Overview

Kara Kuchar is a partner in the Banking & Financial Institutions Practice Group in the New York office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Kara advises leading fintech companies and private equity firms on transactional, regulatory and enforcement matters related to payments products and services, including e-commerce marketplaces, money transmitters, B2B payment solutions providers, rewards companies, prepaid card managers, payroll processors, digital wallet providers, cryptocurrency exchanges and emerging payment companies. She counsels on buy-now-pay-later offerings, merchant cash advances and commercial lending licensing matters. Kara regularly writes and speaks on payment topics, including in forums sponsored by the Money Transmitter Regulatory Association and the American Conference Institute.

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Thought Leadership

Publications

Author, “As Federal Agencies Organize, U.S. States Continue to Lead in Regulating Digital Assets,” CoinDesk, June 8, 2022

Author, “PayPal Appeal May Limit Scope of CFPB’s Rulemaking Power,” Law360, April 4, 2022

Co-Author, “CFPB Remittance Rule Fine Spotlights Cash-Transfer Conduct,” Law360, September 13, 2019

Co-Author, “Virtual Currency Regulation: Analysis of New York’s Proposal,” Westlaw Journal – Computer & Internet, September 11, 2014

Co-Author, “What Your Prepaid Business Needs to Know about the Dodd-Frank Remittance Transfer Provisions: CFPB Issues Final Rule and Concurrent Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Safe Harbors,” Paybefore, February 28, 2012

Speaking Engagements

“Bank-Fin Tech Partnership Series Part 2 – Getting to Answers: Setting Up Partnerships to Satisfy Regulators and Partners Alike,” ACI Fintech & Emerging Payment Systems Conference, May 2025

“MTMA: State Regulator Implementation & Coverage of the Model Law,” NMLS 2025 Annual Conference & Training, February 2025

“Investments in Licensed Money Transmitters: Navigating the Deal and Regulatory Process Successfully,” Money Transmitter Regulators Association Annual Conference, September 2024

“Loyalty, Award, Promotional and Rebate Programs: What’s New, What’s Working and What Needs to Change?” ACI Prepaid Accounts Compliance Conference, April 2024

“Digital Payments: Innovations in Electronic Fund Transfers Amid Rapid Decentralization from the Current Banks/Payment Process,” ACI Fintech & Emerging Payment Systems, April 2023

“Bank Failures: High Level Overview and Considerations,” Client Seminar, May 2023

“Decentralized Finance (DeFi): Money Transmission Issues and AML and Sanctions Risks,” Money Transmitter Regulators Association 2022 Annual Conference & Regulators’ School, September 2022

“What’s Up with the CSBS Money Transmitter Model Law?” NMLS 2022 Annual Conference and Training, February 2022

“Preparing for and Responding to Increased State-Level Regulations, Examinations and Enforcement Efforts in the Prepaid Space,” ACI 20th Annual Forum on Prepaid Card Compliance, Washington, D.C., January 2020

“State Activity Round-Up: What Has Changed in the Last Year in State Money Transmitter Licensing Requirements, and the Latest Regulatory Strides to Streamline Multistate Licensing, Examination and Supervision,” ACI FinTech & Emerging Payment Systems Conference, New York, April 2019

“Payment Processing – A Deep Dive,” Money Transmitter Regulators Association 2017 Annual Conference & Examiners’ School, Savannah, GA, September 2017

“Ensuring Compliance with the Increasingly Aggressive State Regulatory and Enforcement Framework Governing Emerging Payment Systems: Bit Licenses, New Issues Relating to State Money Transmitter Licenses (Including the Examination Process), Payment Processing and Other Considerations,” ACI 12th National Forum on Emerging Payment Systems, San Francisco, CA, July 2016

“Dodd-Frank Remittance Rule Requirements for Consumer Remittances Originating from the U.S. to Abroad,” ACI Advanced Legal, Regulatory and Compliance Forum on Cross-Border Global Payments & Technologies, New York, November 2015

“Prepaid Access,” Money Transmitter Regulators Association 2015 Annual Conference & Examiners’ School, Kansas City, MO, October 2015

“Cross-Border Remittances: Dodd-Frank Section 1073, the CFPB and the Emerging Regulatory Paradigm,” ACI 2nd Advanced Forum on International & Cross-Border Payments, San Francisco, CA, June 2013

“What’s Happening on the State Level?” IIR 8th Annual Prepaid Expo, Orlando, FL, March 2013

“Cross-Border Remittances: Dodd-Frank Section 1073, the Emerging Regulatory Paradigm and Their Impact on Remittances,” ACI Advanced Forum on International & Cross-Border Payments, New York, November 2012

“Post-Conference Workshop: Prepaid Anti-Fraud and your Program. Leveraging the Power of Actively Collaborating as an Industry and Working with Law Enforcement,” Network Branded Prepaid Card Association The Power of Prepaid, Washington, D.C., June 2012

“Emerging Payment Systems: Legal, Regulatory and Compliance Considerations,” IIR 7th Annual Prepaid Expo, Las Vegas, NV, March 2012

“Legislative and Regulatory Updates Affecting Payments Companies,” Fidelity National Information Services Network Payments Executives Council Forum, Miami, FL, March 2012

Credentials

Admissions & Qualifications

  • New York
  • Connecticut

Education

  • University of Connecticut School of LawJ.D.
  • Trinity CollegeB.A.