Patrick J Kennedy Jr

Mr. Kennedy is the managing partner of Kennedy Sutherland LLP. Mr. Kennedy and his firm specialize in representing banks and financial institutions throughout the United States on corporate, securities and regulatory matters.

Mr. Kennedy helped promote federal legislation allowing Subchapter S elections by banks and thrifts. He organized the Subchapter S Bank Association in 1997 to serve banks and thrifts electing Subchapter S taxation and currently serves as its President. He and his firm have assisted banks and their owners throughout the United States on Subchapter S conversion as well as mergers/acquisitions and other bank regulatory and corporate matters.

He served as Chairman of the International Law Section of the State Bar of Texas; Chairman of the World Affairs Council of San Antonio; Chairman of the Retail and Consumer Banking Law Subcommittee of the American Bar Association. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Idependent Bankers of Texas. He has chaired a number of professional conferences on international and financial institutions law and is a frequent author and lecturer on these subjects.

Mr. Kennedy obtained his B.A. from Georgetown University in 1975 and J.D. from St. Mary's University School of Law in 1978, where he served as Articles Editor for St. Mary's Law Journal. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Banking Law Committee and the State Bar of Texas.

William D Sutherland

Mr. Sutherland is a partner at Kennedy Sutherland LLP. Mr. Sutherland's focus is providing guidance to financial institutions in strategic and succession planning, management and management structure, and improving risk management practices.

Mr. Sutherland has spent most of his career in executive management positions in both the banking and manufacturing industries. He continues to focus on risk management and management theory and the practical application of these theories in the financial services industry.

He is a member of the American Bar Association, Banking Law Committee adn the State Bar of Texas. Mr. Sutherland received his B.A. in Government from The University of Texas at Austin and J.D. from St. Mary's University School of Law.

Andrew C Smith

Mr. Smith is an associate at Kennedy Sutherland LLP. Mr. Smith assists corporate and financial institutions with governance and regulatory matters, and also has represented clients in private debt and equity offerings. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the Banking Law Committee of the American Bar Association and the Subchapter S Bank Association. Mr. Smith received his B.S. with honors from Texas A&M University in 2007 and his J.D. with honors from St. Mary’s University School of Law in 2011, where he also served as Associate Editor for the St. Mary’s Law Journal.