Ms. Ward concentrates her practice on providing financial institutions, FinTechs, consumer advocacy groups, non-profits, and trade associations with her deep knowledge of complex, inter-governmental matters that intersect financial services laws and public policy to advance clients objectives on Capitol Hill, within regulatory agencies, and across the Executive Branch.
Ms. Ward has deep public policy and regulatory experience advising established and emerging companies on how to bring new products, business models, and financial innovations to market within the highly regulated consumer financial services ecosystem. She helps clients anticipate regulatory risk, engage constructively with policymakers, and achieve regulatory acceptance for novel concepts, including fintech and data-driven solutions. A registered federal lobbyist under the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA), Ms. Ward regularly represents clients before Congress and key federal regulators, including the House Financial Services Committee, Senate Banking Committee, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Department of the Treasury's Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Federal Reserve, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Her work spans mortgage finance, payments, community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs), small business lending, federal credit and grant programs, and tax credit policy, as well as emerging areas such as blockchain and digital assets, DeFi, digital identity, AML/BSA compliance technologies, stablecoins, and other innovative financial products.
Ms. Ward also advises CDFIs and social impact investors on the full lifecycle of federal financial assistance programs administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the CDFI Fund. Her experience includes guiding clients through competitive application processes, structuring compliant lending and investment activities, and navigating post award implementation, reporting, and compliance requirements. Ms. Ward regularly counsels clients on programs such as the CDFI Program, New Markets Tax Credit-related financing structures, and other Treasury initiatives designed to expand access to capital in underserved communities. She brings a practical, solutions oriented approach informed by a deep understanding of federal program rules and the operational realities facing mission driven lenders and investors.
Prior to entering private practice, Ms. Ward was an attorney and advisor with the U.S. Department of the Treasury. She is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and Maryland.