The Banking and Financial Institutions group at Polsinelli Shughart PC has extensive experience advising financial institutions and their related holding companies with respect to a broad range of corporate and business issues, including the initial formation of financial institutions and their holding companies, capital raising, establishing new branches, mergers and acquisitions, compliance with regulatory requirements, director and officer responsibilities and reporting, employment matters, and day-to-day matters of operation. Our attorneys have represented financial institution clients in adversarial proceedings before various financial institution regulatory agencies and have advised clients in their response to cease and desist orders, memorandums of understanding, and other enforcement actions. We also work closely with our practice group that documents and enforces loan agreements.
Our lawyers have orchestrated a number of bank formations, holding company formations and stock offerings (both initial stock offerings and secondary offerings). This includes the establishment of various branch locations, including branching into neighboring states. We have helped financial institution clients organize and operate bank-related subsidiaries (both at the holding company and the financial institution level), establish trust company operations, and gain approval of insurance agency activities and investment advisory services.
The firm’s lawyers have represented numerous clients in the merger, acquisition and divestiture of financial institutions and their holding companies. This includes all aspects of such transactions including federal and state securities issues, regulatory applications, and acquisition financing. We have served as issuers’ counsel in various public and private placements of bank and bank holding company securities.
Several attorneys in the financial services department have served as general counsel for both state and federal financial institutions and their holding companies. In such capacity, the firm's attorneys monitor and advise clients about all laws and regulations affecting these institutions, including providing day-to-day advice on such matters as truth-in-lending, The Bank Secrecy Act, and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. We have further advised executive officers and boards of directors with respect to their responsibilities and obligations including compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, TARP requirements, and other regulatory regimes. At times, we have helped organize and lead the process of strategic planning of various organizations. Our day-to-day work includes the establishment of employee benefit plans and ESOP’s and the numerous issues that arise regarding personnel.
Polsinelli Shughart attorneys represent financial institutions before federal and state regulatory agencies concerning compliance and regularly interact with the staff of these agencies. We appear on behalf of financial institutions and their holding companies as part of the examination process and with the filing and approval of various applications, as well as advising such clients with respect to ongoing compliance with federal and state laws and regulations, as well as regulatory enforcement actions.
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