John Collins counsels depository institutions, securities firms, mutual funds, and insurance companies, as well as other types of US and foreign financial organizations, on regulatory, acquisition, enforcement, rulemaking, interpretive, and legislative matters. Specific representations have involved bank charters and licenses, compliance with securities laws, investigations under anti-money laundering requirements, acquisitions of financial institutions by US and non-US financial organizations and compliance under consumer protection and financial privacy standards.

Mr. Collins represents financial organizations and trade groups in connection with Dodd-Frank rulemaking and interpretive matters before a number of federal entities, including the Department of the Treasury, Federal Reserve, FDIC, Comptroller of the Currency, and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Mr. Collins also routinely represents trade associations and institutional clients before Congress in connection with legislative and oversight matters, such as possible revisions to the Dodd-Frank Act, housing finance reform, consumer protection and financial privacy requirements, anti-money laundering standards, the treatment of international banks in the US, securities law reform, and Congressional investigations. These representations include counseling clients regarding legislative procedures, advocacy before Senators, members of Congress and staff, as well as drafting amendments and other legislative language. With years of experience as a senior Senate Committee staff member and several in private legislative practice, Mr. Collins has extensive Congressional contacts.

Prior to joining Steptoe in 1985, Mr. Collins was general counsel to the US Senate Banking Committee. He had previously been a senior attorney at the Federal Reserve Board in Washington and, prior to that, a staff attorney with the Securities and Exchange Commission, also in Washington.