Mark Dabertin

Advising banks, fintechs, online lenders, and financial services companies on regulatory compliance, risk management, enforcement matters, consumer law, banking-as-a-service programs, and complex commercial agreements.

Banking & Financial Services Regulatory Compliance Banking-as-a-Service

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Professional Profile

Mark Dabertin focuses his practice on banking and financial services law. With more than 30 years of experience across government, private practice, and senior legal and compliance leadership roles, Mark advises clients on matters involving safety and soundness, consumer law, anti-money laundering, regulatory enforcement, bank formation and acquisition, and complex financial services contracts.

Mark began his career in financial services as a Senior Attorney with the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, where he served from 1990 to 1995. His work at the OCC included contributions to the agency’s Fair Lending Program, for which he received a Special Act Award.

Before joining Cogent Law, Mark served as General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer of Sutton Bank, a leading banking-as-a-service institution and one of the largest issuers of Visa cards by volume in the United States. As the initial incumbent in both roles, he helped transform Sutton Bank’s risk management program into a robust, independent three-lines-of-defense structure aligned with regulatory expectations for a complex institution engaged in nationwide activities.

Signature Focus

Regulatory and Government Experience

Mark began his financial services career as a Senior Attorney with the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, where his accomplishments included a Special Act Award for contributions to the OCC’s Fair Lending Program.

Banking-as-a-Service Leadership

As General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer of Sutton Bank, Mark helped build a sophisticated risk management framework for a complex institution engaged in nationwide banking-as-a-service and card issuing activities.

Financial Institution and Fintech Counsel

Mark has represented and advised banks, non-bank financial services companies, fintechs, online lenders, EWA providers, MCA providers, and other alternative financing businesses.

Areas of Focus

Banking and financial services regulatory counsel
Banking-as-a-service program agreements and risk management
Safety and soundness matters, including compliance structures and controls
Consumer financial services law, including lending, collections, privacy, and marketing
Anti-money laundering compliance and regulatory examinations
Regulatory enforcement, bank formation, and bank acquisition matters
Fintech, online lending, earned wage access, merchant cash advance, and alternative financing
Complex contracts, template agreements, and financial services program documentation

Credentials

Financial Institution Leadership

Connect with Cogent Law to discuss banking and financial services law, regulatory compliance, banking-as-a-service programs, risk management, consumer financial services, anti-money laundering, enforcement matters, fintech partnerships, and complex financial services agreements.