By Monday morning of this week, two banks had failed in quick sequence, including the very high-profile collapse last week of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and the closure over the weekend of Signature Bank. SVB got hit with a securities class action lawsuit yesterday, so what had to happen next? Why, a securities suit against Signature Bank, of course. On Tuesday morning, the same plaintiffs’ law firm that sued SVB on Monday filed a separate securities class action lawsuit against Signature Bank and three of its executives. How much further any of this goes from here is the question on everyone’s minds. A copy of the Signature Bank complaint can be found here.Continue Reading SVB Got Sued, So, What Next? A Suit Against Signature Bank, Of Course

Want some good news? During calendar year 2018, there were exactly zero bank failures in the United States. Zero. Nil. Nada. Zilch. The last time there were no U.S. bank failures was waaaay back in 2006. Needless to say, a lot has happened since then. But the best part of all is that because of a strong economy, and because of the purifying effects of the financial refiners’ fire, the banking sector is as healthy as it has been in many years. Hugh Son’s January 10, 2019 CNBC article about the U.S. banks’ current healthy state can be found here.
Continue Reading Here’s Some Good News: No Bank Failures

fdicThe banking industry had a “positive quarter” in the third quarter of 2014, according to the FDIC”s latest Quarterly Banking Profile. Banks continue to improve and are performing  better than during the same period a year ago. In the aggregate during the quarter, banks reported income growth based on growing revenue rather than just lower

federal depositOverall, the banking industry continued to improve in the first quarter of 2014, although banks did see their noninterest income decline due to reduced mortgage activity and a drop in trading revenue, according to the FDIC’s Quarterly Banking Profile for 1Q14. The latest Quarterly Banking Profile can be found here and the FDIC’s May 28,

aabdBanking industry commentators have long contended that aggressive efforts by the FDIC and others to hold bank developers liable is having a chilling effect on the willingness of existing and potential directors to serve on bank boards. An April 2014 American Association of Bank Directors report of a recent survey of banks and savings institutions

federal depositThe commercial banking industry is continuing its rebound from the subprime meltdown and the global financial crisis. According to the FDIC’s latest Quarterly Banking Profile for the period ending December 31, 2014 (here), the industry’s overall earnings continue to improve, largely as a result of reduced loan-loss provisions. However, operating revenue declined during

One of the most contentious issues in the litigation the FDIC has been pursuing in its capacity as receiver of various failed banks is whether the defendant former directors and officers can assert affirmative defenses against the FDIC for the agency’s own conduct.

In a part of a December 23, 2013 Eleventh Circuit opinion

According to the FDIC’s latest Quarterly Banking Profile (here), as of September 30, 2013, there were 6,891 federally insured banking institutions, down from 6,940 at the end of the second quarter and down from 7,141 as of September 30, 2012. There were 8,680 banking institutions as recently as December 31, 2006, meaning that