Jim McCarthy is a Bates Consulting and Testify Expert and a nationally recognized expert in regulatory risk and consumer financial protection. He was a founding member of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), where he helped build the agency’s consumer complaint system and led national efforts to onboard financial institutions and design regulatory reporting workflows. Over the past three decades, Jim has held senior leadership roles at the FDIC, KPMG, and multiple financial institutions, where he specialized in compliance, supervision, and enforcement matters related to regulations such as UDAAP, ECOA, FCRA, Reg E, Reg Z, and Reg F.
Today, Jim serves as Chairman of McCarthy Hatch, a technology-enabled consulting firm focused on regulatory risk analytics and compliance innovation. He advises some of the largest U.S. banks and regularly speaks on the intersection of consumer protection, data strategy, and regulatory change. His work emphasizes transparency, operational efficiency, and the strategic use of regulatory data to inform risk management and improve consumer outcomes.
James is a consultant and subject matter expert in these Practice Areas and Services:
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Securities and Financial Services Litigation & Consulting
- Retail Securities
- Regulatory & Internal Investigations
- Data, Analyses & Analytics
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Compliance Solutions
- Cyber Security
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MSB, FinTech and Cryptocurrency
- MSB Consulting
- BSA/AML/OFAC Compliance
- Money Transmitter Licensing
- Virtual and Cryptocurrency Compliance
- Consumer Compliance / Consumer Lending
Credentials
EXPERIENCE
Bates Group, Consulting and Testifying Expert, 2025 – Present
McCarthy Hatch, Chairman, Melissa, TX, 2023 – Present
KPMG, Senior Managing Director, Regulatory Risk, New York, NY, 2022 – 2023
ConServe, Chief Risk Officer, Rochester, NY, 2018 – 2022
PENNYMAC, FVP Compliance, Westlake Village, CA, 2016 – 2018
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Founding Member, Washington, DC, 2011 – 2016
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Senior Advisor, Dallas, TX, 2008 – 2011
EDUCATION
Master of Legal Studies (MLS), Risk Management & Compliance, Texas A&M University School of Law, Fort Worth, TX (In Progress)
Bachelor of Science (BS), Finance and Financial Management Strategy, Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS/LICENSING
- Certificate in Contract Management Oversight – The George Washington University Law School (2010)
- Contract Oversight Management – The George Washington University
- Business Analytics Foundations – LinkedIn
- Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) & Compliance Management Systems (CMS)
PUBLICATION AND MEDIA
- Host, Financial Forward Podcast – Discusses consumer finance, regulatory risks, and payments innovation with top industry leaders.
- Keynote Speaker – Speaker at Finnovate Spring 2025, Bank Automation 2025, and regulatory risk conferences.
- Quoted in – The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Quartz, American Banker on financial regulation, compliance, and risk trends.