Paul Hastings Advances Investigations and Fintech Growth with Addition of Preeminent Financial Services Litigator in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. — Paul Hastings LLP, a leading global law firm, announced today that preeminent financial services litigator Allyson Baker has joined the firm as a partner, based in Washington, D.C. Ms. Baker will be head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) practice. She joins from Venable. Her arrival furthers the growth of the firm’s leading global Investigations & White Collar Defense and global Fintech & Payments practices.

“As Fintech continues to transform the delivery of financial services, as well as add new layers of complexity and risk when it comes to consumer protection rules, financial services companies increasingly find themselves facing investigations and enforcement actions—and require experienced litigators who can guide them through these complex matters,” said Seth Zachary, Chairman of Paul Hastings. “Allyson is an impressive litigator with wide-ranging experience both in private practice and with the federal government. With her trial expertise and leading-edge regulatory knowledge, particularly with the CFPB, Allyson is a valuable addition to our global Investigations & White Collar Defense and global Fintech & Payments practices.”

“Paul Hastings’ tremendous growth, strong performance and apparent culture of excellence made the firm very attractive to me,” said Ms. Baker. “I am excited to join the firm’s outstanding Fintech & Payments and Investigations & White Collar Defense teams and have the opportunity to continue to grow my practice through collaboration with my colleagues.”

Ms. Baker formerly served as an enforcement attorney for the CFPB and a trial attorney for the Tax Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ). She represents financial services companies and individuals in investigations initiated by the CFPB’s Office of Enforcement, state attorneys general, the Federal Trade Commission, state banking agencies and the DOJ. Ms. Baker also advises and serves as litigation counsel for financial services and Fintech companies.

Paul Hastings’ Investigations & White Collar Defense practice brings together senior defense lawyers and former enforcement attorneys from the U.S. DOJ, SEC, CFPB, and state attorney general offices, as well as lawyers with extensive in-house experience effectively handling investigations and compliance programs. The practice has played key roles in groundbreaking Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) settlements over the last decade and handled anti-corruption matters in more than 100 countries around the world. The Paul Hastings team is ranked in the Top 10 of Global Investigations Review’s GIR 100, an annual guide to the world’s leading cross-border investigations practices, and was named Compliance Group of the Year by Law360.

Paul Hastings’ Global Fintech & Payments practice is a Chambers Band-1 Rated Fintech (U.S.) practice and includes numerous Chambers-rated Fintech partners. It is the recipient of numerous accolades and is viewed as the preeminent Fintech practice in the U.S. The global team offers clients unparalleled expertise in fintech, payment systems, bank regulatory and legislative issues, and represents an array of U.S. and international clients, including both leading global financial institutions and innovative start-ups.

At Paul Hastings, our purpose is clear — to help our clients and people navigate new paths to growth. With a strong presence throughout Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the U.S., Paul Hastings is recognized as one of the world’s most innovative global law firms.