Leslie C. Bender

Leslie C. Bender is a Senior Counsel in Clark Hill’s Banking & Financial Services group who specializes in corporate, compliance, privacy, transactional, credit and collections matters.

Leslie's experience lies in privacy, consumer financial protection, HIPAA, data security, labor and employment, litigation, contracts, alternative dispute resolution and mediation, government affairs, regulatory relations, change and project management.  In addition, Leslie has over two decades of experience in privacy and consumer financial protection and related regulatory relations before various federal and state regulators.

She is an engaging corporate trainer with over thirty years’ experience working with financial institutions, collection agencies and as a compliance consultant and trainer for hospitals.  Recognized as a national expert 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.

Leslie has the following certifications, credentials, and designations: 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).

Prior to joining Clark Hill, Leslie served as the Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel for BCA Financial Services, Inc. Prior to BCA, she was general counsel and vice president of government affairs at ARS National Services in Escondido, California. Leslie is a Past President of ACA International (2013-2014), having served as an officer of its Board of Directors from 2011 – 2015. 

Publications

• Co-Author, "The CFPB Issues Regulation F, but the Debt Collection Rules Are Far From Final," Clark Hill Alert, November 2, 2020. 
• Author, “There’s No Place Like Home: HIPAA, Pandemics, & Cybercrime,” PDC Flow, October 6, 2020.
• Various articles in industry periodicals on privacy and data security topics, 2004 -present.
• Data Security & Privacy, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2015 
• CFPB Compliance Course, 2013.
• Credit & Collections Compliance Officer – course and credentialing program, 2008-2014 
• White Papers (co-authored for ACA International).
• Co-Author, “Credit & Collections Compliance Officer (3CM) Workshop,” ACA International, 2007 – present.
• Data Security Workshop, ACA International, January 2007 – present.
• HIPAA Training and Toolkit Materials, ACA International, HFMA, MAHAM and MAPAM, National Association of Retail Collection Agencies, Association of Hospital Owned Collection Agencies, December 2000 – present.

Speaking Engagements

• 2020 ACA Fall Forum, Via Webinar, November 2020.
• 2020 NACARA Annual Convention, Via Webinar, October 2020.
• 2020 Southwest Collections Conference, Via Webinar, October 2020.
• Webinars, Speaking Engagements, Keynotes on a wide range of compliance and leadership topics, 2013-present.
• Various Addresses for HFMA Chapters, ACA Units, and national ACA meetings on social media and privacy, 2011-2012.
• Collection of Webinars for CampusACA regarding the HiTECH Act, implementation and practical strategies for compliance, 2009-2010.
• HIPAA Implementation Workshops, GLBA Presentations, Understanding the FTC’s Enforcement Priorities, on behalf of numerous organizations, January 2003 – present.
• “HIPAA and Lawyers as Business Associates,” National Association of Retail Collections Attorneys, Via Webinar, August 2002 – present.
• Privacy and HIPAA Training and Education Programs, Webinars, Seminars, and Workshops, January 2001 – present.
• Credit and Collections Workshops, January 1998 – present.