Bernard
Williams, Jr., CAMS
Bernard is currently Assistant General Counsel in the Ethics & Legal Compliance department of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE). In his current role, Bernard supports all aspects of the company’s ethics and legal compliance objectives, including client education and counseling, providing legal advice to global business and corporate teams concerning SPE’s policies, including SPE’s anti-bribery and sanctions policies, to support business enablement and compliance with U.S. and international laws. Prior to joining SPE, Bernard was a member of eBay’s Global AML Compliance team tasked with building out a governance framework and central compliance function to support the eBay marketplace. Additionally, Bernard served as the president of the Black Employees at eBay (BEE), an employee resource group (ERG), where he focused on improving eBay’s workforce, workplace and marketplace for Black and African Americans.
Bernard has over 20 years of experience in financial services as both an attorney and as a compliance officer, previously serving as a compliance officer for Goldman Sachs’ Asset Management Division, Securities Division and as it’s global co-head of compliance training. Bernard has also served as in-house and outside counsel for various financial services firms on Wall Street where he specialized in alternative dispute resolution and litigation.
In addition to his work responsibilities, Bernard has led several pro-bono legal efforts for small business entrepreneurs, charitable organizations, entities and individuals seeking legal assistance. Bernard graduated with honors from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and obtained his Juris Doctor from Brooklyn Law School.