- Chairman and Executive Partner: Andrew L Sandler
- Managing Partners: Benjamin B Klubes, John P Kromer
- Number of partners: 27
- Number of other lawyers: 127
Firm Overview:
With more than 150 lawyers in Washington, DC, Los Angeles, and New York, BuckleySandler provides best-in-class legal counsel to meet the challenges of its financial services industry and other corporate and individual clients across the full range of government enforcement actions, complex and class action litigation, and transactional, regulatory, and public policy issues.The firm represents many of the nation’s leading financial services institutions and its attorneys have a track record of successfully assisting clients in enforcement, litigation, and public policy matters. Currently, BuckleySandler represents nine of the 10 largest banks in the United States, nine of the top 10 mortgage servicing companies, the six largest credit card lenders, as well as many community banks and non-bank financial services companies. In the past two decades, the firm’s attorneys have acted as lead defense counsel in more than 100 high-stakes class actions, represented its clients in a multitude of state and federal enforcement proceedings, and had a hand in commenting on or drafting a majority of the significant laws that impact the financial services industry.
Main Areas of Practice:
Litigation:
The firm’s litigation practice includes the defense of leading banks, financial services firms, and other companies and executives in class actions, complex civil litigation, and arbitration proceedings. BuckleySandler defends clients in cases involving allegations of discrimination, predatory lending, unfair competition and deceptive trade acts and practices, fraud, false statements, false claims, breach of contract, and other claimed violations of regulations and laws governing their business activities.These include the Fair Housing Act, ECOA, Civil Rights Acts, TILA, RESPA, Civil False Claims Act, federal securities laws, unfair and deceptive trade practice statutes, and state law consumer protection, sales practices, privacy, and antidiscrimination statutes.
Enforcement:
BuckleySandler represents companies, their officers and directors, and individuals before the CFPB,DOJ, FTC, SEC,HUD, federal bank regulators, state attorneys general, and other federal and state regulatory agencies, including US Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. The firm’s experience is invaluable in defending the interests of companies and executives in examinations and investigations relating to financial services matters, including lending and securities sales practices, fair lending, fair access, consumer privacy, information security, and unfair and deceptive trade practices, as well as anti-bribery and anti-corruption (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act,UK Bribery Act), and anti-money laundering.
Regulatory:
BuckleySandler advises clients in connection with regulatory examinations and supervision matters initiated by state and federal regulatory agencies.The firm’s attorneys, some of whom have served as senior bank regulators, help guide clients through the examination process, provide ongoing advice on dayto- day compliance matters, and review and design effective litigation risk management strategies. BuckleySandler routinely counsels clients on preexamination preparation, assists them with responding to regulators’ inquiries, and engages with regulators throughout the examination process to ensure the most favorable outcome.
White-Collar Defense:
With decades of experience handling complex parallel proceedings involving concurrent government enforcement and civil litigation, congressional investigations, and/or multiple class actions, BuckleySandler’s attorneys have the depth of experience needed to help their clients navigate and emerge from sensitive grand jury investigations and other litigation and trials with their reputations and businesses intact.
Licensing & Chartering:
BuckleySandler assists clients with obtaining new lending, servicing, collection, insurance, or money transmitter licenses, or obtaining ‘change of control’ approvals for existing licensees. The firm also assists banks and investment groups in analyzing charter alternatives and obtaining new charters. The firm advises new entrants, such as private equity investors, as well as ongoing businesses in structuring operations and transactions to minimize regulatory burden and facilitate the closing of transactions.
Counseling & Compliance:
BuckleySandler provides sophisticated day-to-day compliance and risk management advice to ensure clients’ existing operations and new programs comply with ever-changing state and federal requirements. The firm has developed and implemented comprehensive compliance management programs, including the written policies, training, and ongoing monitoring needed to ensure compliance with fair lending laws, consumer protection statutes, consumer financial privacy, and information security regulations as well as the anti-money laundering requirements of the USA Patriot Act, Bank Secrecy Act, and OFAC.
Transactional:
BuckleySandler’s focus on the financial services sector gives the firm a perspective and base of knowledge that few can match and helps the firm to represent its clients more effectively and efficiently. BuckleySandler represents clients in negotiating joint ventures and outsourcing arrangements, as well as licensing and ecommerce agreements. The firm conducts regulatory and legal due diligence or other risk assessments for clients considering acquisitions or strategic alliances with other financial services companies. Serving as corporate or special counsel to another law firm, the firm provides advice and guidance on regulatory issues related to mergers and acquisitions and bankruptcy reorganizations.
Public Policy:
BuckleySandler has been involved in a significant portion of the legislative developments affecting retail financial services in the past two decades. The firm assists its clients in analyzing and responding to the full range of bank legislative and regulatory initiatives, including those related to the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, the Troubled Asset Relief Program, the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, and other related programs. BuckleySandler is also at the forefront of establishing the legal infrastructure for the electronic delivery of financial services.