AnnaLou Tirol counsels clients on anti-money laundering (AML) and fintech regulatory, compliance, and enforcement issues, drawing on two decades of government experience, most recently as Deputy Director of the US Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).
Few lawyers share AnnaLou’s deep familiarity with AML laws and regulations. As FinCEN’s Deputy Director, the bureau’s second highest official, AnnaLou oversaw FinCEN’s operations, programs, and policy, including legislative and regulatory matters, public-private partnerships with financial institutions and fintechs, and enforcement and compliance matters related to the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA). Following Congress’ January 2020 enactment of the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020, AnnaLou led FinCEN’s implementation of the most significant legislation to modernize the BSA since the USA PATRIOT Act, including the Corporate Transparency Act’s beneficial ownership requirements.
Prior to joining FinCEN, AnnaLou served as the Acting Chief of the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Criminal Division from 2016 to 2019. In that role, she oversaw approximately 35 prosecutors litigating sensitive and complex public corruption and election crimes cases nationwide. In her 15 years with DOJ, AnnaLou served in multiple capacities, including as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of California, leading complex white collar investigations and prosecutions involving financial fraud, public corruption, money laundering, and other crimes, and trying 15 jury trials to verdict. She also served as an overseas Legal Advisor for DOJ, running rule of law programs targeting money laundering, public corruption, terrorist financing, fraud, and financial crimes in Panama City, Panama and Belgrade, Serbia.
AnnaLou is also committed to mentoring and developing young and diverse attorneys. She is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center and was a founding member of FinCEN’s Women’s Leadership Series
Admissions
Bar Admissions
- California
Court Admissions
- US Tax Court, Southern District of California
Education
- University of San Diego School of Law, J.D.
- University of San Diego School of Law, LL.M.
- University of Notre Dame, B.A.
Honors & Awards
- U.S. Department of the Treasury Distinguished Service Award
- U.S. Department of State’s Meritorious Honor Award
- Assistant Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service
- FinCEN Director’s Award for Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion
Professional Activities
Speaker
- “Regulatory Fireside Chat Discussion,” ACAMS South Florida Chapter Financial Crime Forum (November 14, 2024)
Clerkship
- Honorable Ruben B. Brooks, U.S. Magistrate Judge, Southern District of California
Adjunct Professor
- Georgetown University Law Center
Founding Member
- Women’s Leadership Series, FinCEN
Corporate & Government Experience
Government Experience
- Deputy Director, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, U.S. Department of the Treasury
- Acting Chief, Public Integrity Section, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice
- Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California
- Resident Legal Advisor, Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice