#USA #New York #Crowell Moring #Cristina Diaz #UBS Bank USA

Crowell & Moring Welcomes Cristina Diaz to Financial Services Group

Crowell & Moring LLP has strengthened its Financial Services Group by incorporating Cristina Diaz, the former executive director and general counsel of UBS Bank USA. Joining as senior counsel in New York, Diaz comes with over 20 years of invaluable experience in bank regulation, compliance, and risk management.

At Crowell & Moring, Cristina Diaz will play a crucial role in advising banks, fintech firms, and companies involved in digital assets. Her expertise will cover a wide array of banking regulations, including charter applications, licensing inquiries, permissible banking activities, capital requirements, compliance enforcement, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance. With the evolving landscape of finance, she will also support clients at the intersection of traditional banking and innovative financial services. This includes guiding digital asset companies keen on acquiring or establishing national banks and assisting traditional banks partnering with emerging fintech firms.

Previously at UBS, Diaz tackled some of the firm’s most significant regulatory challenges. Notably, she was instrumental in the recent charter conversion of UBS Bank USA from a Utah industrial bank to a nationally chartered bank under the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). Her impressive background allows her to deftly navigate the complex relationships with state and federal financial regulators, enhancing her capability to provide top-tier counsel.

Before her tenure at UBS, Diaz spent eight years at Davis Polk & Wardwell, where she advised both U.S. and international banks on regulatory compliance, mergers and acquisitions, as well as capital market transactions. Her diverse history in law ensures she comprehensively understands the intricate needs of her clients.

Carlton Greene, Co-Chair of Crowell's Financial Services Group, expressed excitement about Diaz’s addition, stating, “Cristina is a highly experienced, solution-oriented attorney who brings deep knowledge in the bank regulatory space. She will be an enormous asset to the firm’s growing regulatory and transactional offerings to banks, digital assets businesses, and fintechs.”

In her own words, Diaz conveyed enthusiasm in joining Crowell & Moring, hoping to integrate her wealth of bank regulatory knowledge with the firm's respected digital assets practice. “As traditional banking and emerging financial technologies continue to evolve, clients need actionable and sophisticated legal counsel. Crowell offers the collaborative platform to help institutions successfully execute their growth and compliance strategies,” she noted.

Cristina Diaz is a proud graduate of New York University School of Law, where she was part of the prestigious New York University Law Review. She also achieved her B.A. from New York University, graduating summa cum laude. She is fluent in Spanish, broadening her ability to serve a diverse clientele effectively.

About Crowell & Moring LLP

Crowell & Moring is a prominent international law firm with a global reach across the United States, Europe, and the MENA region. The firm draws upon extensive government, business, industry, and legal experience, helping clients seize opportunities while providing inventive solutions to intricate regulatory and policy issues. The firm is persistently recognized for its commitment to pro bono service and its initiatives aimed at the professional and personal development of all its members.

As Crowell & Moring expands its horizons with new talent like Cristina Diaz, it continuously enhances its ability to provide sophisticated legal counsel and services tailored to the needs of its clients in a rapidly changing financial landscape.