Founded in 1936, SW&M provides credit unions, banks, and other entities within the financial services industry with comprehensive legal support for transactional, regulatory compliance, strategy, and governance matters.

What makes SW&M Unique?

In a few words: Focus, purpose, commitment and “fire in the belly.”

Throughout our history, SW&M has measured our achievements by the success of hundreds and hundreds of clients, exclusively in the financial services industry. This focus has shaped a specialized firm with unmatched advantages for every client we serve.

Far-Reaching Experience

SW&M attorneys have encountered and addressed all kinds of client legal issues in hundreds of different ways. This makes us incredibly efficient.

Lasting Industry Relationships

We are familiar with industry regulators, consultants and other key players — in fact, we know them well. This makes us both insightful and resourceful.

Intergenerational Expertise

Our deep institutional knowledge is continually enriched by seasoned pros as well as young attorneys with fresh perspectives. This makes our team uniquely insightful as well as nimble.

Longstanding Leadership

Through a very long track record of successful representations and positive client outcomes, SW&M has helped hundreds of financial institutions thrive.

Attorneys at SW&M are licensed to practice law in California, Arizona, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. We can also assist clients with a number of federal regulatory issues.

How We Work

We make your success our personal mission. We’re honest with ourselves and with you.

We won’t blow your timelines or your budget. We hold up under pressure.

We’re never afraid to do the right thing – even when it’s the hardest thing.

We solve problems creatively, yet practicality and efficiency are always in mind.

We care for our clients and each other.

We serve your team.

The original named partners of our firm: L.J. Styskal, A.O. Wiese, E.J. Melchione, and J.S. Melchione have long since retired. But, we have made the decision to keep the name. Our reasoning stems from the belief that we are much more than just a grouping of individuals. Rather, our name represents a profound history, one that we take great pride in and wish to commemorate. Through retaining our original name, we are able to maintain a sense of connection to our past while simultaneously looking ahead to the future and the challenges that lay before us. This continuity has been the bedrock of our firm for decades, and we are committed to upholding the same standards of excellence, professionalism, and integrity that our original name partners instilled in us.

Serving Our Communities

At SW&M, we take joy in giving back and helping out