Bank Policy Institute
Dafina Stewart has a strong background in legal and regulatory work in the banking sector. Starting in 2007, they worked as an Associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates, where they prepared applications for bank charters and advised clients on regulatory requirements. From 2011 to 2018, they served as Senior Counsel at the Federal Reserve System, supervising teams and overseeing the evaluation of banking proposals. During this time, they also gained experience in implementing and interpreting liquidity regulations. In 2017, Stewart worked as a Visiting Scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. Currently, they hold the position of Senior Vice President & Associate General Counsel at the Bank Policy Institute, where they continue to contribute their expertise in legal and regulatory matters in the banking industry.
Dafina Stewart completed their education at two prestigious institutions. Dafina graduated from Columbia University in 2007, where they earned a Juris Doctor degree in Law. Prior to that, they attended the University of Pennsylvania from 1997 to 2001, where they obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Mathematics. In 2008, they also obtained Bar Memberships in both New York State and Washington, DC.
Bank Policy Institute
The Bank Policy Institute (BPI) is a nonpartisan public policy, research and advocacy group, representing the nation’s leading banks. Our members include universal banks, regional banks and the major foreign banks doing business in the United States. Collectively, they employ almost 2 million Americans, make 72% of all loans and nearly half of the nation’s small business loans and serve as an engine for financial innovation and economic growth. Our staff includes economists, researchers, financial analysts and attorneys, all focused on using data and analysis to shape sound policy. We distribute our research and analysis to U.S. and global regulators, members of Congress, academics and media through academic-quality research papers, blog posts, white papers, comment letters, and Congressional testimony. We also serve our members through our Business-Innovation-Technology-Security division (better known as BITS), which provides an executive level forum to discuss and promote current and emerging technology, foster innovation, reduce fraud and improve cybersecurity and risk management practices for the nation’s financial sector. We take as a given that the business of banking is the business of taking and managing risk. BPI aims to shape policy to allow the nation’s leading banks to best serve their customers and fulfill their vital economic role while holding sufficient capital and liquidity to ensure that the risks they take are borne by their shareholders and creditors, not the taxpayer.