Chris van Dyck

About Chris van Dyck

I assist financial institutions navigate the gray areas of regulation, particularly those working with high-risk clients and emerging financial markets.As a former financial regulator and financial institution executive now in private practice, I bring a 360° view to the role of legal counsel and consultant, covering everything from BSA compliance to strategic growth, offering senior management and boards a unique perspective on revenue-generating opportunities and best practices for mitigating risks.Before joining Cogent Law Group, I was the attorney for the Maine Bureau of Financial Institutions for six years and worked for nearly a decade as General Counsel, BSA Officer, and Chief Risk Officer at a Maine-based financial institution.My legal career spans Canada, the U.K, and the U.S, including experience in commercial litigation and infrastructure privatization.Today, I specialize in helping financial institutions build legally robust, compliant programs for complex, high-risk account relationships.If your institution is exploring cannabis banking or facing compliance challenges, feel free to reach out. I’m always open to a conversation.

Experience

1. Partner

   Cogent Law

   Mar 2024 — Present · Washington, DC, US

   9+ years Cannabis banking, cPort Credit Union9+ years BSA Officer, cPort Credit Union9+ years General Counsel, cPort Credit Union6+ years Financial Regulatory Attorney

Education

• Dalhousie University

  Bachelor of Laws - LLB, Law

  1982 — 1985

• University of Toronto

  English and History

  1979 — 1982