Our team has extensive experience counseling both public and private financial institutions in connection with strategic transactions. With our diverse client base from all over the country, we have the in-depth knowledge necessary to work with both small and large institutions to successfully handle the unique regulatory issues that often arise in transactions. S&P Global Market Intelligence has consistently ranked our firm as one of the top firms in the nation in number of announced bank and thrift merger and acquisition transactions since 2001. In the last decade, we have announced 123 M&A transactions and ranked #1 in the Midwest and #3 in the U.S. for deals announced over that time.
Our group’s practice includes the formulation of strategies for all types of transactions involving buyers, sellers, and investment groups – from full auctions to one-off negotiated deals, as well as unsolicited acquisitions, mergers of equals and other change in control scenarios. Our scope of experience includes counseling clients in connection with virtually every kind of asset or stock acquisition or disposition, friendly and unfriendly tender offers, proxy solicitations, mergers, joint ventures, Section 363 transactions, leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations and reorganizations. In addition to our robust experience in whole bank acquisitions, we have represented banks in over 50 branch transactions in the past few years.
With respect to financial advisor representation, our attorneys have extensive experience preparing and negotiating fairness opinions and related proxy statement disclosures, and advising clients with respect to fairness presentations, engagement letters, and conflicts matters.
Regardless of the type of transaction, because we are a full-service financial institutions group, we can handle the entire transaction from preparing for the initial due diligence process, to the negotiation of the definitive transaction agreement, the submission of the regulatory applications, and all the way through to closing.