Hilary J. Allen

Hilary J. Allen is a Professor of Law at American University Washington College of Law, where she teaches Banking Law, Securities Regulation, and Business Associations. She is an internationally recognized expert on financial stability regulation and new financial technologies, regularly sharing her expertise with regulatory bodies across the United States, EU, UK, Canada, and Australia, as well as with international institutions including the IMF, World Bank, and Financial Stability Board.

Allen earned her LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2010 (where she received the Thomas Bradbury Chetwood, S.J. Plaque for graduating first in her class), her Bachelor of Laws from the University of Sydney in 2003, and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney in 2001. Prior to entering academia, she spent seven years working in financial services groups of prominent law firms in London, Sydney, and New York, and in 2010 worked with the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission.

Professor Allen's research focuses on critical intersections between financial regulation, emerging technologies, and systemic risk. Her work examines how artificial intelligence, blockchain, and cryptocurrency create new challenges for financial stability, while also addressing traditional regulatory concerns through modern lenses. She has published extensively on regulatory sandboxes, precautionary approaches to financial product approval, and the relationship between climate change and financial stability. Her book Driverless Finance: Fintech's Impact on Financial Stability (Oxford University Press, 2022) has become a significant contribution to understanding how emerging financial technologies introduce systemic risks requiring new regulatory tools.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent focus on how technological innovation in finance requires corresponding innovation in regulation. Her work spans from practical regulatory mechanisms like sandboxes to broader conceptual frameworks for understanding financial stability in the digital age. She has particularly emphasized the need for common language in international financial regulation and the importance of addressing emerging threats from crypto, AI, and climate change.

Professor Allen has testified before both the House Financial Services Committee and the Senate Banking Committee, demonstrating the practical impact of her scholarship on real-world policy. She is regularly quoted in the popular press and actively participates in scholarly conferences worldwide. Her research has been supported through invitations to present at roundtables with central banks and international regulatory bodies, reflecting her standing in the global financial regulation community.

As an educator, Allen brings her deep practical experience from the financial services industry to the classroom, connecting theoretical concepts with real-world applications. Her expertise in both traditional banking law and emerging fintech issues provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the evolving financial regulatory landscape.