Attorney Jacqueline Allen Joins Cox Smith’s Digital Payments Practice

Cox Smith today announced that attorney Jacqueline Allen has joined its Dallas office where she will work closely with firm shareholder and payments lawyer Erin Fonte.  Cox Smith’s payments and digital commerce team is highly experienced in the fast-growing payments industry, understanding the multiple layers of applicable law, regulations and private system rules of card and ACH networks, and the importance of privacy and data security protection of valuable payment data. 

Cox Smith’s payments and digital commerce team represents retailers, financial institutions, non-bank payment system and financial services companies, and other third party businesses engaged in “anywhere commerce” – point-of-sale, online e-commerce, mobile commerce and set-top commerce via television or game system.  From credit and debit card transactions, to ACH transactions, to mobile banking, mobile payments and mobile loyalty/rewards products, Cox Smith’s attorneys understand and provide counsel on fast-changing payments issues for financial institutions, new payments players and merchants/retailers. 

Allen is focused on issues related to payments, e-commerce, mobile commerce, technology/Internet products, and privacy and data protection laws.  She also assists financial institutions in complying with state and federal banking regulations.  Prior to joining Cox Smith, Allen served as the senior compliance manager for Ace Cash Express, a money service business operating over 1,500 retail locations in the U.S. and Canada, where she was responsible for ensuring compliance with federal and state lending, anti-money laundering, money transmitter, collection and check cashing statutes.  She also served as an internal resource for corporate regulatory compliance issues.  Allen is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and SMU Dedman School of Law, and served as a law clerk for the FDIC, FTC and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  She is a member of the Texas Association of Bank Counsel, Dallas Bar Association, Attorneys Serving the Community, Dallas Area Compliance Association, and North Texas Chapter of Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists, and served as an Associate Editor of the SMU International Law Review.  
                         
“New technologies in the payments and digital commerce arena are allowing financial institutions, new non-bank entrants, merchants and consumers to re-imagine commerce.  These innovations are changing the way payments are sent, received and processed, and our digital payments team is helping clients understand and navigate these uncharted waters,” said Erin Fonte, head of the firm’s payments and digital commerce practice.  “Jacqueline brings a wealth of banking and financial services regulation experience to our digital payments team.  Her previous work experience has provided her with a deep understanding of what our clients face and how we can support them in today’s fast-changing and complex regulatory environment.”