Veteran bank litigator brings more than 14 years of experience representing financial institutions in court and before regulatory agencies

HOUSTON — Crain Caton & James, P.C. is pleased to announce that Miriam Sweetin has joined the firm as Of Counsel in the Banking & Financial Institutions practice group. Sweetin is a seasoned bank litigator with more than 14 years of experience representing financial institutions in court and before regulatory agencies, with a practice focused on banking litigation, bank fraud, lender liability, banking regulation and compliance, and disputes arising in the financial services industry.

Miriam has tried cases in both state and federal court and has managed every phase of litigation — from pleadings and motion practice through depositions, oral argument, and trial. She has handled dockets averaging more than 30 concurrent cases across Texas, Oklahoma, and Colorado, and is licensed to practice in all three states.

Miriam brings a distinctive perspective shaped by experience on both sides of the regulatory relationship. As Senior Attorney at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, she advised senior staff on enforcement strategy and the interpretation of federal banking law, including the FDI Act, Regulation O, Regulation W, and Part 362. Prior to her time at the FDIC, she served as litigation counsel for a large national bank, where she led internal investigations and managed outside litigation counsel across multiple states.

Her litigation practice is grounded in working knowledge of the Bank Secrecy Act, Dodd-Frank, TILA, FDCPA, ECOA, FCRA, and UDAAP. She has developed and implemented consumer banking compliance programs, managed bank examinations with regulatory agencies, and provided legal guidance on enterprise-wide regulatory reporting and compliance initiatives.

“Miriam is exactly the kind of attorney our banking clients need in their corner,” said Pat Huttenbach, Shareholder in the firm’s Banking & Financial Institutions practice. “She has tried cases, managed regulatory relationships, and worked inside the agencies that examine and enforce against our clients. That combination of courtroom experience and regulatory insight is genuinely rare, and it makes her an exceptional resource for financial institutions facing litigation or enforcement exposure.”

Miriam earned her J.D. with highest honors from the University of Tulsa College of Law and her B.A. summa cum laude from Oral Roberts University. She is admitted to practice in Texas, Oklahoma, and Colorado.

She joins a practice group with deep institutional knowledge of the banking industry, where she will work alongside Huttenbach and other firm attorneys advising banks, credit unions, and financial holding companies on litigation strategy, regulatory compliance, and dispute resolution.