Zakiya M. Washington, Esq.

Wyndmoor, PA ***** 215-***-**** ac3i49@r.postjobfree.com LinkedIn: Zakiya Washington, Esq.

Regulatory and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Compliance Subject Matter Expert

Meticulous attorney with ten years of experience combining my legal and entrepreneurial expertise to drive strong regulatory compliance for leading Fortune 500 organizations. Proven ability to streamline processes and meticulously identify opportunities to maximize the client experience and drive operational continuity. Notable career attributes include:

AML Consultant Experience: Direct experience as Consultant for multiple AML and regulatory compliance operations.

Financial Acumen: Strong budget management, assessing valuations and creating ROI through strong cost savings.

Legal Expertise: Leveraged legal experience to effect AML and regulatory compliance operations for several companies.

Leadership Experience: Led several diverse teams paring talents with responsibilities to maximize effectiveness.

Project Management: Led projects that streamlined processes and surpass targeted goals by up to 25%.

Demonstrated Expertise and Core Competencies

Strategic and Tactical Planning

Excellent Verbal and Written Communication

Regulatory Compliance Experience

Critical Thinking Skills

Ability to simplify complex concepts situations

Data Analysis Report Formulation

Client Obsessed and Focused

Strong Collaboration and Relationship Building

Manage Multiple Priorities

Compliance Experience: BSA/AML, SAR/No SAR Memo’s, OFAC, KYC, EDD, counterterrorism practices, Anti-fraud experience

Professional Experience

Leveraging my legal and entrepreneurial experience to lead teams and drive compliance

Director of Contracts and Operations

Teklaw Properties, LLC, Wyndmoor, PA May, 2012 to present)

Facilitate all legal and business operation aspects of a family-owned real estate property and development company. Draft and review vendor contracts and negotiate terms. Company representative and advisor on legal matters and prepare necessary filings. Research data, perform analysis and calculate valuation of potential projects. Gather Business Requirements and write Business Requirements Document (BRD) by working with the Subject Matter Experts and project manager. Clarify Business requirements, business needs and project objectives, via feedback sessions and face to face meetings, in collaboration with all service heads. Interpret stakeholders’ business needs and translate them into actual practice. Establish a long term and midterm planning to meet cost guidelines. Develop quantitative revenue forecasts used to create reliable budget and monitor throughout quarter. Directly interact and assist the project manager and team members to allow compliance with successful implementation of the project within time and cost. Identify, review, analyze and manage operational risks in business units; work with business unit to understand business, drivers, concerns, future plans and offer support to mitigate risk. Create and maintain daily and monthly status reports and metrics. Ensure that technology, compliance and senior management are involved to the extent that the finished product is properly conceived, documented, and adheres to all current rules and regulations. Identify and communicate accounting and auditing matters to executives. One direct report providing direction for up to 10 flexible subcontractors. Member of the Jumpstart Germantown project, bringing beauty to a historic Philadelphia neighborhood.

Selected Achievements

Saved $25K in legal fees by preparing necessary filings, performing research and serving as legal representative.

Achieved 30-40% in cost savings through vendor contract negotiations and building strong vendor relationships.

Developed a bonus and incentive program resulting in improved project turnaround and labor cost savings.

Compliance Consultant 4

Wells Fargo, Philadelphia, PA May, 2016 to November, 2017)

Retained by contract to enact the AML, Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) requirements through enhanced evaluation, identification and research of client relationships of new and existing bank accounts. Perform research and due diligence utilizing available tools to confirm identity of “flagged” or “alert” subjects. Perform risk assessments building rules to cancel alerts for confirmed zero to low-risk account holders. Create strategy and action plan for regulatory compliance under sanctions and federal regulations. Perform data analysis and develop compliance reporting for senior leaders.

Selected Achievements

Led the training and onboarding of 40 new-hire consultants providing direction and guidance as needed.

Achieved 25% above performance targets while managing across 100 system queues and streamlining processes.

Developed strategies to streamline and increase process efficiency to improve new-hire onboarding.

Advise senior leadership of identified risk through performing data analysis and providing compliance reporting.

Compliance Specialist

Wilmington Trust Company (M&T Bank), Wilmington, DE Dec. 2014 to May, 2016)

Retained by contract to revamp and start-up a challenged AML compliance program. Conducted due diligence and Know Your Customer (KYC) research. Performed complex research to identify and locate multi-level corporations, international companies and their owners at the 25% level. Set parameters to reestablish timely customer engagement of severely lapsed client relationships.

Selected Achievements

Created and maintained project plan, Dashboard and lead weekly meetings.

Developed and executed second-level quality initiatives of the compliance team.

Researched and assessed the company portfolio, track their owners, assess AML risk and update records.

Saved $720K in annual fees by transitioning the regulatory database.

Developed best practices and guidelines for department functions in compliance with government regulations.

Established policy, performed testing and updated the technical infrastructure within an aggressive 14-month timeline.

Related Experience Legal and Contract Experience

During the financial industry disruption during the mid-2000’s accepted short-term contract positions to maintain experience.

Retained for multiple contract positons in diverse capacities representing large financial organizations; mortgage foreclosures, $600M federal securities fraud litigation, investigating customer account behavior for AML suspicious activities, writing SAR and no SAR memos, filing motions and ensuring the corporations are operating within compliance regulations. Also prepared deposition prep, complex exhibits, performed investigative legal research and wrote detailed case arguments.

Selected Achievements

Recommended and performed training for upstream team members to improve process efficiencies and minimize errors.

Challenged status quo to review best practices to benefit client relationships and eliminate misapplied SAR memos.

Created a strategy and developed a project plan to meet aggressive timelines to benefit the client.

Mentored and directed the activities of ten interns providing development, education and valuable experience.

As sole Attorney of a 350 caseload, assigned roles for interns and paralegals by paring talents with responsibilities.

Drafted over 150+ complex motions to the Federal and Superior Courts within five weeks.

Received multiple letters of recognition from clients/homeowners for assisting them with loan modifications.

Filed 50+ Entries of Appearance and previous counsels’ Notice of Withdrawals in multiple county courts.

Achieved 26% approval rate for filed loan modification applications surpassing the national average by 6%.

Selected to lead multiple teams of four legal staff to perform deposition prep, perform research and prepare exhibits.

Recognized for my attention to detail, ability to communicate complex concepts in simplified terms and the ability to prepare compelling legal arguments for deposition prep.

AML Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) Writer HSBC Bank, New Castle, DE Aug. 2014 to Nov. 2014

Contract/Litigation Attorney Beacon Hill Staffing Group/Duane Morris LLP, Philadelphia, PA May, 2014 to June 2014

Contract Attorney Legal Contracting Agencies; Philadelphia, PA / Wilmington, DE Nov. 2007 to June 2011, Mar. to Aug. 2014

Staff Attorney Kessler, Topaz, Meltzer & Check LLP, Radnor, PA June 2011 to Jan. 2014

Professional Affiliations

Board Member, Scholarships in Progress Philadelphia, PA 2008 to 2011

Chairman of the Board, Haven Youth Center Philadelphia, PA 2007 to 2009

Education

Juris Doctor, James E. Beasley School of Law Temple University, Philadelphia, PA May 2007

Bachelor of Science of Entrepreneurship, Hampton University, Hampton, VA May 2004

Technical: Nexis Lexis, GSMOS, Clear, Bloomberg Reporting Database, OFLAC, Global Sanctions Systems, FinCEN

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