the Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review
• Advised a major financial advisory firm on the applicable requirements of the Dodd Frank Act
• Advised a startup fintech enterprise on applicable bank regulatory obligations

Notable

• Legal 500 US, Financial Services Regulation, 2024
• Chambers USA - Nationwide, Financial Services Regulation: Banking (Compliance), 2019-present
• Chambers USA - North Carolina, Banking & Finance: Mainly Regulatory, 2022-present 
• Best Lawyers in America, Banking and Finance Law, 2021-2025; Administrative / Regulatory Law, 2023-2025
• North Carolina Lawyers Weekly 2024 Leaders in the Law List
• Wells Fargo Legal Department’s 2022 Outside Counsel Diversity Award
• Top Rated Lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell for 15 years
• Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation
• Law360 Innovative Law Department Award for the Bank of America Legal Department
• Thurgood Marshall College Fund Award of Excellence
• North Carolina Super Lawyers
• Business North Carolina Legal Elite
• North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society, 2021-2023
• American Corporate Counsel Association Pro Bono Award
• Association of Fundraising Professionals Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year Award, 2015

Leadership

• Co-chair, Moore & Van Allen Public Service Committee 
• Law360 North Carolina Editorial Board, 2023
• Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy Board of Directors, 2019-present
• UNC Center for Banking and Finance Board of Advisors – Member, Steering Committee, 2015-present
• Executive Search Committee Member for United Way, Council For Children’s Rights and Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy
• Carolina Directors Exchange Committee, 2020, 2021
• Greater Charlotte Go Red for Women Executive Leadership Team, 2019, 2020
• Financial Markets Association Planning Committee, 2019
• U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC) North Carolina Advisory Committee, 2015-2017
• United Way Board of Directors, 2010-2017
• Board Chair, United Way of Central Carolinas, 2015-2016
• Board President, Council for Children’s Rights, 2014-2015
• Fordham Advisory Board to Compliance Programs
• Thomson Reuters Legal Executive Advisory Board
• Best Lawyers’ Board of Advisors
• UNC Center for Banking and Finance Board of Advisors
• Mecklenburg County Bar Diversity and Inclusion Committee Board of Advisors
• Steering Committee Co-chair, General Counsel Leadership Network, 2011-2015
• Chair, Vice-chair, The Clearing House Association, 2011-2012

News

Insights

Affiliations

• Life Fellow, American Bar Foundation
• American Bar Association
• North Carolina Bar Association
• New York State Bar Association
• New Jersey Bar Association
• Mecklenburg County Bar Association

Publications

• Contributor to MVA White Collar Defense, Investigations, and Regulatory Advice Blog
• Co-author, "Banking Regulation 2024 Law and Practice," Chambers and Partners, December 2023
• Even the Winners May Be Losers, MVA COVID-19 Resource Center, April 2020
• Legislative and Bank Regulatory Actions to Assist Forbearance in a Pandemic World, MVA COVID-19 Resource Center, March 2020
• Pursuit of a Regulatory Practice Dream: The Story of 2 Powerhouse Bank GCs Uniting, Corporate Counsel, July 2019
• From “Where Were the Lawyers?” to “Where Have the Lawyers Gone?”, MVA White Collar Defense, Investigations, and Regulatory Advice Blog, July 2019
• “Cyber Lawsuits Increasingly Target Boards, O’Keefe quoted in Agenda article Agenda, May 2019
• The Time Is Now to Prepare for Congressional Inquiries from a Democrat-led House, Westlaw Journal Bank & Lender Liability, March 2019
• Co-author, "The Time Is Now to Prepare for Congressional Inquiries from a Democrat-led House", Westlaw Journal Bank & Lender Liability, March 2019
• Co-author, "Focusing on the Mission While Watching Macro Trends," MVA White Collar Defense, Investigations, and Regulatory Advice Blog, August 2017
• Co-author, "Navigating the Complexities of CSI," The Clearing House, Banking Perspectives - Q1, 2017
• Co-author, "Knowledge Management Improves Business Flow," ACC Docket, Association of Corporate Counsel, July/August 2016 
• Author, "Set in Stone: Does Current Regulation Limit Flexibility?," The Clearing House, Banking Perspectives - Q4, 2015
• Co-author, “Regulatory Litigation,” Thompson Reuters and Association of Corporate Counsel’s Successful Partnering Between Inside and Outside Counsel, 2013-present

Speaking Engagements

• Ed O’Keefe and John Stoker served as guest speakers for UNC Banking Institute CLE: Developments in UDAAP As an Enforcement Tool, March 2023
• Ed O’Keefe served as panelist for 2023 SIFMA C&L Annual Seminar, March 2023
• Ed O'Keefe and Sarah Byrne served as speakers for UNC Banking Institute’s Virtual Event, April 2022
• Valecia McDowell and Ed O’Keefe served as panelists for 2022 SIFMA C&L Annual Seminar, March 2022
• Ed O’Keefe served as panelist for SIFMA’s C&L Virtual Forum, September 2020
• Barbara Meeks and Ed O’Keefe spoke at ABA Business Law Section Annual Meeting, September 2019
• O’Keefe and McDowell served as panelists at SIFMA C&L Annual Seminar, March 2019
• Bloomfield and O’Keefe served as Panelist at Upcoming SIFMA Seminar, September 2018
• MVA Attorneys to presented at Western North Carolina Bankruptcy Seminar, May 2018
• Bloomfield and O’Keefe participated in panel discussion at 2018 UNC Banking Institute, March 2018

Representative Seminars

• Panel Presentation: SIFMA C&L Annual Seminar, "Intersection of Banking & Wealth Management", March 2019
• Panel Presentation: SIFMA C&L Society Charlotte Regional Seminar, "Intersection of Banking & Wealth Management", September 2018
• Speaker: Duke University School of Law, "Regulation of Foreign Banking Organizations", March 2018
• Co-coordinator: UNC School of Law 2018 Banking Institute, "LIBOR and the Potential Replacement Reference Rates: Where Do We Go from Here?", March 2018
• Speaker: TMA SE Regional Conference & Capital Mall, "Regulatory Effect on Lending Environment", June 2017
• Panel Presentation: Bank Regulation and Lending, Where to Now?, April 2017
• Panel Presentation: The Emerging Role of the General Counsel, April 2017
• Panel Presentation: The Ethical Implications of Dealing with Regulators, March 2017
• Presentation: The Rise of FinTechs and Their Impact on the Financial Industry, January 2017
• Panel Presentation: Managing Law Firm Pricing, Profitability, and Compensation, Predictability: "Giving Clients ‎What They Want", September 2016
• Moderator: Vantage Executive Summit, "Big Picture Issues: Legal Community Collaboration - Risks and Opportunities", May 2016
• Panel Presentation: Bank of America 5th Annual Litigation Roundtable Summit, May 2016
• Moderator: UNC School of Law Banking Institute, “Bank Conduct, Culture and Governance”, March 2016
• Panel Presentation: The Knowledge Group, “Effective Data Security Management: Keeping Your Data Protected in the Cloud”, March 2016
• Panel Presentation: 2nd Annual Disruption in the Delivery of Legal Services: Evolution and Revolution?, “New Paths for Law Firms – Law Firm Leaders Panel”, February 2016