Cristina Diaz, who spent over two decades navigating bank regulation and compliance, has joined Crowell & Moring as senior counsel in the firm's Financial Services Group in New York, effective July 21, 2026. The appointment capitalizes on Diaz's experience managing UBS Bank USA's transformation into a federally chartered institution, a complex regulatory milestone that concluded in March 2026 when the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency granted final approval for the Swiss banking giant's charter conversion from a Utah state-chartered bank.
Diaz most recently served as head of legal for UBS's U.S. Remediation Management Office, a role that required her to oversee compliance remediations and regulatory relationships with federal and state banking authorities. Prior to that, she held the title of executive director and general counsel of UBS Bank USA. At Crowell, she will counsel banks, fintechs, and digital assets companies on bank regulatory matters including charters and licensing, capital requirements, regulatory enforcement, and M&A transactions. She will focus particularly on the intersection of traditional banking and emerging financial services, advising digital assets companies seeking to establish national banks and banks exploring partnerships with fintech and cryptocurrency firms. Carlton Greene, co-chair of Crowell's Financial Services Group, characterized Diaz as a highly experienced attorney who brings deep knowledge to the firm's expanding regulatory and transactional offerings.
Diaz's background reflects a hybrid trajectory between in-house counsel and law firm practice. She spent eight years at Davis Polk & Wardwell, a preeminent New York firm with deep expertise in bank regulation, capital markets, and M&A transactions. Her work at Davis Polk focused on advising U.S. and foreign banks on regulatory matters and complex transactions. After joining UBS, she guided the bank through its charter conversion, a strategic initiative launched in October 2025 to expand UBS Bank USA's lending, deposit-taking, and product capabilities beyond its traditional wealth management focus. Diaz holds a J.D. from New York University School of Law, where she was a law review member, and a B.A., summa cum laude, from NYU. She is fluent in Spanish.
Crowell & Moring is an international law firm headquartered in Washington with approximately 600 attorneys across 12 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The firm has developed a nationally recognized digital assets practice and distinguishes itself by counting more than 100 former government officials and prosecutors on its staff. In 2021, Crowell merged with the financial services law firm Kibbe & Orbe to strengthen its capacity in banking and regulatory work. The firm's Financial Services Group spans multiple disciplines, from litigation and regulatory enforcement to transactional advisory, and serves major financial institutions, asset managers, and emerging fintech companies.
The hire reflects broader market dynamics as traditional law firms compete to build expertise in financial regulation and digital assets at a moment when regulatory frameworks remain in flux. Diaz's credentials addressing the nexus between established banking institutions and emerging financial technologies position Crowell to serve clients navigating the increasingly blurred boundaries between traditional finance and crypto-related services. Her experience managing UBS's charter conversion, a process involving extensive interaction with federal regulators and compliance requirements, signals that Crowell views regulatory expertise and government relations as central to serving financial services clients in a period of significant regulatory change and technological disruption.
