Debt and Lending Markets: Current Trends Impacting Private Equity Sponsors — PE Pathways Podcast
Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast Episode: Prof. Hal Scott Doubles Down on His Argument That CFPB is Unlawfully Funded Because of Combined Losses at Federal Reserve Banks
Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast Episode: Did the Supreme Court Hand the CFPB a Pyrrhic Victory?
Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast Episode: Understanding the Federal Reserve Board Proposal to Lower Interchange Fee Cap for Debit Card Transactions
Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast Episode: Community Reinvestment Act Reform: A Close Look at the Final Rule
The Future of Payments: Exploring FedNow With the Payments Professor — Payments Pros – The Payments Law Podcast
Federal Banking Interagency Final Guidance on Third-Party Relationships - The Consumer Finance Podcast
Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast Episode: What is FedNow and its Role in the U.S. Payments System?
Breaking (Down) the Debt Ceiling
Podcast: 2023 Deal Cycle - Considerations for Transactions in Uncertain Economic Times - Diagnosing Health Care
Crypto Year in Review 2022: Federal Reserve and Central Bank Digital Currencies and FDIC/OCC Regulatory Developments - The Crypto Exchange Podcast
Is the U.S. Payments System Failing Business and Consumers? A Discussion with Special Guest Dan Awrey, Professor of Law, Cornell Law School
DE Under 3: Latest Monthly Jobs Report, Unemployment & the US BLS JOLTS Report
Stablecoin Regulation in an Unstable Time: The Fed and Treasury Address a Stablecoin Regulatory Framework
Congressional and Federal Agency Action Following Executive Order on Digital Assets Policy
The Return of TALF Fund Opportunities Via COVID-19 Relief
Regulators Tackle Board Effectiveness and Overdrafts
The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA): Recap and What to Expect in 2014
On July 15, 2025, the Federal Reserve Board released a proposed rule to revise the Large Financial Institution rating system or "LFI Framework." The proposal would change how the Fed evaluates the financial and managerial...more
Silicon Valley is built on the promise of innovation, but for the better part of the past three years, the innovation economy has been in a coma. It all started with runaway inflation triggering the biggest hike in the price...more
April 18, 2025 - The Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency have conditionally approved the merger of Discover Bank, Greenwood, Delaware, into Capital One, National Association, McLean, Virginia....more
The federal banking agencies have announced their intent to issue a proposal to rescind the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) final rule originally issued in October 2023. In their announcement on March 28, the agencies also...more
On March 17, the OCC announced it had conditionally approved an application of a fintech to change the business model of a nationally chartered bank upon acquisition of the bank by the fintech, specifically allowing the...more
On March 17th, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”) conditionally approved the application for the newly renamed SmartBiz Bank N.A. (“SmartBiz Bank”) to change its business model in support of its fintech...more
The Trump Administration has made clear that it intends to lessen the barriers to bank merger and acquisition activity. As we previously noted, the FDIC has moved to lower some of the impediments to mergers under its 2024...more
The FDIC has signaled the reversal of key, controversial proposals from 2024. In doing so, it has provided welcome clarity on important areas that implicate banks of various sizes and charter types, allowing banks to focus on...more
Welcome to this edition of Credit Conditions, a quarterly publication from McDermott Will & Emery that analyzes recent debt market trends. The fourth quarter of 2024 marked a pivotal moment in the debt market, as the...more
While the Trump Administration’s approach to bank regulation has been the subject of much speculation, specific proposals have yet to emerge, and the administration has yet to name key personnel in the regulatory agencies. ...more
The capital markets reacted enthusiastically to the end of election uncertainty, and expectations of lower taxes, less regulation and more business-friendly policies....more
Federal banking agencies under a second Trump Administration are expected to be more receptive to industry proposals for bank mergers, acquisitions, and related transactions. We've previously explored national trust banks and...more
Alex Barrage, a partner with Troutman Pepper Locke, was quoted in the January 7, 2025 CNBC article, “Wall Street Notches Another Win as Fed’s Barr Clears the Way for Gentler Banking Regulator.”...more
Credit Conditions | Q1 2024: High interest rates in 2023 posed significant challenges for dealmakers and debt markets. However, 2024 brings optimism with anticipated rate cuts and improving market conditions, leading to a...more
In the healthcare mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market, while deal volumes varied across different sectors, by and large the sure and steady pace of deal volume in Q2 continued into Q3. Moreover, several positive...more
The FDIC, OCC, and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) have coordinated the release of new policies that will govern each agency’s consideration of bank merger transactions. The FDIC and OCC each published final statements of...more
In a highly anticipated move, the Federal Reserve announced an interest rate cut on September 18, reducing rates by 50 basis points to a range of 4.75-5%. This is the first rate cut in four years after interest rates hit a...more
On September 17, the DOJ announced its withdrawal from the 1995 Bank Merger Guidelines, stating the 2023 Merger Guidelines will be the only authoritative statement across all industries. This decision followed collaboration...more
When federal agencies review bank mergers, the competition issues typically relate to the number and location of physical branches and the extent of any overlap in the areas served. By contrast, the proposed $35 billion...more
Editor's Note - The following newsletter provides a roundup summarizing enforcement actions, guidance, rulemakings, and other public statements taken by a federal and/or state financial services regulatory agency,...more
On March 21, 2024, the FDIC unveiled proposed revisions to its Statement of Policy (SOP) on Bank Merger Transactions, which was last amended in 2008. The revisions would increase scrutiny of bank mergers, particularly mergers...more
Editor's Note The following newsletter provides a roundup summarizing enforcement actions, guidance, rulemakings, and other public statements taken by a federal and/or state financial services regulatory agency, specifically...more
After reaching unprecedented highs in 2021, global M&A markets had a bumpy ride in 2022 as dealmakers grappled with inflation, rising interest rates and fallout from the conflict in Ukraine. Deal value for 2022 came in...more
The Federal Reserve Board (“FRB”) rarely issues denials for applicants to become members of the Federal Reserve System. Senator Elizabeth Warren has even criticized the FRB for their number of approvals – although in the...more
The Federal Reserve Board (“FRB”) and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) Board issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“ANPR”) titled “Resolution-Related Resource Requirements for Large Banking...more