Matthew Bisanz

Matthew Bisanz counsels domestic and global financial services firms on a variety of banking and derivatives regulatory issues.

Regulatory Compliance: Matt advises financial institutions on core bank regulatory issues and adjacent subject matter domains. Matt is knowledgeable in all major aspects of the operations of an insured depository institution, its affiliates, and its partners—including chartering, acquisition, and permissibility analyses; ongoing risk management, governance, and compliance requirements; and insolvency and resolution issues. He also advises clients on Dodd-Frank Act compliance issues, including the Volcker Rule, capital and liquidity requirements, Reg YY enhanced prudential standards, and Title VII compliance. Further, his practice extends to the other regulatory and risk management needs of the firm’s financial institution clients through counseling on regulatory inventories and change management, cybersecurity and data privacy concerns, and anti-money laundering compliance. Matt currently serves as the chair of the American Bar Association’s subcommittee on banking legislation and regulation.

Transactional: Matt counsels financial institutions on regulatory developments affecting complex financial instruments and significant cross-border transactions. Matt works extensively with Mayer Brown’s deal teams to provide comprehensive advice for innovative and strategic transactions, including with respect to capital and liquidity relief, derivatives/hedge compliance, and foreign direct investment reporting. His transactional work also includes the identification and preparation of required regulatory filings, development of supporting legal opinions and memoranda, third-party risk management, and review of disclosures and required terms (e.g., QFC stay rule). Matt’s broad-based regulatory and accounting background allows him to see where transactions may create issues with an institution’s enterprise-wide risk management and governance frameworks and identify efficient paths to resolution.

Government Affairs: Matt is experienced with sensitive reviews and compliance negotiations involving financial services firms and regulatory agencies. He has led investigations of swap reporting issues, Volcker Rule compliance, and futures trading, and served as the primary representative in negotiations with the US Bureau of Economic Analysis. Matt previously served as the chair of the American Bar Association’s subcommittee on bank enforcement and troubled institutions.

Previously, Matt worked at the SEC, CFTC, DOJ, and FDIC in various regulatory and investigative roles and at a Big Four accounting firm in New York. He also is a certified public accountant and teaches accounting at the University of Maryland Global Campus.

Bank Regulatory

• Counseled non-US banks on entry into the US market and restructuring of US operations to maximize regulatory and cost efficiency.
• Advised clients on governance structures relating to implementation of the Federal Reserve’s Regulation YY and the OCC’s Heightened Standards and revised Comptroller’s Handbook.
• Guided US and non-US banks in complying with the Federal Reserve’s capital and liquidity stress testing and reporting regimes, including by structuring transactions to minimize capital charges.
• Assisted financial institutions in drafting and filing Change in Bank Control Act and trust powers regulatory filings.
• Provided financial institutions with advice and opinions regarding clearinghouse membership issues, default fund contributions, and insolvency protections.
• Drafted banking and commodities-related disclosures in US securities filings and similar documentation for US and non-US reporting companies.

• "Outstanding Contribution to Regulatory Reform" award from the International Financial Law Review (IFLR)
• "Financial Services Regulation: Ones to Watch" award from Best Lawyers

• Georgetown University, LLM, with distinction
• Georgetown University, JD
  Operations Projects Editor, Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics
• New York University
  Advanced Graduate Certificate
• University of Maryland Global Campus
  Master of Science
• Hofstra University, MBA, with distinction
  Beta Alpha Psi; Alumni Submission Editor, Hofstra Journal of International Business & Law
  
• Hofstra University, BA, magna cum laude
  Phi Beta Kappa

• District of Columbia
• New Jersey
• New York

• Member, Banking Law Committee, American Bar Association       
• Chair, Legislation and Regulation Subcommittee, Banking Law Committee
• Member, Exchequer Club
• Member, Banking Editorial Advisory Board, Law360 (2024, 2021)
• Adjunct Professor of Accounting, University of Maryland Global Campus
• Certified Public Accountant, New York State Board for Public Accountancy
• Certified Public Accountant, District of Columbia Board of Accountancy
• Special Advisor, Structured Finance Journal