Anna Hamati on Key Lessons from the TD Bank AML Enforcement Action

Welcome to the Hughes Hubbard Anti-Corruption & Internal Investigations Practice Group’s podcast, All Things Investigation. In this episode, Anna Hamati, a Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP lawyer, joins host Tom Fox to discuss the historic anti-money laundering (AML) enforcement action involving TD Bank. Anna outlines her professional background in compliance and offers a deep dive into the top five takeaways from the extensive consent order related to the TD Bank case. These takeaways highlight key compliance failures, including inadequate resource allocation, insufficient testing and auditing, a weak culture of compliance, poor training programs, and failures in filing accurate and timely CTRs and SARs. The discussion provides critical insights and practical advice for compliance professionals seeking to improve their AML programs. Anna underscores the importance of allocating sufficient resources to compliance functions, conducting proper testing and auditing, fostering a strong compliance culture from the top, providing comprehensive training, and ensuring the timely and accurate filing of CTRs and SARs. She illustrates the real-world implications of these compliance failures through detailed examples and offers practical guidance for banks and financial institutions to avoid similar pitfalls. This episode is a must-listen for anyone involved in AML and regulatory compliance. Key highlights: Overview of the TD Bank Case Importance of Adequate Resources Testing and Auditing Culture of Compliance Training Programs Filing Timely and Accurate Reports Resources: Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP Website Anna Hamati