Bretan graduated from Rutgers Law in Camden and worked in the Civil Practice Clinic hosting depositions, conducting discovery, making oral argument, and handling divorce matters.
How did you get started in your current area of practice?
Art by accident. I work in global financial crime at PayPal, ensuring that PayPal does not process payments for money launderers, terrorist financiers, drug or human traffickers. It involves statutory analysis of regional requirements and a broad understanding of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations.
Is there a typical day for someone in your practice area? If so, what is it like? If not, what types of experiences can you have from day-to-day?
In a typical day, I review enhancements to current products and features PayPal offers to gauge the degree of AML risk associated with new initiatives. Likewise, I review risk from a global perspective by making sure high-risk merchants are vetted through the proper channels. Lastly, I review enterprise risk via our risk assessment.
Are there certain skills and personality traits that are important in your practice area?
Collaboration, diligence, and patience are key traits in this practice area. My work involves "preventative" lawyering so an eye towards risk mitigation is critical. It's also important to keep up with evolving standards and industry practice along with new regulations.
What is the most fulfilling part of your practice?
To me, the most fulfilling part is contributing to PayPal's mission of democratizing digital currency and providing access to the under-banked. Also, it is fulfilling to ensure that money launderers and terrorist financiers are kept at bay.
How did Rutgers Law help prepare you for this work?
My ability to think on my feet and synthesize large amounts of information in a short amount of time is critical to my work product today. I honed this skill at Rutgers Law.