Dennis R. Wendte

Dennis is one of the partners in charge of the firm’s Financial Institutions Group.  He concentrates his practice on representing financial institutions on a wide range of corporate and regulatory matters and has over twenty five years of experience in the area. 

Dennis regularly advises clients on the mergers and acquisitions of financial institutions, the raising of additional capital through public and private offerings of equity and debt instruments, and other strategic activities and initiatives.  He has a wide array of experience in structuring corporate and financial transactions.  Dennis also provides counsel to boards of directors on issues of corporate governance and regulatory compliance and enforcement matters.

Earlier in his career, he represented federal bank regulatory agencies in the receivership of over seventy-five savings and loan associations.  This has provided him with valuable practical experience in his current representation of troubled banks and also healthy organizations bidding for failed institutions.  During the past ten years, Dennis has also represented the organizers of over one hundred de novo banks across the country, including those forming banks in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Arizona, Indiana and New York.

Dennis is a frequent speaker at schools and seminars for bankers on issues of financial institutions law.  He has been an adjunct professor of banking law at Northwestern University School of Law for the past 10 years.

Representative Matters

• Debt and Equity Financings
  

  Represented numerous financial institutions in private offerings of debt securities to enhance current capital positions. Successfully structured acquisitions of troubled banks through use of preferred and convertible instruments, including buyer price protections

• Formation of De Novo Banks
  

  Counsel to over 100 state and national de novo banks and bank holding companies across the country. The breadth of our practice has yielded a unique ability among our lawyers to gain familiarity with the laws and bank regulatory agencies of multiple jurisdictions throughout the United States. Established first Illinois state bank organized as a limited liability company.

• Mergers and Acquisitions
  

  Lead counsel on acquisitions and sales of financial institutions totaling more than $1.5 billion in consideration. Counsel to successful buyers of failed banks, and ongoing representation of potential buyers in the FDIC bidding process.

Professional Activities and Honors

• Northwestern University School of Law, Adjunct Professor of Banking Law (2001-Present)
• Selected, Illinois Super Lawyers (2005)
• Selected, Leading Lawyers Network (2011-2013)
• Phi Kappi Phi Honorary Society
• Order of the Coif

Publications

• Client Alert: Overdraft Fee Litigation
• Client Alert: New TARP Letter Dictates Quick Action
• Client Alert: New York Plaintiffs’ Firm Sues Illinois Banks For Overdraft Fees & Transaction Reordering
• Client Alert: Employment & Compensation Agreements Require Attention Before Year-End
• Client Alert: Amicus Brief: Barack Ferrazzano Files on Behalf of IBA in In Re Crane Bankruptcy
• Client Alert: Compliance Tips: Responding to Warrants
• Client Alert: Jobs Act Impacts SEC Registration
• Client Alert: New Proposed Rules on Incentive Compensation Pursuant to Dodd-Frank Act
• Client Alert: Treasury Equity Purchases are not Triggers for Payment Under §409A Plans

Events & Speaking Engagements

• Financial Institutions Conference
• Legal Update for Community Bankers (Chicago, IL/May 2010)
• A Primer on How to Form a de Novo Bank (Rosemont, IL/August 2007)
• Subchapter S Capital Structure (Rosemont, IL/August 2007)
• What de Novos Need to Know to Survive (Rosemont, IL/August 2007)
• Speaker, Annual Conventions of Community Bankers Association of Illinois, since 1995
• Iowa Independent Bankers’ Association Annual Convention
• Illinois Bankers' Association School for Bank Compliance
• Panelist, Midwest Regional Bank Seminar, “Implementing Merger of Equals Transactions”
• McGladrey & Pullen National Training Institute
• De Novo Bank Seminar, Community Bankers Association of Illinois
• Fidelity Information Services Envision Forum, Charleston, S.C.
• CMC National Symposium, Las Vegas, Nevada

News

• Barack Ferrazzano Financial Institutions Group Enhances Upper Midwest Focus
• Eighteen BFKN attorneys named Top 5% in Illinois by Leading Lawyers
• Fifteen BFKN attorneys named 2010 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars