Financial Institutions

Schiff Hardin provides services to banks, savings associations and other types of financial institutions nationwide and internationally. In addition to our traditional strengths in mergers and acquisitions, securities and financings, bank regulatory compliance, and trust department counseling, we have a particular and increasing focus on corporate governance and fiduciary litigation.

Our Finance Group also supports our financial institutions clients in all aspects of their credit and lending businesses, and our Securities and Futures Regulation Group assists them in their securities, investment management and commodities-related businesses.

We represent some of the largest banking organizations in the U.S. and overseas, and a large number of community banks and thrifts.

Our broad-based financial institutions practice provides diverse counseling services that include:

Mergers and acquisitions
Financings, including:
- Initial public offerings
- Trust preferred securities offerings
- Senior and subordinated notes
- Other public and/or private offerings of debt and equity
Anti-takeover planning
Branch purchases and sales
Corporate governance
Federal and state regulatory compliance
Lending, including:
- Commercial lending
- Mezzanine financing
- Project financing
- Loan workouts and restructurings
Consumer privacy
Employee benefits/executive compensation
Labor and employment
Insurance companies forming banking units
De novo banks
Vendor agreements
Strategic ventures
Non-banking activities
New product development
Trust department counsel
Trust and investment management litigation
Charter conversions
Internet/e-commerce issues

Attorneys in our Financial Institutions practice have earned various honors: one has been named a Leading Lawyer in Illinois by Chambers USA, two others were named Best Lawyers in America, another earned the honor of New York Super Lawyer and five were named to the 2008 Illinois Leading Lawyers Network. In addition, two attorneys have received AV peer review ratings from Martindale-Hubbell.