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Leslie C. Bender

Senior Counsel
fax +1 202.742.8691

Leslie C. Bender counsels financial services and healthcare clients on a broad range of privacy, data security, and consumer financial protection laws relying upon her strategic and legal experience as a general counsel.

She provides counsel on matters including privacy, consumer financial protection, HIPAA, data security, labor and employment, litigation, contracts, alternative dispute resolution and mediation, government affairs, regulatory relations, and change and project management. Leslie has more than two decades of experience in privacy and consumer financial protection and related regulatory relations before various federal and state regulators.

As a corporate trainer, Leslie has more than 30 years of experience working with financial institutions, collection agencies, and as a compliance consultant and trainer for hospitals. Recognized as a national authority 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.

Before 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.

Education

J.D., Dean's List, Notre Dame Law School, Notre Dame, Indiana, White Scholar in Public Policy & Law; ABA Award for Excellence in Urban Planning and Land Use.
B.A., Dean's List, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, Philosophy; Secondary Education Certificate in State of Illinois.
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)

Recognitions

July 2020, ACA International’s “All In” award for individual contributions to industry advocacy

July 2020, Lindemann Award for Achievement

December 2019, Top 50 Professionals in Receivables Management

January 2019, Stars in Compliance, Collection Advisor

September 2018, Top 20 Most Powerful Women in Collections, Collection Advisor

July 2018, Erickson Continuous Service Award, ACA International

July 2018, Fred Kirchner Achievement Award

March 2018, Who’s Who in Collections

December 2017, Distinguished Counsel

August 2016, One of Top 25 Women in Collections, Collection Advisor

June 2016, Instructor of the Year, Charles F. Lindemann Award from ACA International

July 2015, Fred Kirschner Achievement Award

April 2015, VIP Woman of the Year, National Association of Professional Women

March 2015, Pinnacle Professional, Continental Who’s Who, Excellence, Outstanding Leadership & Achievement

2013-14, ACA International President

January 2012, Top Influential Credit & Collections Professional, Collection Advisor

July 2011, Members Attorney Program Distinction Award

March 2010, Fred Kirschner Achievement Award

Memberships

Member, Association of Corporate Counsel

Member, International Association of Privacy Officers

Member, Association for Electronic Health Care Transactions

Arbitrator, American Health Lawyers Association

Member, ACA International’s Members Attorney Program 1997 – present

Certified Instructor, ACA International, 2002 – present

Steering Committee, Consumer Relations Consortium, 2014 – present

ACA International Treasurer, Vice President, and Immediate Past President ACA International (Executive Committee 2011-2015)

Member, Board of Directors, ACA International, 2011-2015

ACA International President 2013-2014

Institute for Collection Leadership, 2013 – 2018

State Bar Licenses

Maryland, District of Columbia

Court Admissions

U.S. District Ct., District of Maryland
U.S. District Ct., District of Columbia
Articles

Presentations

  • Presenter, “Regulation F Implementation Challenges: Ask the Regulatory and Compliance Experts” PDCflow, September 22, 2021
  • Data Security Workshop, ACA International, January 2007 – present2020 ACA Fall Forum, Via Webinar, November 2020
  • 2020 Southwest Collections Conference, Via Webinar, October 2020
  • 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
  • Privacy and HIPAA Training and Education Programs, Webinars, Seminars, and Workshops, January 2001 – present
  • Credit and Collections Workshops, January 1998 – present
  • 2020 NACARA Annual Convention, Via Webinar, October 2020

The Clark Hill approach is equally pragmatic and growth-minded, which is why we understand our clients’ toughest business challenges. Our multidisciplinary, global team of advisors focuses on smart legal solutions, delivered simply.

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