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| William F. Connell Areas of Practice Bill Connell has assisted international commercial banks from all regions of the world for the past 36 years. His practice includes all aspects of secured lending, funds transfer/operational issues, letter of credit disputes, obtaining licenses, responding to criticisms from the regulatory agencies, and all manner of regulatory compliance issues, including drafting policies and procedures on anti-money laundering, anti-tying, and “know-your-customer” guidelines. Within the area of secured lending and loan documentation generally, Bill’s primary focus has been on trade and commodity finance and bilateral credit agreements. Work for Clients During the 1980’s and early 1990’s much of Bill’s work involved obtaining licenses for full-service branches and de novo banks. Once established, the bank would be provided with all manner of lending and collateral security documentation. Lines of credit would be established and syndicated loan agreements reviewed and revised, as needed. Policies and procedures would be prepared or reviewed for legal sufficiency. Contract review on leases, computer equipment, and employment agreements made up a substantial portion of Bill’s “operational” work, as opposed to loan documentation. In recent years, the emphasis of Bill’s practice has shifted to all manner of loan documentation for specific transactions. Professional Activities Bill was the chair of the New York County Lawyers’ Association’s Banking Law Committee for seven years and remains active on the Banking Law Committees of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and of the New York State Bar Association. He is sought out as a speaker on banking law developments and assists numerous banking organizations in their seminars; primarily, the Bankers’ Association for Foreign Trade and the U.S. Council on International Banking (now the “International Financial Services Association”). Bill participated in the drafting of the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits (International Chamber of Commerce Publication No. 500) and its companion piece on standby letters of credit as well as revisions to Articles 5 and 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code relating to letters of credit and security interests in personal property, respectively. Professional Experience Connell & Andersen and its predecessor firms were founded in 1983. Before establishing the law firms, Bill was an Associate at Carter, Ledyard & Milburn in New York and the Vice President and International Counsel for Irving Trust Company. Education Fordham University, A.B. The University of Texas School of Law, J.D. |