James Burton

James’s professional experience includes:

• Managed over 500 staff members across six geographical locations to provide compliance outsourcing functions for anti-money laundering (AML) transaction monitoring, customer due diligence, enhanced due diligence, sanctions, and fraud services for a global cryptocurrency exchange.

This project included working with the cryptocurrency exchange to open operations in multiple geographic locations to meet the cost, expertise, and global coverage needs of the exchange. Additionally, provided guidance, recommendations, and industry expertise to the firm for all facets of their overall compliance program, which led to multiple improvements in the effectiveness and efficiency of the compliance program. Overall efficiency for AML investigations increased by over 20% with decreases in volumes due to the elimination of false positive alerts.

• Led a team of over 60 investigators to provide ongoing enhanced due diligence reviews for a regional bank, which involved multiple high-risk jurisdictions and international risk exposure. Expanded the relationship with the client to provide additional services for AML transaction monitoring alerts and investigations.
• Performed a review of the effectiveness of the AML transaction monitoring program for an international bank. Provided recommendations for improvements to policies, procedures, and tuning of transaction monitoring rules for implementation.
• Reviewed the implementation of multiple monitor recommendations to determine adherence and effectiveness for a large money services business (MSB). Provided reports and analysis to the MSB for each monitor recommendation regarding implementation and additional enhancements.
• Led a team to perform a compliance program review, which included the direct uncovering of forged signatures, resulting in a full legal investigation of over $3 million in fraudulent contracts.
• Developed an enterprise-wide Bank Secrecy Act / AML risk assessment as well as multiple product risk assessments for an international bank. Assisted the bank with the implementation and oversight of the risk assessments.
• Performed reviews of high-profile bank customers and provided recommendations on customer retention and provided inputs for updates to policies and procedures related to the offboarding recommendations.
• Managed a fraud investigation into employees of a major petroleum company, which spanned multiple decades and included millions of dollars of siphoned funds through corporate credit card expenditures. Provided recommendations for enhanced controls, oversight, and separation of duties to prevent future fraud.
• Analyzed loans issued by mid-sized banks and identified areas that may not have been pursuant to underwriting guidelines. Reviewed the expert report and rebutted claims regarding the legitimacy of the loan approval issued by the bank’s automated underwriting system.
• Managed a claims resolution project processing million-dollar monthly claims for a science and technology firm. Saved the client over $500,000 in a six-month period by identifying duplicate, excessive, and false claims.