Financial Institutions Update Spring 2022 (March 16, 2022) - Speakers
Speakers
Robert M. Fleetwood, Partner, Barack Ferrazzano Financial Institutions Group
Rob is co-chair of the Financial Institutions Group at Barack Ferrazzano and concentrates his practice on financial institutions, securities, and general corporate matters. He regularly represents financial institutions on public and private securities offerings, recapitalizations, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance matters and contract negotiations. Additionally, he works closely with clients on their continued compliance with federal and state securities laws, including reporting under the Securities Exchange Act and with corporate governance matters.
John Behringer, Partner, RSM US
John is the national financial institutions consulting practice leader and leads the Great Lakes financial institutions practice working with clients ranging in size from $100 million to over $100 billion. He has over 20 years of public accounting experience working specifically with commercial banks, both privately and publicly held, de novo institutions, mortgage banks, investment companies, and broker dealers. John focuses on providing advisory and risk management consulting services to commercial banks. He has extensive experience providing internal and external audit services, loan review, and credit administration risk management services. These services include SEC, Sarbanes-Oxley, and FDICIA reporting issues, internal controls implementation, and ongoing compliance services.
John M. Geiringer, Partner, Barack Ferrazzano Financial Institutions Group
As the Regulatory Section Leader of the Financial Institutions Group, John concentrates his practice on regulatory, governance, and investigative matters involving financial institutions. He is a frequent speaker and author in the financial institutions area on issues surrounding banking regulations, examinations, and enforcement actions, as well as on national security issues. John is active in the financial industry and has served as a leader at various organizations involved with financial services law, including as a Vice-Chair of the American Bar Association’s Banking Law Committee. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor at the Graduate Program in Financial Services Law at Chicago-Kent College of Law, and is the founding Co-Director of its Center for National Security and Human Rights Law.
Allison N. Powers, Partner, Barack Ferrazzano Compensation & Employment Group
Allison, a partner in the Compensation & Employment and Litigation groups, is a versatile employment litigator, trial attorney, and counselor who brings considerable experience to meaningfully expand Barack Ferrazzano's offerings after spending more than a decade handling high-profile and “bet-the-company” matters for diverse clients across the country. Allison’s employment litigation practice emphasizes claims of discrimination and harassment in private lawsuits, as well as government agency actions under federal and state anti-discrimination statutes on behalf of claimants. More than a litigator, Allison is a strategic partner to her clients, and as such devotes a significant portion of her practice to counseling clients facing a variety of workplace challenges.
John K. Freechack, Managing Director, Piper Sandler
John is a Managing Director in Piper Sandler's Financial Services Investment Banking Group. With over 15 years of financial institutions experience as both an investment banker and a commercial banker, John brings extensive knowledge of the regional and community bank sector. He concentrates on M&A and capital raising in the banking sector, primarily in the upper Midwest, and has completed more than 50 transactions totaling over $4 billion in deal value. John joined Piper Sandler in October 2015 from River Branch Capital LLC. Prior to joining River Branch in March 2013, John worked in the Investment Banking Group at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods. John previously worked for a regional commercial bank where he was involved in acquisitions, finance, and lending.
Abdul R. Mitha, Partner, Barack Ferrazzano Financial Institutions Group
Abdul focuses his practice on capital raising transactions, mergers and acquisitions, securities regulation, Fintech agreements and partnerships, and corporate governance matters. He has a wide array of experience in structuring corporate and financial transactions, most notably representing companies in merger transactions, and issuers, placement agents and underwriters in public and private offerings of debt and equity securities. Before joining the Firm, Abdul practiced in the corporate group at a large national law firm in New York.
Brandon Koeser, Senior Analyst, RSM US
Brandon is a senior analyst in RSM’s cutting-edge Industry Eminence Program, positioning him to understand, forecast and communicate economic, business and technology trends shaping the industries RSM serves. Brandon’s focus is on advising financial institution leaders and clients on business conditions, industry matters and regulatory developments influencing financial institution across North America. In client service, Brandon has over 14 years of experience serving clients across the country by providing audit and risk advisory services, including financial statement audits, attest engagement services, operational risk assessments, and specialized compliance audits.
Ray Kelly, Partner, RSM US
Ray is the New York tax leader for financial institutions. His extensive experience, complemented by his background in both the public and private sectors, enables him to advise clients with complex tax planning and compliance issues. Ray’s areas of experience include federal compliance and planning, multistate tax compliance and structuring, executive compensation, mergers and acquisitions, ASC 740 analysis and FIN 48 analysis. Ray has more than 31 years of experience. Prior to joining RSM, he spent more than a decade at a commercial banking organization. As a member of the bank’s management team, he was significantly involved with its growth from a $3 billion local operation to a $60 billion regional entity inclusive of a national mortgage company. Earlier in his career, Ray was with a Big Four firm providing services to clients in the banking, manufacturing, distribution and services industries and high-net-worth clients.
