Leslie Bender counsels financial services and healthcare clients on a broad range of privacy, data security, and consumer financial protection laws.
She provides counsel on matters including privacy, consumer financial protection, HIPAA, data security, labor and employment, litigation, contracts, alternative dispute resolution and mediation, government affairs, regulatory relations, and change and project management. Leslie has more than two decades of experience in privacy and consumer financial protection and related regulatory relations before various federal and state regulators.
In addition, Leslie has more than 30 years of experience working with financial institutions, collection agencies, and as a compliance consultant and trainer for hospitals. Recognized as a national authority on information privacy and security law, she was one of the first privacy officers accredited by the International Association of Privacy Professionals as a Certified Information Privacy Professional. She is both a credentialed privacy officer, a CIPP/US, and a credentialed credit/collection professional, IFCCE (International Fellowship of Credit and Collections Executives).
Prior to joining Eversheds Sutherland, Leslie served as the Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel for BCA Financial Services, Inc. Before that, she was general counsel and vice president of government affairs at ARS National Services in Escondido, California.
- Represents healthcare companies and non-bank financial institutions in defense of CFPB investigations and state financial services regulators.
- Performs regulatory lobbying for healthcare and non-bank financial institutions before the FTC on FCRA, FDCPA and HIPAA matters as well as the CFPB and state financial services regulators.
- Represents healthcare companies and non-bank financial institutions in FTC investigations related to the FCRA, FDCPA and Section 5 of the FTC Act.
- Leadership Achievement Award, ACA International (2022)
- Certified Instructor of the Year, ACA International (2022)
- Instructor Achievement Award, ACA International (2021, 2022)
- ACA International’s “All In” award for individual contributions to industry advocacy (2020)
- Lindemann Award for Achievement (2020)
- Top 50 Professionals in Receivables Management (2019)
- Stars in Compliance, Collection Advisor (2019)
- Top 20 Most Powerful Women in Collections, Collection Advisor (2018)
- Erickson Continuous Service Award, ACA International (2018)
- Fred Kirchner Achievement Award (2018)
- Who’s Who in Collections (2018)
- Distinguished Counsel (2017)
- One of Top 25 Women in Collections, Collection Advisor (2016)
- Instructor of the Year, Charles F. Lindemann Award from ACA International (2016)
- Fred Kirschner Achievement Award (2015)
- VIP Woman of the Year, National Association of Professional Women (2015)
- Pinnacle Professional, Continental Who’s Who, Excellence, Outstanding Leadership & Achievement (2015)
- ACA International President (2013-14)
- Top Influential Credit & Collections Professional, Collection Advisor (2012)
- Members Attorney Program Distinction Award (2011)
- Fred Kirschner Achievement Award (2010)
- International Fellowship of Certified Collection Executives (IFCCE)
- Certified Information Privacy Professional/United States (CIPP/US)
- Credit and Collection Compliance Officer (CCCO)
- Credit and Collection Compliance Attorney (CCCA)
- Member, Association of Corporate Counsel
- Member, International Association of Privacy Officers
- Member, Association for Electronic Health Care Transactions
- Arbitrator, American Health Lawyers Association
- Member, ACA International’s Members Attorney Program 1997 – present
- Certified Instructor, ACA International, 2002 – present
- Steering Committee, Consumer Relations Consortium, 2014 – present
- ACA International Treasurer, Vice President, and Immediate Past President ACA International (Executive Committee 2011-2015)
- Member, Board of Directors, ACA International, 2011-2015
- ACA International President 2013-2014
- Institute for Collection Leadership, 2013 – 2018
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
- U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court, District of Maryland
- Maryland Bankruptcy Court
- B.A., Northwestern University
- J.D., Notre Dame Law School
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