Financial Institutions and Banking

Safety and Soundness Standards of Financial Institutions and Banks

The safety and soundness of financial institutions have taken center stage in regulatory scrutiny in the wake of the financial crisis. NERA has been on the forefront of litigation and regulatory consulting, helping clients navigate the complex regulatory landscape and respond to legal challenges. Our experts have assisted financial institutions by evaluating their historical risk management and compliance practices, as well as building out sustainable safety and soundness frameworks going forward. In addition, as directors and officers of failed institutions continue to face legal scrutiny over business strategies and underwriting practices employed prior to and during the financial crisis, NERA experts have provided objective assessments of these practices and professional conduct, and helped parse out different contributing causes of the institutions' failures. As the post-Dodd-Frank Act regulatory environment is taking shape, NERA can assist financial institutions in managing emerging regulatory risks and enforcement challenges.

As many of NERA's experts have held key positions at the US regulatory agencies and leading financial and advisory institutions, we are uniquely positioned to help our clients assess and manage safety and soundness standards at their institutions. Our expertise covers a wide range of related areas, including:

• Corporate governance and enterprise risk management
• Loan underwriting standards and risk rating assessment
• Regulatory loan portfolio standards and requirements
• Loan concentration limits/guidance
• Capital requirements
• Duties of bank boards and directors and officers