Broad and Deep Expertise Across Dedicated Teams

The legal needs of financial institutions can be incredibly broad, encompassing everything from general corporate law matters all the way up to the most complex regulatory issues. The attorneys at SW&M have seen it all, and we’ve got you covered.



Insolvency and Creditors’ Rights

SW&M is skilled in all aspects of bankruptcy and creditors’ rights. We have represented bankruptcy trustees, consumer and business debtors – in addition to major banks, credit unions and other financial institutions regarding Chapter 7, 11, 13 and Subchapter 5 […]

Regulatory Examination Support

SW&M has decades of experience with regulatory examinations, by working on behalf of multiple financial institutions across the country and with NCUA, OCC, FDIC and state regulators. Our team’s perspective and expertise help us successfully navigate the regulatory examination process. […]

Real Estate

Financial Institutions experience the impact of real estate laws and real estate transactions in their daily operations. This can be from leases to building purchases, fixed asset limitations, unused or REO properties. Over the years, SW&M has represented clients in […]

Privacy and Cybersecurity

The privacy and cybersecurity fields are rapidly changing to keep up with growing technological advances and growing need for protection of consumer privacy rights. SW&M’s Privacy and Cybersecurity practice has been at the forefront of consumer privacy and cybersecurity trends. […]

Mergers and Acquisitions

SW&M has been the industry leader in credit union mergers for decades. We maintain this status by continuously staying current on all developments in the field – such as legal, regulatory, business and operational ramifications. Our performance includes hundreds of […]

Litigation Management

Financial institution litigation is complex. Cases range from relatively small individual matters to large class actions involving thousands of people. The types of claims made against a financial institution can range from standard contract disputes to allegations of statutory violations […]

Lending

SW&M attorneys have decades of experience advising clients on all legal aspects of consumer and real estate lending. We provide expert general compliance advice as well as collaborative support for developing and maintaining key documents, forms, policies, procedures and various […]

Labor and Employment Law

Throughout our history, SW&M has supported the business growth of hundreds of financial institutions in matters related to labor and employment. Our attorneys focus on preventing issues through strategic planning and working closely with clients to minimize or eliminate their […]

Intellectual Property

SW&M has advised hundreds of clients on the critical concern of intellectual property. With both deep history and cutting-edge expertise, we counsel clients on how to identify and protect their proprietary information, from proprietary asset liability management (ALM) systems to […]

Insurance Coverage and Policies

SW&M advises on multiple insurance matters, such as coverage, policies, risk assessment, risk management and business transactions. Throughout our decade’s worth of experience, we have found a particular necessity for legal support in insurance, bonding matters, cases of loss and […]

Chartering and Field of Membership (FOM)

In the planning and formation stages of any financial institution, it is important to explore different state and federal charters, licensing options, and capital structures in order to make the most strategic decisions. Careful consideration must include any number of […]

Financial Services Operations

SW&M attorneys have decades of experience in anticipating, preventing and mitigating the complications that can arise in regular day-to-day operations. From the most routine deposit or loan account to the most complex operational processes, we know that compliance and legal […]

Executive Compensation

The challenge of hiring and retaining talented executives is not unique to the financial services industry. A compelling executive compensation plan — such as a deferred compensation plan, defined contribution plan, defined benefit plan or supplemental executive retirement plan (SERP) […]

CUSOs

SW&M has significant experience in matters related to credit union service organizations (CUSOs) — from corporate formation to operational matters such as CUSO acquisitions of insurance agencies, and all the way through dissolution. We provide skilled representation for groups of […]

Crisis Management

For organizations built on trust, dealing with crises is of paramount importance. Whether it’s undesired media or online attention, marketing challenges, operational issues, unanticipated regulatory actions, or some form of theft or privacy issue, a crisis requires both steady support […]

Credit Union Law

SW&M attorneys have both personal and institutional expertise across all aspects of credit union law, and are incredibly well-versed in credit union governance, regulatory matters, formation and day-to-day operations. Additionally, our attorneys have long-standing relationships with both National Credit Union […]

Corporate Governance

Governance includes all documents, policies and procedures that legally define and organize a company. However, it goes beyond operations — by carefully adhering to corporate governance, you can prevent “piercing the corporate veil,” maintaining limitations of liability with subsidiaries, preventing […]

Contract Review, Negotiations & Termination; Vendor Management

In recent years, regulatory bodies have paid increasing attention to vendor management, particularly as the financial services industry deepens its embrace of digital-first strategies. We have seen an upsurge in due diligence over vendor relationships — especially where data privacy […]

Compliance

SW&M assists financial institutions in navigating various compliance requirements successfully, while maintaining effective operations and reducing risk. Our attorneys draw upon deep reservoirs of experience with mortgage, consumer and commercial lending; as well as with payday loans, credit cards, overdraft, […]

Commercial Lending

SW&M advises and supports financial institutions across the spectrum of commercial lending. We have extensive experience with commercial lending regulations, as well as special assets management, insolvency and bankruptcy matters. Our comprehensive services include, but are not limited to, the […]