International Financial Institutions in the U.S.
Sidley lawyers provide advice to a wide variety of international banks, broker-dealers, hedge funds and investment advisers, limited purpose trust companies and other financial institutions. The group's international clients include financial institutions from the United Kingdom, Japan, France, Germany, Australia, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Iceland, Ireland, Switzerland, China, India, Pakistan, Singapore and Canada among other countries.
Our international clients have access to a full range of regulatory services, including advice on appropriate responses to the USA PATRIOT Act, Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, Sarbanes-Oxley Act and EU laws and regulations. Our lawyers frequently answer questions relating to such issues as bank secrecy, the permissibility of various investments, trust and fiduciary powers, merchant banking and capital issues. We provide advice on the conduct of international securities sales, underwriting and asset management activities by banks and bank affiliates. Our lawyers regularly make submissions to and file applications with officials of the Federal Reserve Board, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and state banking departments, including the New York State Banking Department. In the UK, our lawyers meet with and file applications on behalf of clients with the UK's Financial Services Authority and the London Stock Exchange.
Sidley assists clients in strategic planning matters such as mergers, acquisitions, affiliations and joint ventures with insurance companies, securities firms and other banks. Our lawyers work with international banks to establish branches, agencies, representative offices and subsidiaries. We also provide advice on developing programs to conduct Internet-based banking services. Working with members of the firm's
Trusts, Estates and Not-for-Profits practice, we assist in the establishment of global private banking and trust programs. Our lawyers also assist banks wishing to become financial holding companies and help organize broker-dealer affiliates of banks.
Our lawyers have also developed extensive global compliance programs for domestic and international banks. Our services include extensive guidance on lines of business policies and procedures, risk management and anti-money laundering measures. Our lawyers have broad experience in assisting banks in preparing appropriate responses to threatened and actual enforcement actions by federal and state bank regulatory agencies.
Our lawyers frequently assist banks, bank holding companies and financial holding companies in developing Tier 1 or Tier 2 capital markets products. Working with other financial practice groups within the firm, our lawyers provide assistance with Rule 144A offerings, ADRs/GDRs, trust-preferred securities, CDOs, subordinated debt, covered bonds, synthetic securitizations, medium-term notes and commercial paper programs and conduits. We also assist banks in the development of new products and strategies, including the development of credit derivatives and securities lending strategies, Internet banks and banking strategies, and joint ventures to provide global banking, trust and custody services to high net worth individuals.
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