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Jacqueline D. Shinfield (she, her, hers) Partner | Toronto

About Jacqueline

Jacqueline is co-lead of Blakes Financial Services Regulatory group. Her practice focuses on all aspects of regulatory compliance in the retail financial services and payments industry at both the federal and provincial levels. She provides advice to regulated financial institutions and non-bank institutions, money services businesses, foreign exchange dealers, mobile payments service providers, digital currency exchanges, crypto currency exchanges and others. She has extensive experience providing advice in respect of Canada's anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing legislation as well as Canadian sanctions legislation.

Jacqueline also has particular expertise in the payment and card industry and provides advice to those involved in all aspects of these industries, including credit card, stored value card and virtual card issuers, issuers and exchangers of digital currency, e-wallet providers, payment solution providers, program managers, payment processors, payment acquirers, payment networks and others involved in payment systems generally. She also provides a wide range of advice on regulatory issues with respect to the development of new payment products and distribution networks and on regulatory compliance with respect to payment systems legislation and consumer protection legislation.

Jacqueline also advises those engaged with digital currency and digital assets generally including matters surrounding regulation of those "dealing in virtual currency" and non-fungible tokens, leveraging her extensive experience in payments, anti-money laundering, money services businesses and other financial services regulatory matters.

Awards & Recognition

Jacqueline was named Person of the Year at the 2016 PX Payments Awards and was inducted into the Canadian Payments Hall of Fame. Payments eXchange is the Canadian organization that represents all sectors of the payments business in Canada (gift cards, prepaid cards, eCards, ePayments, mobile payments and transaction processing), and provides ongoing legal and statute updates that govern each aspect of the payments business.

In 2015, Jacqueline was named one of Paybefore's Top 10 Payments Lawyers. She is the only Canadian lawyer to receive this recognition.

Jacqueline is also recognized as a leading banking and financial services lawyer in the following publications:

  • Chambers Canada: Canada’s Leading Lawyers for Business – 2018–2025 (Banking & Finance: Financial Services Regulation)

  • The Best Lawyers in Canada – 2013–2025 (Banking and Finance Law)

  • Lexology Index: Thought Leaders 2024 (Global Elite – Fintech & Blockchain)

  • The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (2024: Consistently Recommended – Financial Institutions Regulation – Ontario; 2016–2023: Repeatedly Recommended – Banking & Financial Institutions, Financial Institutions Regulation – Ontario)

  • The Legal 500 Canada – 2023–2024 (Banking and Finance)

  • Lexology Index: Thought Leaders (Global Elite – 2021–2024: Banking – Regulatory; 2020–2022: Banking – Fintech)

  • Lexology Index: Global (2021–2024: Banking – Finance; 2023: Fintech; 2020–2023: Banking – Regulatory)

  • Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business – 2021–2024 (Banking and Finance: Financial Services) 

  • Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers 2024 – Independently Rated Lawyers (As nominated by senior in-house counsel)

  • Lexology Index: Thought Leaders – 2021–2023 (GBRR)

  • Chambers FinTech – 2021–2023 (FinTech Legal)

  • Lexology Index: Canada (2023: Fintech & Blockchain; 2020–2023: Banking)

  • IFLR1000: The Guide to the World's Leading Financial and Corporate Law Firms – 2017–2023 (Highly Regarded – Financial Services Regulatory)

  • IFLR1000 Women Leaders 2022 (Canada)

Professional Activities

Jacqueline is a member of the Canada Advisory Board established by the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists. She is also a member of the Finance Advisory Board for Practical Law – Canada, established by Carswell, and is a member of the advisory board of Payments eXchange, a Canadian payments organization that represents all sectors of the payments business in Canada.

Jacqueline is a frequent speaker on the Canadian payment landscape and regulatory compliance in the payments arena.

Publications
Professional Appearances
  • Co-speaker : Stronger Together: Enhancing Compliance Through Information Sharing
    ACAMS The Assembly Canada, Toronto, Ontario, November 6-7, 2024.
  • Co-speaker : LIGHTNING ROUND – How It’s Going: A Progress Report Two Years Post Cullen
    ACAMS The Assembly Canada, Toronto, Ontario, November 6-7, 2024.
  • Moderator : Friction and Regulatory Challenges
    Northwind’s Inaugural Financial Crime Invitational Forum, Cambridge, Ontario, October 21-23, 2024.
  • Moderator : Money Laundering in Canada
    Northwind’s Inaugural Financial Crime Invitational Forum, Cambridge, Ontario, October 21-23, 2024.
  • Co-speaker : Registration timelines and process for the Retail Payment Activities Act
    Canadian Payments Outlook Seminar, Toronto, Ontario, October 16, 2024.
  • Co-speaker : Fireside Chat – Faster Payments: Digitization of Money
    TRANSACT Tech powered by ETA, Toronto, Ontario, June 12, 2024.
  • Co-speaker : Faster Payments
    TRANSACT Tech powered by ETA, Toronto, Ontario, June 12, 2024.
  • Co-speaker : Panel Debate: Payments Modernization: Forging ahead with Canada’s pathway
    Open Banking Expo, Toronto, Ontario, June 11, 2024.
  • Co-speaker : New Reporting Entities Under the PCMLTFA: Exploring Expanded Sector Regulations Related to Real Estate, Including Armored Car Services, Mortgage Lenders, Mortgage Brokers, and Private Lenders
    Canadian Institute 23rd Annual Flagship Canadian Forum on AML & Financial Crime, Toronto, Ontario, June 5-6, 2024.
  • Co-speaker : Speed Legal: Keeping up with legislative developments in payments and financial services
    Payments Canada Summit, Toronto, Ontario, May 29-31, 2024.
  • Co-speaker : Politics and Payments
    Payments Canada Summit, Toronto, Ontario, May 29-31, 2024.
  • Speaker : Canada’s Legislation Affecting MSBs & PSPs
    Canadian Money Services Association Spring Training Conference, Toronto, Ontario, May 29, 2024.
  • Speaker : Navigating the Canadian FinTech Maze
    Truly Financial Tech Fest, Toronto, Ontario, May 23, 2024.
  • Moderator : Insight on Oversight: Regulating Canada's Financial Infrastructure
    Canadian Lenders Association Bankers Summit, Toronto, Ontario, May 15, 2024.
  • Co-speaker : Securing the Future: Navigating AI and Cybercrime in the Evolving Financial Landscape
    Transform – Canadian Credit Union Association Conference, Calgary, Alberta, May 5-8, 2024.
  • Co-speaker : RPAA: The Future Comes Into Focus
    Blakes Business Class Seminar, Toronto, Ontario, March 7, 2024.
  • Speaker : Navigating Canada's Regulatory Landscape: Key Expectations for 2024
    TCAE Knowledge Series, Toronto, Ontario, February 24, 2024.
  • Co-speaker : Beneficial Ownership Transparency: Canada, the EU and Enablers
    Transparency International Day of Dialogue, Toronto, Ontario, November 30, 2023.
  • Speaker : Updates and Changes to Canada’s AML Legislation Affecting MSBs
    Canadian MSB Association 2023 Fall Conference, Toronto, Ontario, November 7-8, 2023.
  • Speaker : Changes to the anti-money laundering laws
    Financial Services Regulatory Update – What You Need to Look Out For, Blakes Insight Webinar, Toronto, Ontario, September 21, 2023.
  • Speaker : Impact of Recent Developments Under AML Law and Policy - Prepare Now!
    Infonex Anti-Money Laundering: Compliance 2023 (virtual), Toronto, Ontario, September 19-20, 2023.
  • Speaker : Updates and changes to Canada’s AML Legislation
    TCAE Toronto Compliance and AML Conference, Toronto, Ontario, September 14, 2023.
  • Moderator and Co-speaker : New Retail Payments Framework
    ETA Transact Tech and Policy Day, Toronto, Ontario, June 14, 2023.
  • Speaker : The 2023 Canadian AML Landscape: Regulatory and Compliance considerations for Credit Unions
    Canadian Credit Union Association Webinar, Toronto, Ontario, May 18, 2023.
  • Moderator : The Regulation of Payments
    The Payments Canada Summit, Toronto, Ontario, May 3-5, 2023.
  • Speaker : Retail Payment Activities Act and potential impact on MSBs
    Canadian MSB Association, Annual Spring Conference, Toronto, Ontario, May 3-4, 2023.
  • Chair and Moderator : Interactive Panel Discussion: The Future of Compliance - Where Are Things Going?
    Osgoode Certificate in Regulatory Compliance & Legal Risk Management for Financial Institutions 2023, Module Five – Technology, Emerging Risks and the Future (Webinar), Toronto, Ontario, March 30, 2023.
  • Co-speaker : The Retail Payment Activities Act
    Canadian Payments Outlook 2023, Blakes Webinar, Toronto, Ontario, March 29, 2023.
  • Chair and Speaker : Treating Customers Fairly and Market Content
    Osgoode Certificate in Regulatory Compliance & Legal Risk Management for Financial Institutions 2023, Module Three – Managing Regulatory Reviews, Exams and Complaints (Webinar), Toronto, Ontario, February 23, 2023.
  • Speaker : Anti-Money Laundering – Building an Effective Compliance Program
    Osgoode Certificate in Regulatory Compliance & Legal Risk Management for Financial Institutions 2023, Module Two – Building Blocks of an Effective Compliance Program (Webinar), Toronto, Ontario, February 9, 2023.
  • Speaker : Regulatory Expectation in 2023
    Toronto Compliance and AML Enterprise (TCAE), The Knowledge Series Webinar, Toronto, Ontario, January 28, 2023.
  • Speaker : Anti-money laundering compliance
    FinTech Commercial and Regulatory Update, Toronto, Ontario, December 13, 2022.
  • Speaker : Retail Payment Activities Act and open banking initiatives
    FinTech Commercial and Regulatory Update, Toronto, Ontario, December 13, 2022.
  • Speaker : What MSBs should know about the Retail Payments Activities Act
    Canadian Money Services Business Fall Conference, Toronto, Ontario, November 24, 2022.
  • Speaker : Cullen Commission Report on Money Laundering in BC - The Way Forward
    Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) Vancouver Chapter (webinar), Toronto, Ontario, November 1, 2022.
  • Moderator : Pay Up: Regulating Crowdfunding, Payment Service Providers (PSPs) and Payment Processors
    Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) 10th Annual AML & Anti-Financial Crimes Conference – Canada, Toronto, Ontario, October 26-27, 2022.
  • Moderator : Great Expectations: A Look at the Cullen Commission’s Report and Recommendations
    Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) 10th Annual AML & Anti-Financial Crimes Conference – Canada, Toronto, Ontario, October 26-27, 2022.
  • Speaker : The Essentials of Suspicious Transaction Reporting!
    Infonex Anti-Money Laundering: Compliance 2022 Conference (virtual), Toronto, Ontario, September 20-21, 2022.
  • Moderator and Speaker : Crypto – A Cross-Border Use Case
    TRANSACT Tech + ETA Annual Policy Day, Toronto, Ontario, June 14, 2022.
  • Co-speaker : Fireside Chat: What’s Next for Retail Payments
    TRANSACT Tech + ETA Annual Policy Day, Toronto, Ontario, June 14, 2022.
  • Co-speaker : New Payment Services Provider (PSP) rules from Budget 2022
    10th Annual Canadian MSB Association (CMSBA) Spring Training Session, Toronto, Ontario, June 1-2, 2022.
  • Co-speaker : Update on Suspicious Transaction Reports/Administrative Monetary Penalties/Assessment Findings
    10th Annual Canadian MSB Association (CMSBA) Spring Training Session, Toronto, Ontario, June 1-2, 2022.
  • Co-speaker : Accelerating Payments Modernization: A Regulatory Discussion
    2022 Canadian Prepaid Providers Association (CPPO) Symposium, Toronto, Ontario, June 1, 2022.
  • Co-speaker : AML Audits – Expectations, Trends and Results
    IIAC Anti-Money Laundering & Financial Crimes Conference: Trends and Perspectives for the Financial Industry, Toronto, Ontario, May 31, 2022.
  • Chair and Speaker : Technology Update: New Models, Impacts and Innovations and Open Banking
    Essential One-Day Update in Regulatory Compliance and Legal Risk Management for Financial Institutions, Osgoode Hall Law School (virtual), Toronto, Ontario, April 26, 2022.
  • Speaker : Compliance in the Financial Services Sector AML/ATF: Focus on Virtual Currency
    Osgoode Professional LLM in Financial Law Webinar, Toronto, Ontario, April 9, 2022.
  • Moderator and Co-speaker : The Future – Where Are Things Going?
    Module 5, Osgoode Professional LLM Webinar, Toronto, Ontario, March 31, 2022.
  • Co-speaker : Treating Customers Fairly & Market Conduct
    Module 3, Osgoode Professional LLM Webinar, Toronto, Ontario, February 24, 2022.
  • Chair and Speaker : Bribery/Corruption, Anti-Money Laundering and Economic Sanctions
    Module 2, Osgoode Professional LLM Webinar, Toronto, Ontario, February 10, 2022.
  • Speaker : FINTRAC’s Expectations: 2022 Version
    Toronto Compliance and AML Enterprise, The Knowledge Series Webinar, Toronto, Ontario, January 29, 2022.
Media Activities
  • Quoted : Canada’s banking lobbyists call for overhaul of financial crime reporting regime
    Article by Stefanie Marotta and Alexandra Posadzki, The Globe and Mail, October 31, 2024.
  • Quoted : Canada's clampdown on protest funding may be a challenge for financial sector
    Article by Nichola Saminather, Reuters, February 17, 2022.
Education

Admitted to the Ontario Bar – 1989
LLB, Osgoode Hall Law School – 1987
BA, University of Winnipeg – 1983

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