Seward & Kissel Announces Financial Institution Risk Management Practice

New cross‑disciplinary initiative highlights Firm’s experience helping financial institutions identify, manage, and defend against risk across the business lifecycle

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Seward & Kissel today announced the launch of the Financial Institution Risk Management (FIRM) practice designed to help financial institutions proactively manage risk, respond to regulatory and litigation challenges, and protect enterprise value in an increasingly complex environment – formalizing a service offering that Seward & Kissel has been providing its clients for decades.

Drawing on a team of cross‑disciplinary attorneys from across the Firm’s core practice groups and leveraging its more than a century of financial services experience, FIRM offers a unified platform to address the full spectrum of legal, regulatory, and operational risks facing financial institutions today. The practice is co‑headed by partners Russell Johnston and David Mulle.

“Being a leading firm in the financial services industry for more than 125 years, we are regularly evaluating the risks affecting our clients and how we can deliver value to them beyond the legal issue at-hand,” said Managing Partner Daniel Bresler. “FIRM further enables us to draw from our entire bench of diverse, talented attorneys to create consolidated, nimble legal teams on a matter-by-matter basis for existing and new clients facing evolving markets and an ever-challenging regulatory environment.”

FIRM is designed to support clients at all stages of risk exposure, whether they are:

• Standing up new business lines;
• Remediating legacy or ongoing issues; or
• Defending against insider threats, external attacks, regulatory scrutiny, or litigation.

FIRM’s areas of focus include, among others, investor disputes, governance concerns, supervisory and control issues, liquidations, regulatory examinations and enforcement, transaction diligence, and financial crime compliance, and it is structured to address matters at the front‑end, mid‑stream, or in response to event‑driven challenges.

“Our clients operate in environments where risk is constant and multi‑dimensional,” said Kevin Neubauer, co-head of Seward & Kissel’s Investment Management Group. “FIRM draws upon our deep subject‑matter expertise and our long history of advising financial institutions through complex, high‑stakes situations.”

The practice serves a broad range of financial market participants, including funds, asset managers, private equity and venture capital firms, banks, broker‑dealers, family offices, and their senior executives.

“This initiative builds on areas where Seward & Kissel has achieved sustained success and responds directly to what clients are asking for — sophisticated risk management advice delivered seamlessly across disciplines,” said Nick Katsanos, chair of Seward & Kissel’s Corporate Group. “FIRM formalizes our ability to support clients across a wide variety of matters, all within a single, coordinated framework.”

With the launch of FIRM, Seward & Kissel reinforces its commitment to helping financial institutions anticipate risk, respond decisively, and protect their businesses in an evolving regulatory and market landscape.

About Seward & Kissel LLP

Seward & Kissel LLP, founded in 1890, is a leading U.S. law firm with offices in New York City and Washington, D.C., with particular expertise in the financial services, investment management, banking, and shipping industries. The Firm is well known for its representation of investment advisers and related investment funds, broker-dealers, major commercial banks, institutional investors, and transportation companies. Its practices primarily focus on corporate, M&A, securities, finance, litigation (including white collar), restructuring/bankruptcy, real estate, regulatory, tax, employment, and ERISA for clients seeking legal expertise in these areas.