I consider myself a translator, conveying legal issues to business people and business issues to legal stakeholders. I dive deep to understand business objectives and constraints, and break down legal requirements in ways that are easily digestible for in-house counsel and executives. I’ve been the client, so I know when in-house counsel need a 25-page memo versus an email that can be forwarded to business stakeholders. I thrive working with clients during product development, helping an idea mature into a product, finding pathways to bring it to market, and continue with incremental feature innovations. I advise my clients to reach out early and often, so their business and product teams can take strategic legal advice into account every step of the way.
With a background spanning private practice and in-house work for some of the world’s largest financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs, Capital One, and Wells Fargo, Adam Maarec takes a holistic approach to understanding his client’s businesses. Asking probing questions about desired outcomes and goals at the outset equips him to develop creative solutions that minimize long-term compliance and litigation risk.
Advising participants across the FinTech ecosystem, Adam’s clients include banks of all sizes, non-bank lenders and bank partners, digital wallet providers, payments processors, and companies offering innovative consumer financial management tools.
As a leading voice in regulatory advocacy for open banking and data sharing, Adam has participated in every step of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)’s 1033 rulemaking process since 2016. When laws and regulations are no longer in sync with business practices, he works to liaise between industry and the regulatory community, advocating for changes to rules that protect consumers while allowing innovation to thrive. From depositories and credit card issuers to digital wallets and emerging payments providers, he maintains a cutting-edge practice that supports calculated risk-taking throughout the product development and delivery lifecycle.
Adam spent almost a decade at small and large law firms helping credit card issuers achieve compliance with technical regulatory obligations, developing extensive knowledge of the nuances in Regulation Z, Regulation E, Unfair, Deceptive, or Abusive Acts or Practices (UDAAP), privacy laws, and the alphabet soup regulatory requirements surrounding the delivery of consumer financial products and services. He maintains a strong practice in these areas. He also spent considerable time advocating for changes to federal laws and regulations on behalf of national trade associations in Washington, DC, where he developed the regulatory advocacy skills he employs in his practice today.
Adam’s practice is characterized by deep subject matter knowledge, diverse experience, and strong relationships across business and regulatory audiences. His experience in-house with large financial institutions positions him well to cut to the chase and deliver actionable, timely information clients need.
