The Future of Money Movement: Real-Time Payments, Tokenized Deposits, and Fintech Innovation for Banks

About the Webinar

PRESENTERS:

• Allison Lewis, Partner, Bradley, Arant, Boult, Cummings

• Howard Herndon, Counsel, Bradley, Arant, Boult, Cummings

ABOUT THIS WEBINAR: 

A practical, strategic discussion of how the payments landscape is evolving and what bank leaders should be focused on over the next 12–24 months. Rather than a purely legal update, this session is framed as a strategic conversation around the technologies, business models, and regulatory developments reshaping payments. Presenters will explore how real-time payments, tokenized deposits, fintech partnerships, and artificial intelligence are converging to redefine the role of banks in the payments ecosystem. The overarching theme is helping banks understand how these developments fit together and what they mean for the future role of financial institutions in the payments ecosystem.

THIS WEBINAR WILL COVER:

• The continued evolution of RTP and FedNow — what banks are learning from implementation and customer adoption.
• Tokenized deposits and their impact on the banking system.
• How banks are evaluating fintech partnerships and embedded finance opportunities in a changing regulatory environment.
• Fraud trends and risk allocation issues associated with faster payments and increasingly automated payment ecosystems.
• The role of AI in payments, fraud detection, operations, and customer-facing payment solutions.
• Practical governance, compliance, and contracting considerations for banks seeking to innovate while managing regulatory expectations.

TOP 3 BENEFITS TO ATTENDEES:

1. Strategic Clarity on Payments Innovation — Gain a clear, actionable understanding of how real-time payments, tokenized deposits, and fintech partnerships are converging, so you can prioritize technology investments and partnership strategies with confidence.
2. Practical Risk and Compliance Guidance — Learn how leading banks are managing fraud exposure, regulatory expectations, and contractual risk allocation in faster payment environments.
3. Competitive Positioning Insights — Understand where financial institutions fit in the evolving payments ecosystem and how to leverage AI, embedded finance, and new payment rails to retain and grow customer relationships.

ABOUT OUR PRESENTERS:

Allison Lewis
Partner, Bradley, Arant, Boult, Cummings 

Ali Lewis is a partner in the firm’s Banking & Financial Services and Corporate & Securities practice groups. She advises technology companies, digital platforms, payments companies, and other innovative businesses on a broad range of strategic corporate and commercial matters, including complex transactions, commercial contracting, corporate governance, and M&A.

Ali’s practice is focused on helping technology businesses build, scale, and commercialize their products and services through effective legal and commercial frameworks. She is particularly experienced in the payments and fintech space, where she counsels clients on a wide range of customer, vendor, referral, sponsorship, processing, ISO, ISV, reseller, professional services, and merchant agreements, as well as the regulatory and business issues that shape these dynamic markets.

She also advises technology and technology-enabled companies on day-to-day corporate matters, strategic investments, and M&A transactions, including acquisitions and dispositions involving operating companies, merchant portfolios, and technology assets.

With experience both in-house and in private practice, Ali brings a practical, business-minded approach to helping clients execute transactions efficiently, manage risk thoughtfully, and seize opportunities in rapidly evolving markets. Her work in payments and fintech adds a distinct layer of commercial and regulatory insight for clients operating at the intersection of technology and financial services.

Ali is designated as an ANSI Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) by the International Association of Privacy Professionals.

Howard Herndon
Counsel, Bradley, Arant, Boult, Cummings

Howard Herndon is a nationally recognized thought leader in the fintech and electronic payment systems space, known for his strategic counsel to next-generation businesses, financial sponsors, and key stakeholders.

Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Howard is widely recognized for the pivotal role he has played in establishing the city as a growing fintech hub. He is highly respected both locally and nationally and is frequently sought after to speak at major industry events across the country.

With over two decades of experience, Howard’s practice encompasses mergers and acquisitions, deal structuring, operations, and compliance for both public and private payments companies, and he often handles transactions ranging from $100 million to more than $1 billion. He brings a unique business and legal perspective from having worked on both sides of the payments industry, regularly advising emerging businesses, private equity firms, and venture capital investors. Howard also offers legal insights on emerging technologies and regulatory frameworks that shape the financial services landscape.

Howard is at the forefront of artificial intelligence innovation, particularly at the intersection of fintech and national security. He has developed advanced AI solutions designed to detect trade-based money laundering, tariff evasion, and other illicit financial activities, helping clients and government entities address critical challenges with cutting-edge technology. His deep understanding of agentic AI and contextual AI applications spans multiple sectors, including government, healthcare, music and creative rights, travel, and financial services.

He is also known for his thoughtful analysis of payments industry issues, including the ongoing debate around interchange fees. Howard has highlighted how proposed changes — such as those contemplated under the Illinois Interchange Fee Prohibition Act (IFPA) — can have far-reaching impacts on the payments ecosystem, including operational complexity, fraud risks, and the funding of essential services such as fraud prevention and rewards.

In addition to his payments and AI knowledge, Howard collaborates with investment banks and private equity firms, providing strategic guidance that drives innovation and transformative results. His national practice is complemented by significant international engagements, reflecting his broad influence and extensive industry knowledge.
 

CBA Webinars are free for all CBA members. Please login to register. If you have any questions or need assistance with registration please reach out to Isabella Brennan (ibrennan@consumerbankers.com).