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Bank & Finance
Mergers & Acquisitions
Corporate Governance
Corporate & Securities
“I believe my prior experience with the Federal Reserve makes me uniquely qualified to counsel owners, directors and management of financial institutions.”
Karen Grandstrand is a nationally recognized bank regulatory and M&A attorney, and a financial industry advisor.
She advises clients on examination matters, compliance and enforcement actions, mergers and acquisitions, the recapitalization and acquisition of troubled banks, private equity and other investments in banking organizations, corporate governance, risk management, and payment system and trust matters.
Prior to joining Fredrikson, she had a 14-year career with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis where she was initially in the Law Department and ultimately the Senior Vice President of the Banking Supervision and Risk Management Departments. In this position, she was the senior officer in charge of safety and soundness, consumer, CRA, trust, and IT examinations, as well as applications involving banks and holding companies.
December 1, 2020
The industry has weathered much in the past. Given current conditions and uncertainties, bank boards and management should hope for a vaccine, a strong economy, and world peace, but prepare in case any of that is not achieved in the near term.
December 1, 2020
By Karen L. Grandstrand, J. Marc Ward, Caitlin B. Houlton Kuntz and Erin M. Byom
Many M&A headlines during the pandemic have declared bank M&A dead. While M&A has slowed, deals continue here in the Midwest, particularly among community banks. Further, current conditions will bring new opportunities for both buyers and sellers.
April 8, 2020
By Erin M. Byom, Levi J. Smith and Karen L. Grandstrand
Since the passage of the Act, the Treasury Department and the SBA have issued some, albeit limited, guidance for lenders in the PPP application process. This article outlines general requirements for lenders under the CARES ACT with respect to PPP loans and addresses frequently asked questions.
March 20, 2020
By Karen L. Grandstrand, Caitlin B. Houlton Kuntz and Erin M. Byom
In these uncertain times, questions swirl among community bankers about the best way to support their customers and communities through our current public health crisis while still looking out for their employees and shareholders.
March 1, 2019
Barlow Research’s December 2018 First Friday Web Conference, titled “Evolving Challenges and Competition for Small Business Banking,” focused on new challengers entering the financial services market. This article provides a summary of attorney Karen Grandstrand’s comments during the Web Conference.
September 4, 2018
The number of FDIC-insured institutions in the U.S. was at 5,670 as of March 30, 2018, down from 8,534 as of December 31, 2007. Over the past five years, 1,292 institutions have been absorbed by mergers and 63 have failed. Another factor behind the reduced number of institutions, however, is the small number of de novo banks.
March 1, 2018
Karen Grandstrand has been part of the banking industry since 1982, seeing it from the vantage point of regulator, attorney and director.
December 2, 2015
During the financial crisis, many banking organizations became subject to enforcement actions that required banks and bank holding companies (BHCs) to obtain approval from their regulators to pay dividends and redeem stock. At the same time, the Federal Reserve issued Supervision and Regulation Letter SR 09-4 (February 24, 2009, as revised March 27, 2009). This SR letter places ongoing restrictions on the payment of BHC dividends and the redemption of BHC stock even after enforcement actions are lifted.
