WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 3, 2016) – Reed Smith LLP today announced the addition of Maria Earley as a partner in the firm’s global Financial Industry Group (FIG) in Washington, D.C. A former enforcement attorney at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Earley was most recently with Sidley Austin. The addition of Earley follows closely on those of Robert Shulman, a member of the firm’s Insurance Recovery Group; Holly Roth, a member of the firm’s Government Contracts Group; and Gerry Stegmaier, a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property, Information and Innovation (iCubed) Group – all who joined the Washington office earlier this summer.

“Reed Smith is proud to have earned the trust of some of the top banking and financial institutions in the world,” said FIG leader Ed Estrada. “Maria’s experience and reputation as a leading CFPB practitioner will further strengthen our ability to represent consumer financial services clients across regulatory, compliance, transactional and litigation matters. We pride ourselves on our ability to provide multi-disciplinary teams across our offices, and we are thrilled to have Maria as part of that team.”

Earley’s practice focuses on CFPB and other agency enforcement investigations, as well as advising financial services companies in examination, litigation and transactional matters. Prior to joining the CFPB, Earley concentrated on the defense of financial institutions in complex civil litigation matters. With more than a decade of experience in the financial services space, Earley has wide-ranging knowledge of federal and state consumer financial laws, including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the Truth in Lending Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Earley received her B.A. from Northwestern University and her J.D. from George Washington University Law School, where she was an editor of the George Washington University Law Review. After law school, Earley was a law clerk to the Honorable Raymond Jackson of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

“We are thrilled to have another talented addition to Reed Smith’s growing D.C. office, where 75 lawyers work with clients locally, nationally, and internationally,” said Gary Thompson, managing partner of Reed Smith’s Washington, D.C., office. “Maria’s particular CFPB experience is an excellent addition to our financial services bench, which is increasingly focused on D.C.”

Reed Smith’s Financial Industry Group consists of more than 200 lawyers and is one of the largest practices dedicated to clients in the financial sector. Clients range from domestic and global banks, credit card companies, mortgage bankers, investment banks, and investment management companies and advisors. As a global firm, Reed Smith is uniquely positioned to leverage the skills of its financial litigation, finance and lending, investment management, financial regulatory, commercial restructuring and bankruptcy, and M&A practices to serve its clients in multiple jurisdictions. By delivering first-rate services across the financial industry spectrum while maintaining a personal connection to clients, Reed Smith has earned its position as the “go-to” law firm for the financial services sector – a position it has retained for more than 135 years.

About Reed Smith

Reed Smith is a global relationship law firm with more than 1,700 lawyers in 26 offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Founded in 1877, the firm represents leading international businesses, from Fortune 100 corporations to mid-market and emerging enterprises. Its lawyers provide litigation and other dispute resolution services in multi-jurisdictional and other high-stakes matters; deliver regulatory counsel; and execute the full range of strategic domestic and cross-border transactions. Reed Smith is a preeminent advisor to industries including financial services, life sciences, health care, advertising, entertainment and media, shipping and transport, energy and natural resources, real estate, manufacturing and technology, and education. For more information, visit reedsmith.com.

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