Erica Khalili
Co-founder, Chief Legal & Risk Officer
Erica Khalili is the Chief Legal and Risk Officer and co-founder of Lead Bank.
In her current role, Erica oversees Lead’s foundational functions such as legal, risk, compliance, financial crimes, information security, and program management, while also supporting Lead’s business development function. She has built and scaled all of the bank’s programs from the ground up, shaping Lead into a partner of choice for some of the most innovative fintechs and crypto companies in the world.
Previously, she spent over six years at Block, Inc. (formerly Square, Inc.) serving as Deputy General Counsel and General Counsel for Square Financial Services, Block’s internal bank entity. Erica led the cross-functional effort to secure a de novo ILC charter for Block, helping build the bank from its first line of code into a thriving institution. She also oversaw the legal team supporting Square Capital and Block’s broader banking and financial services products.
Before joining Block, Erica was a member of the Banking and Finance practices at Mayer Brown LLP and Baker McKenzie LLP, where she advised clients on structured products, bank regulatory issues, and fintech matters.
Erica holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Illinois and a JD from Chicago-Kent College of Law. She is licensed to practice law in Illinois and New York.
