The legal risks facing banks and other financial institutions have never been more significant than they are today. As the financial industry becomes more complex, you need counsel who stays on top of the latest legal and regulatory developments to be your guide.
Our banking litigation attorneys assist financial institutions of every size and scope throughout the country with litigation, dispute resolution, and regulatory matters. Highly knowledgeable regarding the industry’s regulatory and financial requirements, our litigation attorneys provide practical insight into the dynamic commercial and regulatory environment in which our clients operate. Our team includes people who have “been there” in the banking world.
Our attorneys advise and defend financial institutions in response to regulatory enforcement actions, including those brought under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act ("Dodd-Frank"); the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act ("FIRREA"); the Bank Secrecy Act; and the various federal and state anti-money laundering laws and regulations.
In addition, our white collar and internal investigations team includes more than 20 former Department of Justice attorneys and judges with unique experience, knowledge, contacts, and insight.
We’ve conducted hundreds of investigations, including internal investigations, criminal and regulatory investigations, and congressional inquiries, and defend, if necessary, financial institutions against whistleblower accusations or self-discovered misconduct. Our ongoing ties to prosecutorial agencies at the federal and state level help us provide proactive counseling to clients as they assess various approaches to risk management and regulatory compliance requirements.
How Can We Help
We represent state and nationally chartered banks as both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of complex commercial litigation matters, including:
- Lender liability claims
- Consumer fraud class actions
- Civil Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”) claims
- Fraud and breach of fiduciary duty claims
- Derivative instruments claims
- Interest rate swap agreements
- Commercial real estate foreclosures and disputes
- Uniform Commercial Code (“UCC”) matters
- General contract and business tort litigation
Further, our litigators have substantial experience representing banking and other corporate clients in the areas of trade secret protection and restrictive covenants, data security, and intellectual property.
What Sets Us Apart
- Our litigation team is comprised of nearly 20 former Department of Justice attorneys and three former judges and many of the team members are members of the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers.
- We are ranked in 2021 U.S. News & World Report–Best Lawyers® (Woodward/White Inc.) as Tier 1 for Banking and Finance Law nationally and in Philadelphia and for Litigation - Banking & Finance in Philadelphia. We are also regionally ranked for Banking and Finance Law in Washington, D.C.
- 2020 Chambers USA ranked the firm Tier 1 in Philadelphia (PA) and Surrounds for Banking & Finance.
- Chamber USA editors remarked: “The litigation team was excellent. Each of the lawyers brought a very interesting element to the team and they blended together well. They were great and I would highly recommend them!"
- Law360 named Blank Rome a 2017 “Pennsylvania Powerhouse” and recognized “its prolific national litigation practice and deep bench strength.”
- Our financial services industry team knows the inner workings of the SEC, the OCC, the FDIC, and the OTS and one of our government relations principals is the former legislative counsel to the U.S. Senate Banking and Governmental Affairs Committee.
- Our attorneys hold leadership positions in several financial services industry trade groups and legal organizations and are frequently called upon to speak to organizations such as the Mortgage Bankers Association, Commercial Finance Association, and the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association.