Brian Ferrell, Chief Counsel of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, will be departing the agency at the end of August to become Assistant Vice President and Assistant General Counsel within the compliance group at The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., a financial services and insurance company located in Hartford, CT.
"I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to rely on Brian's valuable counsel over the past five months," said Robert Werner, Director of FinCEN. "Brian is a person of tremendous integrity, and I am confident that he will provide considerable value, through his new private sector role, in continuing to further the goals of protecting the integrity of our financial system."
Mr. Ferrell first arrived at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network in August 2005. As FinCEN's Chief Counsel, Mr. Ferrell supervised the attorneys and staff that provide legal support to FinCEN officials on issues relating to the administration of the Bank Secrecy Act, domestic and international aspects of information law, inter-agency information-sharing, the use of information in enforcement operations and proceedings, international law relating to counter-money laundering efforts, and administrative law.
"It has been a privilege to serve as Chief Counsel of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network," said Ferrell. "I am truly honored to have been a part of FinCEN's mission to safeguard the financial system from the abuses of terrorist financing and other financial crime and to work along side the dedicated professionals of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and the Treasury."
FinCEN's Deputy Chief Counsel, Cynthia Clark, will assume the position of Acting Chief Counsel on September 1, 2006 pending selection of a new Chief Counsel.