In The News

Nationally Recognized Financial Services Lawyer Joins Buckley Sandler

WASHINGTON, DC (December 2, 2013) – Buckley Sandler LLP, a leading financial services and criminal and civil enforcement defense law firm, announced today that Walter E. Zalenski, a nationally recognized banking and consumer finance lawyer with over 25 years of experience working for a diversified client base of banks, non-banks, private equity firms and other market participants, has joined the firm as a partner in its Washington, DC and New York, NY offices. Ranked in the top tier of lawyers nationally for his work in the area of Financial Services Regulation by Chambers USA since 2008, clients have continually recognized Zalenski for being one of the leading consumer finance lawyers in the country, noting that "he has great knowledge of substantive consumer finance law” and is a “true consumer finance expert” who “provides targeted, practical advice.”

“We have collaborated with Walt for years on many client matters. His broad knowledge of banking law and consumer financial services, combined with his experience advising financial institutions concerning multiple areas of law impacted by the Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation, is a great addition to our firm and furthers our goal of expanding our national banking and consumer financial services practices,” said Andrew L. Sandler, Chairman and Executive Partner of Buckley Sandler. “His stellar reputation and depth of experience, along with his focus on client service, is a great fit with the culture of our firm.”

“Buckley Sandler is a financial services powerhouse with a premier track record helping its blue chip clients navigate new regulations, emerging regulatory expectations and a difficult environment of aggressive government investigations and enforcement actions. I am excited to join a firm so highly regarded for its expertise, depth of practice, client service and unique firm culture,” noted Zalenski.

“Walt’s deep experience helping private equity firms and other buyers of banks and non-bank financial services firms enhances our active regulatory transactional practice in which Buckley Sandler regularly conducts regulatory due diligences and obtains regulatory approvals in connection with M&A transactions for leading private equity firms,” said John P. Kromer, Co-Managing Partner of Buckley Sandler. “Walt’s bank regulatory and transactional experience will be a great asset as we grow our leading community bank M&A practice.”

Zalenski’s practice includes bank regulation, mortgage lending, credit card, installment credit and other consumer credit, money transmission, payment processing, fair lending, anti-money laundering and counseling on M&A transactions on behalf of private equity firms and strategic buyers involving a wide variety of financial services companies. He has defended financial services providers against class action claims under consumer credit protection laws and against governmental enforcement actions. He has lectured and written on a wide variety of issues including, private equity investments in banks; fair lending laws; electronic consumer finance; privacy laws; arbitration; credit disclosures; money transmitter regulation; and the impact of tax laws on consumer credit.

Zalenski received his J.D. from George Washington University Law School (1984) and his B.A from George Washington University (1981). He is a member of the American Bar Association’s Committee on Consumer Financial Services (and former chair of its Housing Finance Subcommittee) and has served as a member of the New York City Bar’s Banking Law Committee. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers.

With nearly 150 lawyers in Washington, New York, Los Angeles, Orange County and Chicago, Buckley Sandler provides best-in-class legal counsel to meet the challenges of its financial services industry and other corporate and individual clients across the full range of government enforcement actions, complex and class action litigation and transactional, regulatory and public policy issues. The Firm represents many of the nation's leading financial services institutions. Online: www.buckleyfirm.com/; Twitter: https://twitter.com/BuckleySandler; InfoBytes Blog: http://www.infobytesblog.com.