Financial services company Affirm has hired Manuel Alvarez, a former enforcement attorney with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, as its first chief compliance officer and general counsel.

In his new role at Affirm, Alvarez will oversee and manage the company's regulatory compliance program and related activities to prevent illegal, unfair, or deceptive conduct. He also will take charge of liaising with regulators and Affirm's service providers.

Alvarez was one of the earliest enforcement attorneys at the CFPB where he investigated and civilly prosecuted violations of federal consumer financial laws. He served as lead attorney in CFPB v. Castle & Cooke Mortgage, the first-ever enforcement action of the Mortgage Loan Originator Compensation Rule under Regulation Z. He also liaised with other federal and state regulators, trained housing advocates on the new mortgage servicing standards, and supported several bank examinations.

Before joining the CFPB, Alvarez served as a Deputy Attorney General in the consumer law section of the California Attorney General's Office.

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