Navigating emerging and financial Risks

• Strategic Advisory
• Government and Regulatory Affairs 
• Training and Communications
• Product and Process Development

Alex Zerden is a trusted advisor helping organizations, ranging from early- and growth-stage FinTech, digital asset, blockchain, and emerging technology companies to large, established corporations and non-profits, navigate complex regulatory, legal, public policy, and reputational issues.  

As a regulatory lawyer, economic policymaker, and financial diplomat, Alex brings extensive public and private sector experience at the intersection of financial services and law with a focus on financial regulation, anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT), economic sanctions, anti-corruption, financial enforcement and oversight investigations, economic crisis response, and public-private partnerships.  

During his time in government, Alex co-authored the Obama-Biden Administration's FinTech strategy while at the White House National Economic Council and also designed and launched FinCEN Exchange, the public-private information sharing partnership between financial regulators, law enforcement, and financial institutions. 

Alex began his career representing U.S. and international victims of terrorism and human rights abuses to seek justice against terrorist organizations and their financial enablers.  Since then, he has worked across the U.S. government to protect the financial system from abuse and promote economic growth, including at the Treasury Department, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), White House National Economic Council, House of Representatives, and Senate.  From 2018-2019, Alex deployed to Afghanistan to lead the Treasury Department office at U.S. Embassy Kabul as a financial diplomat.  

Alex most recently served in Congress as Legal Counsel to Majority Whip James Clyburn on the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis to ensure that the pandemic economic response was equitable, efficient, and effective.  

Alex has published on issues involving AML/CFT, economic sanctions, anti-corruption, cybersecurity, and FinTech, including with the American Banker, Brookings Institution’s Lawfare Institute, Center for American Progress, New York University School of Law's Center on Law and Security, and other outlets. 

Alex frequently lectures at law and graduate schools on financial regulation, countering illicit finance, international law, and global governance, including at American University and the Georgetown University Law Center.  

Alex is a Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) Term Member and an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) through the Energy, Economics, and Security (EES) Program.

Alex received his B.A., cum laude, from Tufts University, and his J.D., summa cum laude, from the American University Washington College of Law.