Category:

Banking

Democrats in Washington Push For Stronger Banking Regulations

The Biden Administration acted strongly last month in response to the recent collapses of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank. Each collapse sent shockwaves through the U.S. banking system and shook the confidence of consumers nationwide. The Biden Administration showed swift and steady leadership in urgently addressing the crisis. The President and leading Democrats in Congress continue to push for stronger regulatory oversight with respect to the banks. This shows that the Democrats are on the right side of the banking issue, as they have been for the 16 years following the 2008 financial crisis.

The External and Internal Causes of SVB’s Collapse and the Role of Regulators

Megan Aldworth Associate Editor Loyola University Chicago School of Law, JD 2023   Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) started in Silicon Valley in 1983 and found a booming growth in tandem with the tech industry and venture capital. At its collapse, which spanned over 48 hours and started on the eve of March 8, it was …
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The Role of Regulators During the Collapse of Silicon Valley Bank

On March 10th, 2023, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) collapsed practically overnight, followed only two days later by the collapse of Signature Bank.  Prior to its collapse, SVB uniquely served a single category of customers – start-ups.  As the largest bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis, SVB’s bankruptcy resulted in significant consequences for the tech industry.  While SVB has since been acquired by First Citizens BancShares, the House Financial Services Committee is currently seeking answers from both regulators and SVB executives about how such a failure could have occurred and how to prevent it from happening again.

Deutsche Bank Reorganization Results in New Compliance Chief

Deutsche Bank, the multinational investment banking and financial services company, will name Laura Padovani as its new Chief Compliance Officer. The move comes as part of a broader reorganization in the company’s compliance division, taking place in the aftermath of regulatory investigations in the United States and Germany. The regulatory investigations of Deutsche Bank over the last several years concern the organization’s questionable practices as it relates to money laundering and other offenses. The investigations also involve massively high-profile individuals, such as Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump.

Coinbase Global Inc. Settlement Raises More Questions for Financial Regulators

On January 4th, 2023, the New York State Department of Financial Services made public that a $100 million settlement with the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase Global Inc. (Coinbase) has been agreed to. The settlement follows an enforcement action imposed this past August aiming to regulate cryptocurrencies. With a lot of discussion happening given the recent collapse of FTX and anti-money laundering violations by Robinhood Markets, this action begs the question: should the digital currency industry be regulated nationwide and, if so, what should these regulatory agendas look like?

Financial Institutions and the Financing of Emissions: How Firms are Addressing the Climate Emergency Through Net Zero Emission Initiatives.

Megan Aldworth Associate Editor Loyola University Chicago School of Law, JD 2023   While our world economy is driven by commerce, over the last few decades, it has become apparent that along with driving the economy, commerce is driving our planet into a state of emergency. According to the UN Secretary-General, “the climate emergency is …
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Could Anna Delvey Have Gotten Away with It? Bank Vetting for a $22 million Loan

Anna Delvey, the alleged scammer who attempted to obtain financial backing of anywhere from $22 million to $40 million in loans, is once again the subject of much debate due to the new Netflix series chronicling her alleged crimes and other actions. The question this article attempts to answer is whether she ever had a chance of realizing her goal of creating an exclusive, members-only, art club much like Soho House. This question hinges on whether she ever had a real chance to secure the funding to make it possible.

From Beans to Banking

Starbucks. What comes to mind? Expensive coffee in a nice atmosphere? Mermaids? A warm pumpkin spice latte? Perhaps. However, the words “billion-dollar bank” likely do not cross anyone’s mind. As wild as it seems, the huge coffee company actually has $1.5 billion in assets, an amount larger than eighty-five percent of the banks in the United States. Not only is Starbucks flush with cash, but, unlike actual banks, it can use this money to invest in other ventures, invest in the marketplace, or expand its business. This begs the question, is Starbucks merely a coffee company or will it join the ranks of Bank of America and Citibank?

An Update on the Gamestop Frenzy: Calls for Regulation and a Congressional Hearing

Cora Leeuwenburg Associate Editor Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, JD 2022   The controversy surrounding the unprecedented movement by retail investors and Gamestop has not died down in the last month following the stock’s meteoric rise in price and dramatic fall. The wildly volatile stock has lost hedge funds millions and resulted in …
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One of Wall Street’s Hottest Trends: The SPAC

SPACs have been around for decades and often existed as last resorts for small companies that would have otherwise had trouble raising money on the open market. But they’ve recently become more prevalent because of the extreme market volatility caused, in part, by the global pandemic.

While many companies chose to postpone their IPOs due to the pandemic, others chose the alternate route to an IPO by merging with a SPAC. A SPAC merger allows a company to go public and get a capital influx more quickly than it would have with a conventional IPO.