Banking & Financial Institutions
Strategic legal advice to help your institution achieve its full potential
Capabilities at a glance
- We have decades of experience representing lenders of all sizes, from local credit unions to some of the largest banks in the world.
- A multidisciplinary team of nearly 100 professionals who can capably and efficiently address nearly any issue faced by banks and financial institutions.
- Unparalleled banking knowledge from industry insiders and thought leaders, who are regular contributors in the media, in banking industry groups and at conferences.
Experienced and efficient banking and financial institutions counsel
The Quarles Banking & Financial Institutions Practice Group is focused on helping your organization achieve its full potential. Our attorneys have significant experience representing banks and financial institutions of all types and sizes, and their holding companies, such as Fortune 500 banking institutions, community banks, trust companies and other corporate fiduciaries, bank asset managers, data processors and other service providers. In addition to efficiently handling day-to-day legal matters, our unparalleled industry knowledge will help you analyze the big picture and plan strategically for your institution’s future. Our lawyers are particularly experienced in transactions involving banks that are expanding geographically or adding or expanding lines of business. We pride ourselves on operating as a cohesive team, with an emphasis on communication and collaboration, because we know this approach will best serve your needs.
Comprehensive support on banking and financial industry matters
Our experienced lawyers know the banking industry not only as outside counsel on major regulatory matters, transactions and litigation, but also as bank officers, including formerly serving as general counsel, senior management and members of banks' boards of directors. We can provide corporate governance and board of director advice, along with advice on purchase investigations for potential acquisitions, codes of ethics and conduct, and implementation of corporate best practices. Our attorneys offer clients a full spectrum of legal services affecting financial institutions, including:
- Transaction assistance, including mergers and acquisitions of banks, holding companies, insurance companies and other financial providers, branch purchases and sales, and the establishment of specialized subsidiaries and operations
- Bank regulatory compliance, monitoring and oversight, and response to regulatory examination and agency enforcement actions
- Commercial and real estate lending transactions
- Employee benefits and executive compensation
- Creditor's rights, defense of lender liability claims and loan workouts
- Labor and employment counseling, dispute resolution and employment litigation
- Other bank litigation and alternative dispute resolution
News & Insights
Banking & Financial Institutions Focus Areas
Bank Regulatory and Corporate Organization and Governance
Our team covers all banking aspects of a client’s business, including regulatory compliance, agency supervision and enforcement, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), corporate governance and securities matters. Our bank regulatory services include compliance, monitoring and oversight, response to regulatory examination issues and representation before agencies, including with respect to enforcement actions. We have experience advising on the transactional and regulatory aspects of acquisitions of small community banking institutions, small- to mid-size financial institutions, private banks, wealth managers and investment funds. We also are experienced in trust and bank asset management regulatory issues, having advised bank asset managers and trust companies on these issues in the contexts of examination, enforcement and regionally and nationally known acquisitions and divestitures.
Bankruptcy and Creditors' Rights for Financial Institutions
Our attorneys have decades of experience working with secured and unsecured creditors, including banks, credit unions, mortgage lenders, financing companies, underwriters, credit card companies, insurance companies and other institutions. We represent financial institutions across the country in state and federal courts and administrative proceedings, both at the trial level and on appeal. We are committed to staying ahead of emerging trends in bankruptcy, litigation, transactional and regulatory issues that may affect financial institutions. Our skill set includes all forms of offensive and defensive litigation for creditors, including lender liability defenses and consumer-related individual and class action claims. For example, we are a leader in defending creditor clients against consumer-related individual and class action claims based on claimed violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Commercial Finance
With experience handling a diverse array of financings, a deep bench of talent and offices across the country, the Quarles Commercial Finance team is equipped to achieve favorable results. Our clients are among the country’s largest national and regional banks, in addition to many community banks, commercial finance companies and institutional investors. For lenders and borrowers, we handle credit facilities of all sizes, from single-lender and club financings to syndicated credit facilities. We have extensive experience representing lenders and borrowers in sponsor finance transactions, including representation of private equity firms and portfolio companies in acquisitions. In addition to our work on acquisition and working capital loans, we have specific experience with tax-credit and bond financings, real estate and construction loans and loans to tax-exempt borrowers.
Financial Institutions Litigation
We work with banks, servicers and financial institutions of all sizes, who keep coming back to us because of our broad legal experience, strong industry background in commercial and consumer lending claims, and top-tier client service. Our firm’s high responsiveness to your needs, combined with our deep and experienced bench, sets us apart.
Real Estate Finance
We deliver sharp, no-nonsense legal solutions efficiently and with your business objectives always front and center. Our integrated national platform enables us to cost-effectively handle a wide variety of real estate financing matters, from routine single-property financings to complex multijurisdictional, multiple debt level, participated and syndicated financings, workouts and enforcement matters.
