Overview
Neil regularly represents clients with responses to inquiries by Federal (e.g. CFTC, OCC, FRB, SEC, IRS, DOJ, and various U.S. Attorney's offices and Congressional Commissioners), State (e.g. the North Carolina Attorney General and other state Attorneys General, and the North Carolina Department of Revenue) and international authorities (e.g. U.K. Financial Conduct Authority, European Commission, Monetary Authority of Singapore, and Hong Kong Monetary Authority). The matters range from market wide inquiries like the Panama Papers, foreign exchange trading, and LIBOR to issues experienced at individual institutions, including whistleblower complaints, concerns related to auditing practices, vendor management, customer remediation, and consumer lending.
Neil takes a holistic approach to investigations starting with uncovering the issues and representing the company under investigation, but then moving past the immediate concerns to enhance policies, procedures, monitoring, and testing to help make sure that any issues that are identified are not repeated across the enterprise. Throughout this process, Neil uses project management techniques to lead teams of more than 100 attorneys and consultants conducting investigations around the world.
Neil also assists clients in responding to a variety of regulatory requirements including legal inventory building, LIBOR transitions, Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review (“CCAR”) for ongoing regulatory investigations and potential litigation, Recovery and Resolution Planning and related training for boards of directors, Risk Data Aggregation and Reporting Requirements, and Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower programs. As part of this practice, Neil provides assistance in designing or enhancing programs, legal opinions, policies, and training materials to promote internal initiatives and achieve regulatory compliance.
Representative Experience
Neil’s investigation practice includes the following representative matters:
- Conducted an investigation into whistleblower allegations related to advice provided by the legal department of a U.S. based global financial institution
- Conducted an investigation into whistleblower allegations related to the conduct of an executive for a U.S. based global financial institution
- Represented a U.S. based global financial services firm in response to inquiries from the Special Counsel's office
- Represented internationally based financial services firm in its response to Panama Papers related investigations
- Represented two U.S. based financial services firms in investigations of foreign exchange trading
- Represented a U.S. based financial services firm in a global investigation into LIBOR as well as other financial benchmarks
- Represented Bank of America in connection with the investigation of its merger with Merrill Lynch by the North Carolina Attorney General and the WDNC U.S. Attorney's Office
- Represented a portfolio management company in an investigation into allegedly improper trading activity
Neil’s advisory practice includes the following representative matters:
- Advising multiple financial institutions on the creation of legal inventories
- Advising multiple financial institutions on the transition from LIBOR
- Advising a regional financial institution on local requirements for remote workers
- Advising two U.S. based global financial institutions on their Recovery and Resolution Planning
- Advising a U.S. based global financial institution on creating legal risk assessments for CCAR based on ongoing and potential regulatory investigations and litigation
- Advising multiple financial institutions on requirements related to qualified financial contracts (“QFCs”)
- Advising a U.S. bank on its Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower program compliance
- Advising a U.S. based global financial institution on Risk Data Aggregation and Reporting Requirements
Notable
Notable
- Legal 500 US, Financial Services Regulation, 2024
- Chambers USA - Nationwide, Financial Services Regulation: Banking (Compliance), 2022-2024, North Carolina, Banking & Finance: Mainly Regulatory, 2022-2024
- North Carolina Editorial Advisory Board, Law360, 2023
- North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society, 2022-2023
- Adjunct Professor at Wake Forest University School of Law
- Past Chair, Domestic Violence Advisory Board for Charlotte/Mecklenburg County
- Board Member, Feeding Charlotte
- Member, Moore & Van Allen Diversity Committee
News
News
Insights
Blogs and Resources
Blog Posts
Publications
Publications
- Banking Regulation 2024 Law and Practice, Chambers and Partners
- Banking Regulation 2023 Trends and Developments, Chambers and Partners
- Banking Regulation 2023 Law and Practice, Chambers and Partners
- 3rd Circuit panel raises the bar on risk disclosures as the trend toward greater disclosure continues, Westlaw
- Fraud as an Operational Risk for Banks, Law360
- Parting the Waters of Uncertainty for Private Flood Insurance, ABA Banking Journal
- The Time Is Now to Prepare for Congressional Inquiries from a Democrat-led House, Westlaw Journal Bank & Lender Liability
- FRB and FDIC Cast a Critical Eye on Resolution Plans, Banking Perspectives
- The Regulation of the U.S. Financial Industry Under the Trump Administration, Global Banking & Finance Review
- Is the Trump Administration Charting a New Course Away from the Duplicate Fines of the Financial Crisis?, Westlaw Journal White Collar Crime
- What to Expect From The FDIC’s New Chief, Law360
- Moving From The Duplicative Fines Of The Financial Crisis, Law360
- Transitioning Away From LIBOR: What Is Coming And What Can We Do Now?, Corporate Compliance Insights
- Navigating the Implied Waiver of Attorney Client Privilege After Adoption Of Federal Rule 502 of the Federal Rules of Evidence, New York University Law School, Annual Survey of American Law
Speaking Engagements
Speaking Engagements
Neil is also a frequent panelist and presenter at conferences across the country, including:
- Moderator, FMA's 32nd Annual Legal & Legislative Conference panel, “Enforcement Update and Anticipated Trends”
- Panelist, Attorney-Client Privilege and Bank Examination Privilege for Financial Institutions, Strafford webinar
- Panelist, LIBOR Transition Challenges, Banking and Finance Forum
- Presenter, Trends in Discovery for International Disputes, ABA Sound Advice
- Repeat Panelist, Cybersecurity Trends, SIFMA C&L Charlotte Regional Seminar
- Panelist, Data Management in Cross Border Matters, MVA Privacy & Data Security Seminar
- Panelist, LIBOR Transition, The Banking Institute
- Panelist, Data Management in Complex Matters, SIFMA C&L Annual Seminar
- Panelist, Transition Away from LIBOR, Associate of Corporate Counsel
- Panelist, Discovery in Government Investigations, Client Summit
- Panelist, Cross Border Privilege Considerations, Association of Corporate Counsel
- Panelist, Emerging Issues in Cyber Security, Client Summit
Capabilities
- Financial Regulatory Advice & Response
- White Collar & Government Enforcement Defense
- e-Discovery
- Privacy & Data Security
- Bank Regulatory & Fintech
- Civil Litigation
- Compliance, Controls, & Risk Management
- Consumer Regulation
- Cross-Border Investigations and Defense
- DEI Advice, Audits & Assessments
- Environmental, Social & Corporate Governance
- Internal Investigations
- Investigations
- LIBOR
- Litigation, Regulatory & White Collar
- Regulatory Supervision & Response
- Resolution Planning & Stress Testing
- Supply Chain, Transportation & Logistics
Education
J.D., Boston University School of Law, magna cum laude, Edward F. Hennessey Distinguished Scholar, Paul J. Liacos Distinguished Scholar, G. Joseph Tauro Scholar and associate editor for the American Journal of Law and Medicine, 2003
B.A., Psychology, with honors, Wake Forest University, 2000
Admissions
- North Carolina
- New York
- New Jersey
- Supreme Court of the United States
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Second, Fourth and Fifth Circuits
- United States District Courts for the Western, Middle and Eastern Districts of North Carolina
- United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York
- United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
- United States Tax Court