Heather’s practice focuses on corporate and regulatory representation of small to large regional and national financial institution franchises. She has counseled institutions on M&A transactions, as well as provided representation on securities offerings, capital planning, and corporate restructuring. She also advises financial institutions and financial service providers on emerging regulatory and compliance issues, mostly recently related to high-risk customers and Fintech opportunities.

Bar Admissions

Education
LLM, Georgetown University, with distinction, 2003

JD, George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School, cum laude, 2000

BS, The College of William & Mary, 1996

• Strategic business planning: Advises clients on strategic opportunities designed to enhance or protect shareholder value, including structuring and raising equity and debt through public or private offerings, or Subchapter S restructuring, share repurchases/tender offers, charter conversions, holding company formations, expansion of existing financial lines of business (trust, insurance, securities and non-banking activities), and corporate succession matters.
• Acquisition transactions: Advises clients on all matters related to the acquisition or sale of existing financial institutions (including shell charters), and the acquisition, sale, establishment and relocation of branch offices.
• Regulatory Compliance: Advises clients on a broad variety of bank regulatory and securities compliance matters, including response to formal SEC reporting and compliance (including Sarbanes-Oxley Act), blue sky issues related to consumer compliance, vendor management, Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering compliance, response to formal and informal administrative actions, Regulation O, transactions with affiliates and other general compliance matters.
• ESOP: Assisted with ESOP transactions for public and private companies to infuse equity, manage corporate succession and restructure corporate groups.

• Member, American Bar Association, Banking Law Committee
• Member, Virginia Bankers Association
• Member, Women in Housing and Finance, Inc.

• Supervisory and Resolution Reponses to Ongoing Bank Failures, Westlaw Journal – Bank & Lender Liability
• Proposed Regulations on Incentive-Based Compensation Provide Guidance for All Financial Institutions
• The FDIC Adds to the Cost of Brokered Deposits with Changes in Assessment Rates
• ACH: Compliance Burden or Revenue Opportunity? The Wyoming Banker
• ICBA: Fintech Strategy Roadmap
• 2018 M&A Reporter – 2017 M&A Year in Review for Bank Mergers
• Fourteen Steps to Address Third-Party Risk
• Impact of Re-Proposed Rule on Incentive-Based Compensation on Community Banks
• ACH: Compliance Burden or Revenue Opportunity?, In Touch – Community Bankers Association of Kansas
• Attorney General Jeff Sessions Announces Return to Traditional Guidelines for Prosecuting Marijuana Crimes; Rescinds Cole Memo Referenced in FinCEN Guidance
• FinCEN Expands Customer Due Diligence Requirements
• “NCUA Issues Guidance on Banking Hemp,” The Banking Law Journal
• Interest Rate Restrictions on Institutions that Are Less than Well-Capitalized, Kentucky Banker
• Banking Cannabis Business
• “The Just Right Economy and Bank M&A,” IBAT’s The Texas Independent Banker