Treasury Management & Payment Operations

Trillions of dollars pass through the U.S. banking system every day, creating endless opportunities for fraud, compliance risks, and operational challenges. Financial institutions need more than legal guidance – they need a proactive partner who ensures seamless, secure transactions. Regardless of the payment channel (e.g., checks, wire transfers, automated clearinghouse (ACH) payments, instant payments, card networks, digital assets, or cash), Adams & Reese’s banking clients rely on our team to stay secure, compliant, and operating at the speed that their customers demand.

Ensuring Compliance

Adams & Reese helps financial institutions, including community banks, national banks, credit unions, and fintech companies, through complex financial regulations without unnecessary business disruption. We ensure our clients’ operations comply with the rigorous requirements of the federal prudential regulators as well as state regulators, licensing boards and various payment networks.

Our leadership in this area extends to our work for many of the nation’s payment associations; more than half of these trade organizations engage Adams & Reese as their counsel. These relationships provide valuable insights into emerging trends in payment processing management that benefit our entire client portfolio.

Mitigation Fraud Risks in Real Time

Adams & Reese provides proactive fraud prevention strategies, advises on risk mitigation policies, drafts agreements that clarify rights and obligations of parties to payment transactions and to help mitigate fraud losses. Adams & Reese also provides rapid response legal guidance when fraud occurs.

Our treasury management services includes a dedicated Fraud Response Team, helping clients act decisively to prevent financial and reputational damage. In many cases, a single phone call to our team has stopped fraud in its tracks, saving institutions from significant losses. 

Defining Strengths

• Treasury Management Agreements and Structure Advice
• Service agreements and strategies for limiting liability and defining responsibilities for Checks, ACH Entries, wire transfer, instant payments (including FedNow and RTP), card, and related compliance
• Financial institution fraud response and risk assessment 
• Third-Party Relationship considerations arising from payments
• Fintech business planning and risk assessment
• Consumer payment, operations, and compliance considerations
• Fraud dispute resolution and response
• Office of Foreign Assets Control compliance
• EFTA/Reg. E compliance