William E. Stern

William Stern is a partner in Goodwin’s Financial Services, Banking, Consumer Financial Services, and Fintech practices. William works on a variety of transactional and regulatory matters for Goodwin's financial services clients. William regularly advises depository institutions and their holding companies on compliance with regulatory requirements related to capital, affiliate and insider transactions, permissible activities and investments, anti-money laundering rules, trust department and asset management operations, and consumer protection. He provides regulatory advice related to merger and acquisition transactions undertaken by the firm's financial services clients as well as advising on change in control requirements related to investments in financial institutions. William also counsels the firm’s clients on compliance with federal and state privacy and data protection requirements.

In addition to working with the firm's full service bank and thrift clients, William has worked extensively with insurance companies, securities firms and other nonbank financial services providers to establish limited purpose trust banks and other nontraditional vehicles for providing fiduciary and asset management services and advises banks and trust companies that manage collective investment funds and other commingled pools. He has extensive experience representing thrift institutions and their holding companies, as well as advising Goodwin’s bank holding company and financial holding company clients and foreign banks on structuring their banking and nonbanking operations in the United States and abroad in conformity with U.S. banking law and to complete bank merger and acquisition transactions. William has also worked extensively with the firm’s bank and nonbank financial services clients on the delivery of financial products through innovative technology platforms, including mobile applications and marketplace lending arrangements. William has regular contact with officials at federal and state bank regulatory agencies, including the Federal Reserve System, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

William has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America Best Lawyers for his work in Banking and Finance Law 2022-2023.

William has been recognized by Chambers USA for his work in Financial Services Regulation: Banking (Compliance). William has been selected for inclusion in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business and Best Lawyers.

William regularly contributes to client alerts Goodwin provides regarding legal developments and has authored or contributed to articles of interest to the financial services sector.

Some of his recent publications include:

FinCEN Proposes Rules Implementing Corporate Ownership Requirements Under Corporate Transparency Act to Fill Gaps in U.S. Anti-Money Laundering Laws, Co-author (December 21, 2021)

SEC Proposes New Round of Money Market Fund Reforms, Co-author (December 16, 2021)

"Impact of the Volcker Rule on Fund Sponsors Affiliated with Non-US Banking Organisations," Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial Law (March 1, 2014)

"Banking Reform - Critical Issues for the Financial Industry," Quoted in Practical Law The Journal (December 1, 2013)

"Covered Funds Aspects of the Volcker Rule - Frequently Asked Questions," Goodwin Procter LLP (December 1, 2013)

"What Banks and Trust Companies Need to Know About the SEC’s New Municipal Advisor Rules," JD Supra Business Advisor (November 26, 2013)

"Impact of the Volcker rule and related Dodd-Frank Act requirements on fund sponsors affiliated with non-US banking organisations," Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial Law (April 1, 2013)

"Savings and Loan Holding Companies: Business Activities and Regulation," PLC Finance (February 1, 2013)

"Strengthening The Nation's Banks," New York Law Journal (January 10, 2011)

"Financial Services Reform Could Impact Real Estate Investors and Asset Managers," PREA Quarterly (January 1, 2010)