Cyber & Compliance: Your Fraud Defense Plan

Moderator

Donna Lowry is an award-winning journalist who combines a passion for storytelling and a desire to empower others with communication and critical thinking skills surrounding political, educational, and financial issues.

Through her firm, Donna Lowry Communications, she provides consulting, writing, and producing services for educational, media, professional, and business outlets.

Donna serves as host/producer for several programs, including Lawmakers on Georgia Public Broadcasting.

Donna is an eight-time Emmy award winner, a three-time national Gabriel Award recipient, and has garnered honors from countless organizations, including the National Association of Black Journalists, Atlanta Association of Black Journalists, Georgia Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists, Georgia Association of Educators (GAE), and the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE).

Her media peers inducted Donna into the prestigious NATAS Southeast Silver Circle to recognize her lasting contributions to the broadcast industry.

Donna has a master's in Journalism from Northwestern University and a Bachelor's in Mass Communications and Administration and Management from Chatham University.

Her professional affiliations include the Atlanta Press Club, the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of Black Journalists, and the Southeastern Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS SE).

In her 15th year as a Girl Scout Leader, Donna has led girls ranging in age from kindergarten through 12th grade. Her community service affiliations also include Magnolia (GA) Chapter of Links, Inc., and Nu Lambda Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

Donna and her husband, Army Major (Ret) Bennet W. Reid, Jr., are the parents of three daughters.

Partner at Chaiken Ghali LLP 

Kamal Ghali is a former federal prosecutor and a top-ranked white collar criminal defense and business litigation attorney recognized in The Best Lawyers in America and Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.

Over the last eighteen years, Mr. Ghali has handled some of the biggest criminal and civil cases in the country, including high-profile white collar criminal fraud investigations and trials; high-stakes business disputes involving civil racketeering (RICO) and fraud allegations (in courts and arbitration); a wide range of national security and cybersecurity matters; and fast-moving bribery and public corruption investigations.

He is described in Chambers USA as a “brilliant attorney,” a “great legal strategist who anticipates all sides of a case,” “an excellent trial lawyer,” and an “excellent courtroom advocate, sharp and quick on his feet.” It further notes his “fantastic ability to explain complex legal and technology-related topics” and his “particular expertise in matters concerning cybercrime.” He has received numerous awards and commendations for his trial and litigation skills, including praise from a federal judge who described his courtroom performance as “excellent,” “outstanding,” and as hitting a “home run” in the “bottom of the ninth.”

While his work runs the gamut from squaring off against federal prosecutors and regulators in court to conducting corporate internal investigations, he has also secured significant wins for clients facing major business disputes. He has helped businesses and executives settle contentious, bet-the-company cases, including the settlement of a multi-billion-dollar dispute over the ownership of two nuclear power plant units. And he recently secured a complete trial victory in a FINRA arbitration involving allegations of unauthorized trades arising out of a fraudulent options trading scheme.

Before co-founding Chaiken Ghali LLP, he was a partner at a prominent Atlanta-based litigation firm where he led the white collar criminal defense practice, founded the cyber & digital litigation practice, and resolved numerous high-stakes business disputes. Prior to that, he served as a U.S. Department of Justice white collar and cybercrime prosecutor for over six years, including as a deputy chief at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta. As a federal prosecutor, he worked closely with the FBI, IRS, SEC, and other agencies on white collar criminal matters ranging from multi-week securities fraud trials to high-profile cybercrime prosecutions, including the prosecution of the developers of SpyEye—a notorious malware that caused over one billion dollars in losses worldwide.

He previously served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Thomas W. Thrash, Jr., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia and the Honorable Frank M. Hull, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

He serves on the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation.

Chief of the Criminal Division for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta

Steve McClain serves as Chief of the Criminal Division for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta. He oversees the office’s criminal prosecution efforts, supervising Assistant U.S. Attorneys and staff responsible for investigating and prosecuting federal offenses that threaten public safety and national security. The Criminal Division handles a broad spectrum of cases through its sections, which include Violent Crime and National Security, Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, Complex Frauds and Cybercrime, Public Integrity and Civil Rights, Money Laundering and Asset Recovery, Appeals and Legal Advice, and Training. He also coordinates with federal, state, and local law enforcement.

Steve previously served as Chief of the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Section, where he supervised fraud prosecutors and prosecuted a wide variety of white collar offenses. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the Department of Justice Director’s Award for Superior Performance for successfully prosecuting a Ponzi scheme defendant who was convicted by a jury and sentenced to 27 years in prison.

Before his government service, Steve was a partner in the Los Angeles office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, where he focused on complex commercial litigation. He began his legal career clerking for Judge Kenneth F. Ripple on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Steve graduated summa cum laude from Notre Dame Law School, where he received the Hoynes Award and was Managing Editor of the Notre Dame Law Review. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees from Clemson University.

Senior Assistant Attorney General, Section Chief: White Collar & Cyber Crime Unit, Georgia Attorney General’s Office Prosecution Division

Laura Pfister is the section leader of the White Collar & Cyber Crime Unit of the Georgia Attorney General’s Office Prosecution Division, focused on fraud and cybercrime.  Ms. Pfister has 20 years of prosecution experience in both state and federal court, having served as both an Assistant Attorney General and an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Georgia.  Ms. Pfister’s prosecutions have included computer hacking, cyber-stalking, stored value card fraud, money laundering, wire fraud, and state racketeering.  In addition to her case work, Ms. Pfister has presented to industry groups, citizens, and law enforcement on cyber-enabled fraud, cryptocurrency investigations, and state government adoption of AI.  Ms. Pfister earned her B.A. from Furman University and her J.D. from Georgia State University College of Law. 

President of VirFin Solutions

John Yaros is a finance, technology, and national security expert who currently serves as the President of VirFin Solutions a financial technology consulting firm that provides government relations, policy, business, and product solutions for clients. Yaros previously served in numerous high profile positions including leading the U.S Treasury Department’s Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence’s (TFI) Terrorism and Nuclear Proliferation Team, conducting investigations for the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), advising fintech and cybersecurity companies, managing cybersecurity audits at the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and working in the securities industry at Morgan Stanley. Most recently Yaros was appointed Securities Bureau Chief for the state of Idaho where he managed a large team of financial professionals who investigated financial crimes and provided regulatory oversight for the over 153,000 entities and individuals that are licensed/registered to offer securities and financial services in Idaho.  

Yaros is also a Board Member for the TechCongress Fellowship Program, a former Division 1 college ice hockey player, and a proud cancer survivor.