Banking & Financial Services

Our experienced attorneys have spent their careers advising clients in this niche sector as the current legal and regulatory environment has evolved and intensified. For banks, bank holding companies, and other nonbank financial institutions of all sizes, we advise on:

• Every aspect of operations, from transactional and corporate issues to lending, compliance, and working with government programs
• All aspects of capital market activities
• Chartering and formation of new banks, including de novo banks
• Public and private methods to raise capital, such as bank note offerings and other activities relating to the creation of regulatory capital
• Acquisition and sale of financial institutions, with one of the country's most active M&A practices for banking and financial services
• Tax credits, particularly Low Income Housing Tax Credits, New Market Tax Credits, and Tax Increment Financing
• Lending, with particular emphasis on healthcare and mortgage warehouse matters
• State and federal regulatory compliance matters, including the many related laws and issues that affect banks and other financial services companies
• The sale and purchase of distressed debt
• Identifying and managing environmental risks related to lending as well as branch acquisitions and sales

Bradley’s banking and financial services attorneys have demonstrated their preeminence and leadership in a number of prominent professional organizations.

• American College of Mortgage Attorneys (ACMA) – Six Bradley attorneys are Fellows in this prestigious organization, which consists of more than 400 lawyers in North America who are leaders in the mortgage law industry. Our ACMA attorneys have distinguished themselves as practitioners in the field of real estate mortgages through bar association activities, lecturing, writing articles and program materials, participating in the legislative process, writing briefs, and arguing cases that are significant to mortgage transactions.
• Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) – Bradley enjoys a longstanding relationship with the MBA:
• Robert Maddox, Christy Hancock, Brian O’Dell, Jon Patterson, Jason Bushby, Jonathan Kolodziej and Preston Neel routinely lecture at the MBA’s School of Mortgage Banking I and II, which are four-day schools held three times a year around the country.
• Robert Maddox, Rob Couch and Bob Niemi have all earned Certified Mortgage Banker (CMB) accreditation from the MBA.
• Bob Niemi is active in the CMB Society as a four-time sponsor and prep course instructor (now in his fifth year). He has contributed to edits of both the CMB written and oral exams.
• Robert Maddox and Brian O’Dell routinely teach regulatory compliance, ethics in the financial services industry, quality control, nontraditional mortgages, and laws affecting the mortgagee’s interest in property.
• Bradley’s Birmingham and Nashville offices have hosted MBA’s School of Mortgage Banking I and School II. Bradley also hosted the MBA’s School I at its Birmingham office.
• Robert Maddox has been a speaker at the MBA Chairman’s Conference.
• Haydn Richards is a regular speaker at MBA conferences.

• American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers (ACCFSL) – Robert Maddox is an ACCFSL Fellow. He has made repeated, substantial contributions to consumer financial services law through teaching, lecturing, and published writings.
• AllRegs – Bradley has a long and close history with AllRegs, which offers training on mortgage compliance. Our attorneys routinely teach classes and training seminars across the country on all aspects of the mortgage industry for the AllRegs Academy and lead webinars, continuing education programs, and full-day, in-person training sessions for banks and mortgage servicers.
• American Bar Association, Title Insurance Litigation Committee – Bradley is involved heavily in this committee. Robert Maddox, Hall Eady, and Spencer Mobley are all past or present members of the ABA’s Title Insurance Litigation Committee.
• American Financial Services Association (AFSA) – AFSA is the primary trade association for the consumer credit industry, providing direction and positions on a broad range of public policy issues that affect the industry. 
• Rob Couch previously served as general counsel of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), where he acted as chief legal advisor to the secretary, deputy secretary and other principal staff, providing advice on federal laws, regulations and policies affecting HUD programs.
• Rob Couch previously served as president of the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae).
• Bob Niemi served a two-year term as the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System & Registry (NMLS) Ombudsman.