Banking
Latham & Watkins' Banking attorneys understand the requirements and expectations of both sides of financing deals. With more than 240 lawyers practicing in the area, we have one of the largest practice groups servicing the global financial markets. Due to the size and breadth of our practice, we can provide an effective "one-stop shop" for the entire capital structure, facilitating a smooth consummation of a leveraged transaction.
Latham represents a broad range of financial institutions and financial services providers, with a particular emphasis on banks, commercial finance lenders, leasing concerns, funds and insurance companies. We have a sophisticated understanding of the banking industry, and can provide our clients with strategic, focused and efficient representation tailored to their needs.
Our banking practice handles a variety of financing and funding transactions, including asset-based financings, letter-of-credit and other trade finance facilities, investment grade bank and non-investment grade credit facilities, commercial paper and medium-term note programs, leasing transactions, portfolio sale transactions, interest rate swaps and other capital markets transactions. Our clients include most of the world's largest banks, and numerous major bridge lending companies as well as borrowers, leading issuers, equity investors, sponsors, financial advisors, asset managers, funds, governments and governmental entities.
In addition, we advise banks regarding banking and the securities laws and regulations related thereto. We have significant experience counseling banks, financial institutions, life insurance companies, credit card firms and private payment systems on state and federal regulations, including those from the Federal Reserve Banks, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the FDIC, the Office of Thrift Supervision and the Treasury Department.
Furthermore, we are one of the leading firms in the representation of asset-based lenders and other lenders in secured financing for middle-market lenders. This includes both loan origination work and representation of secured lenders in insolvency situations, including debtor-in-possession financing. We have not only served as counsel in many of the largest, syndicated asset-based transactions, but also represent lenders regularly on smaller, single-lender and "club syndicate" matters.
With one of the world's leading leveraged finance practices, we are involved in all aspects of advising companies and banks on senior, subordinated and mezzanine debt transactions, bridge financings and high yield debt offerings. Based in our US, European and Asian offices, attorneys in our leveraged finance group work in tandem with attorneys in our capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, project finance and insolvency groups to service clients around the world in a wide range of financing transactions and debt restructuring.
Practice Breadth
Our Banking practice is one of the broadest based practices among the major global law firms. Fully integrated with our Insolvency and Capital Markets practices, the members of this practice group routinely work with other lawyers in the firm to handle many of the largest and most complex financings, debt restructurings and work-outs, while also servicing the day-to-day middle-market financing and needs of our commercial finance and banking clients. Partners in the group are rated among the highest-qualified lawyers in their fields by Chambers & Partners, Who's Who Legal and Turnarounds & Workouts, are contributing editors to major legal publications and speakers on industry-related programs, and are active in the Commercial Finance Association, the international trade association for secured lenders. This breadth of substantive expertise allows our lawyers to provide business-oriented, practical advice appropriate to both the particulars of the client and the specific transaction.