Community Banks

In today’s complex business and regulatory environment, community banks are challenged with navigating the rapidly changing economic landscape. Now, more than ever, a bank’s success is dependent upon its ability to take the initiative and act quickly. This is why it’s important to have a partner with the experience to stay one step ahead.

With over 40 years of experience, Williams Mullen has represented more than 45 community banks throughout North Carolina and Virginia.  In addition to individual bank representation, our multi-disciplinary attorneys speak frequently at association seminars and conferences and work closely with prominent industry organizations such as the North Carolina Bankers Association, Virginia Bankers Association, Virginia Association of Community Banks and Risk Management Association.

Williams Mullen’s Community Banks team is intimately familiar with the unique aspects of the banking business. We regularly work on matters involving regulatory compliance, Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) issues, corporate and securities law, mergers and acquisitions, the creation of new financial products and services, lender-related litigation, information technology, Internet banking issues, executive compensation and employee benefits, tax law, employment and labor and wealth management.

Our attorneys are experienced in serving as a resource to community banks on the following types of matters (click on a link to view more):

• Corporate & Securities Matters
  • Corporate governance
  • Mergers & Acquisitions 
  • SEC filings
  • Shareholder meetings and shareholder relations
  • Proxy matters
• Regulatory
  • ​Proactive compliance advice on Dodd-Frank, Sarbanes-Oxley, and CFPB regulations, including TILA, RESPA, ECOA and Fair Lending
  • Consumer financial services compliance, including mortgage origination and servicing
  • Counsel during and following the examination process, including advice on responding to adverse findings, enforcement actions and investigations
  • Positive interaction with state and federal regulators
• Transactional
  • Bankruptcy, loan workouts, collections
  • Commercial real estate & construction lending transactions
  • Asset based and C&I lending transactions
  • Historic Rehabilitation, Low Income and New Markets Tax Credits
  • Conservation easements
• Litigation
  • Defensive commercial and fiduciary litigation
  • Environmental litigation
  • Lender liability
  • Shareholder suits
  • Criminal defense litigation
• Executive Compensation & Employee Benefits
  • Employment agreements, SERPs
  • Deferred compensation agreements, Rabbi Trusts, 409A compliance
  • Tax-qualified plans: 401(k), pension plan, health and welfare benefits
  • Stock-based compensation plans, options and restricted stock agreements
  • ERISA litigation
  • ESOPs
• Tax
  • State and local tax litigation
  • Audits and appeals of federal and state tax matters
  • IRS and DOJ matters
• Employment and Labor
  • Employment contracts
  • Audits, investigations, employment-related lawsuits
  • Regulatory interpretation and training  
  • Employee policies, ethics programs, corporate compliance
  • Affirmative action plans and OFCCP compliance  
• Information Technology
  • Third-party agreements
  • Strategic contracts
  • E-Discovery and Information Governance
  • Records retention programs
• Intellectual Property
  • Trademark and copyright portfolio management
  • Data Protection and privacy
  • Software licensing
  • Internet and domain services
  • Advertising
  • Intellectual Property Litigation
• Environmental
  • Environmental due diligence
  • Property/operations permitting and compliance
  • Lender liability and risk allocation
  • Special asset/property remediation/cleanup process and risk mitigation
  • Mineral extraction and land subsidence
  • Coastal flooding and sea level rise
  • Risk management review and instruments
  • Environmental policies, practices and form language
  • Legislative and regulatory affairs/advocacy (state and federal)
• Wealth Management
  • Estate planning and document preparation
  • Estate and trust administration
  • Tax planning