Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP


Financial Institutions Practice
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Sonnenschein's Financial Institutions attorneys regularly act as counsel to major domestic and international banks; U.S. commercial banks, savings banks, savings & loan associations and their respective holding companies and affiliates; insurance companies; credit unions and other financial institutions in connection with their transactional and compliance needs, and in other matters before state and federal regulatory and legislative bodies. We have also represented the FDIC in connection with certain recent bank insolvencies, and the U.S. Treasury Department in connection with U.S. government funded equity investments and loan programs. Our principle areas of representation are:



Spotlight on Financial Institutions
Sale of IndyMac Bank Deal Ranks Among Top 10 M&A Deals of 2009
Sonnenschein's high-profile representation of the FDIC in connection with its sale of IndyMac Federal Bank FSB received top billing in the 2009 M&A league tables. According to mergermarket and The Deal, the sale of the failed bank to a consortium of private equity buyers for $13.9 billion was the tenth-largest M&A transaction closed in 2009.
Sonnenschein Handles Financing for Merger of Financial Services Companies
Sonnenschein handled the financing for the merger of Ramius LLC and Cowen Group, Inc., with the new entity retaining the Cowen Group name.  The merger was completed on Nov. 2 following shareholder and regulatory approval.
Sonnenschein Serves as Underwriters' Counsel in Public Offering of Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc.
Sonnenschein represented Sandler O'Neill + Partners, L.P., lead book-running manager, and Keefe Bruyette & Woods, co-manager, in connection with the public offering of 1.4 million shares of common stock of Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc.  Berkshire raised $30.1 million in gross proceeds in the offering.
Sonnenschein Represents Banks in TARP Capital Purchase Program Participation
Sonnenschein has assisted numerous regional and community banks in raising additional capital through their participation in the U.S. Department of Treasury's Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) Capital Purchase Program.  These representations have included issuances of preferred stock and warrants by State Bancorp, Inc. and Hilltop Community Bancorp, Inc.