Banking

We are the leader among law firms representing financial institutions in Louisiana. For two years in a row, we were ranked No. 1 in the Southwest by "The Merger Strategy Report" and Shushunoff Information Services in the handling of legal work associated with acquisitions of financial institutions. Messrs. Haygood, Willis and Werner are all members of the Bank Counsel Committee of the Louisiana Banker's Association. Apart from mergers and acquisitions, our lawyers routinely counsel clients regarding Louisiana, Federal Reserve, OCC, and FDIC regulatory compliance, and have handled all aspects of branch purchases and sales, commercial financing transactions and secured transactions. Our banking clients include Coastal Commerce Bank, First Bank & Trust, First Community Bank, First Guaranty Bank, Gulf Coast Bank, MidSouth National Bank, Omni Bank, Resource Bank, First NBC Bank and Whitney National Bank.

Lawyers in our firm have throughout their careers been involved in over 45 financial institution acquisitions, representing either the seller or the buyer, including three of the four largest transactions in Louisiana history.

Representative Transactions

• American Bancshares of Houma (acquisition by Regions Financial Corporation)
  
• American Bank of Ruston (acquisition by Horizons Bancshares)
  
• American Bank of Ville Platte (acquisition by Hancock Bank)
  
• American Horizons Bancshares of Monroe (acquisition by IBERIABANK Corporation)
   
• American Security Bancshares, Inc. (acquisition by Hancock Holding Corporation)
  
• American Security Bank of Alexandria (acquisition by Regions Bank)
   
• BNR Bancshares, Inc. (acquisition by Regions Financial Corporation)
  
• Business Bank of Baton Rouge (acquisition by BankSouth Corporation)
  
• Calcasieu Marine Bank Holding Company (acquisition by Hibernia Corporation)
   
• Citizens National Bancshares (acquisition by Deposit Guaranty Corporation)
   
• Commercial Bancshares, Inc. (acquisition by Hibernia Corporation)
   
• Community Bancorp, Inc. (acquisition of American Bank of Welsh)
  
• Delta Bank & Trust Company (acquisition by Regions Financial Corporation)
  
• First Commerce Corporation (merger with Bank One, N.A.; sale of Lafayette, Lake Charles and Monroe branches)
  
• First Commerce Corporation (acquisitions of Bank of New Orleans, City National Bank, First National Bank of Lafayette, First National Bank of Lake Charles, Rapides Bank, Pelican Homestead Association, St. Bernard Bank, DeRidder Bank, City Bank, Lakeside National Bank, First Bank of Slidell and Central Bank of Monroe)
   
• First Guaranty Bank (acquisition of North Louisiana branches from Bank One, N.A.; acquisition of First Woodlands Bank; acquisition of First Southwest Bank; sale of several north Louisana branches)
  
• First National Bankshares, Inc. (acquisition by Whitney Holding Company)
  
• Firstrust Corporation (acquisition of Metro Bank)
  
• Firstrust Corporation (sale of trust preferred securities)
  
• IBERIABANK (branch sale to MidSouth Bancorp)
  
• IBERIABANK Corporation (acquisiton of Acadiana Bancshares)
  
• Jefferson Guaranty Bancorp (acquisition by Deposit Guaranty Corporation)
  
• Liberty Financial Services (sale of trust preferred securities)
  
• Louisiana National Security Bank (acquisition by Whitney Holding Corporation)
  
• MidSouth Bancorp (sale of trust preferred securities; branch acquisition from IBERIABANK)
  
• MidSouth Bancorp (acquisition of Lamar Bank of Beaumont)
  
• Parish National Bank (formation of holding company)
  
• Peoples Bank of Pointe Coupee (going private transaction)
  
• Premier Bancorp, Inc. (acquisitions of Ouachita National Bank, First National Bank of Shreveport, Louisiana National Bank, Gulf National Bank, Guaranty Bank of Lafayette, Bank of New Iberia, Alerion Bank, Ruston State Bank)
  
• St. James Bancorporation (acquisition by Regions Financial Corporation)
  
• St. Mary Holding Corporation (acquisition by Regions Financial Corporation)
  
• STAABA Bancshares, Inc. (acquisition by Hibernia Corporation)
  

   

• Your Bank (acquisition by Fidelity Homestead Savings Bank)