Maria J. D’Avanzo

Partner

200 Executive Blvd., Suite 200A

Ossining, NY 10562

e-mail: mdavanzo@fdgllp.com

Maria D’Avanzo is a Partner at Feinberg, D’Avanzo & Gasbarro. A former C-Suite Executive with over thirty (30) years of experience in Real Estate, Compliance, Data Privacy and Investigations, Maria services our business clients in these areas.

Maria has a proven track record in real estate, privacy, cyber, compliance, and investigation matters. She is a recognized thought leader in ethics and compliance and a sought-after speaker on Department of Justice changes, investigations, whistleblower programs, culture, compliance, data privacy, and ESG.

Before joining Feinberg, D’Avanzo & Gasbarro, LLP, Maria served as Chief Evangelist Officer at Traliant, a private equity-backed human resources, ethics and compliance, and privacy e-learning provider, and as Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer and Chief Privacy Officer for Cushman & Wakefield, a global leader in commercial real estate services. During her tenure at Cushman & Wakefield, D’Avanzo built a global ethics and compliance program from the ground up as well as a global data privacy program, with a focus on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). She has led several investigations, included those involving potential Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations. In addition, Maria has served as Deputy Chief Compliance Officer for AIG Asset Management, where she led a team that managed regulatory compliance matters on behalf of registered investment advisers and broker dealer entities in North America.

In previous roles, D’Avanzo was Chief Compliance Officer and Vice President of Starwood Capital, and founding partner of D’Avanzo & Morreale, a niche law firm specializing in real estate, financial and corporate transactions.

Admissions

  • New York

  • Connecticut

  • United States District for the Eastern District of New York

  • United States District for the Southern District of New York

Licenses

  • NASD Series 7 and 24

  • NASAA Series 63

Memberships & Associations

  • International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)

Education

  • St. John’s University School of Law, JD

  • College of the Holy Cross, BA

Select Presentations and Thought Leadership

Interviewed on “FCPA Compliance Report – Maria D’Avanzo on Privacy Issues in the US and Beyond” podcast (May 2023)

Interviewed on “Great Women in Compliance” podcast, part of the Compliance Podcast Network (April 2023)

“Unpacking DOJ Changes to Corporate Enforcement Policy: What Every Compliance Professional Should Know and Do”, Traliant webinar (March 2023)

“Top CCO Resolution for 2023: Use DOJ’s Guidance to Chart a Path Around Danger” Corporate Compliance Insights (January 2023)

Moderator, “’Paper Programs’ vs. Effective Compliance Training:  Why Compliance Training Matters”, Consero, Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer Forum, Coral Gables, FL (December 2022)

Interview, “Where the Data Privacy Compliance Landscape Is Heading and How Orgs Can Evolve”, Enterprise Security Tech (a cybersecurity blog for CxOs) (September 2022)

Panelist, “All About Boards: An Insider’s View on Boards of Directors & How They Oversee Ethics & Compliance”, Consero, Corporate Compliance and Ethics Executive Roundtable, New York, NY (July 2019)

Panelist, “Why Ethical People Make Unethical Choices: A Spotlight on the Role of Leaders”, Consero, Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer Forum, Coral Gables, FL (December 2017)

Presenter, “Preparing Your Employees to Be the Compliance Front Line”, Thomson Reuters, Financial and Risk Summit, New York, NY (May 2016)