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Luigi L. De Ghenghi
Partner

Mr. De Ghenghi is a member of Davis Polk’s Financial Institutions Group. His practice focuses on bank regulatory advice, including Dodd-Frank Act regulatory implementation and M&A and capital markets transactions for U.S. and non-U.S. banks and other financial institutions. He is also experienced in advising banks and other financial institutions on corporate governance and compliance matters, bank insolvency issues, government investigations and enforcement actions, cross-border collateral transactions, and clearance and settlement systems.

Mr. De Ghenghi has advised a number of financial institutions on capital-raising transactions, including:

  • Ally Financial on the public offering of $2.7 billion of trust preferred securities sold by the U.S. Department of the Treasury

  • Agricultural Bank of China on its $22 billion initial public stock offering, the second-largest IPO in history and the largest-ever by an Asian issuer

  • The underwriters on BankUnited, Inc.’s $900 million initial public stock offering

  • Citigroup, Inc. on its offering of $20.5 billion of new equity capital and debt securities in connection with its repayment of $20 billion of TARP trust preferred securities

  • The underwriters on Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c.’s $2.1 billion contingent mandatorily exchangeable notes offering and disposal of common stock of M&T Bank Corporation

  • The underwriters on Royal Bank of Canada’s $1.5 billion offering of covered bonds

He has also advised financial institutions, private equity funds and investment in banks and investment banks on M&A transactions, including:

  • Morgan Stanley on the spin off of its in-house proprietary trading unit, Process Driven Trading (PDT)

  • Morgan Stanley on its conversion of MUFG’s preferred stock interest in Morgan Stanley to common stock

  • Morgan Stanley on its securities joint venture in Japan with MUFG

  • Green Dot on its acquisition of Bonneville Bancorp

  • Tailwind Capital on its $60 million investment in Hamilton State Bancshares

  • PIMCO on the formation of its $2.3 billion Bank Recapitalization and Value Opportunities (BRAVO) Fund and its proposed investment in ECB Bancorp

  • The financial adviser to East West Bancorp on East West Bank’s acquisition of United Commercial Bank

  • Sanpaolo IMI on the €65 billion merger between Sanpaolo IMI and Banca Intesa

From 1995 to 2001, Mr. De Ghenghi worked for J.P. Morgan in Brussels and London, where he became a managing director, head of the legal department for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and member of the European Management Committee.

Contact
Bar Admissions
  • State of New York
Education
  • B.A., McGill University, 1980
    • with great distinction
  • B.A. in Law, University of Oxford, 1982
  • J.D., Northwestern University School of Law, 1985
    • cum laude
    • Articles Editor, Northwestern University Law Review
Languages
  • French
  • Italian

Work Highlights
Financial Crisis-related Representations
  • Morgan Stanley on the bank regulatory, compliance and corporate issues related to its conversion into a bank holding company, including approvals from the Federal Reserve Board for non-controlling investments in banks and other financial institutions
  • Morgan Stanley on its loan marketing joint venture with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group
  • Freddie Mac on the U.S. government’s conservatorship and financial assistance package
  • Morgan Stanley on the bank regulatory, compliance and corporate issues related to its conversion into a bank holding company, as well as issuances of FDIC-guaranteed debt 
  • Lloyds Banking Group on U.S. bank regulatory matters relating to its acquisition of HBOS and Her Majesty’s Government’s investment in Lloyds Banking Group
Capital Markets Transactions
  • Ally Financial on the public offering of $2.7 billion of trust preferred securities sold by the U.S. Department of the Treasury
  • Ally Financial on the public offering of preferred stock sold by GM Preferred Finance Co. Holdings LLC
  • Agricultural Bank of China on its $22 billion initial public stock offering, the second-largest IPO in history and the largest-ever by an Asian issuer
  • The underwriters on BankUnited, Inc.’s $900 million initial public stock offering
  • The underwriters on Fifth Third Bancorp’s $1.7 billion equity offering and $1 billion offering of investment-grade notes
  • Citigroup, Inc. on its offering of $20.5 billion of new equity capital and debt securities in connection with its repayment of $20 billion of TARP trust preferred securities
  • The underwriters on Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c.’s $2.1 billion contingent mandatorily exchangeable notes offering and disposal of common stock of M&T Bank Corporation
  • The underwriters on Royal Bank of Canada’s $1.5 billion offering of covered bonds
  • The underwriters on the Treasury Department’s offering of warrants to purchase common stock of Sterling Bancshares
  • E*TRADE on its $550 million SEC-registered common equity offering and $1.7 billion debt restructuring
  • The underwriters in Whitney Holding Corporation’s $218 million SEC-registered common equity offering
  • The underwriters in MB Financial’s $191 million SEC-registered common equity offering in connection with its FDIC-assisted acquisition of the deposits and certain assets of Corus Bank, N.A.
  • The sole underwriter in East West Bancorp’s $80 million SEC-registered common equity offering
  • The underwriters in U.S. Central Federal Credit Union’s $4 billion offering of senior notes guaranteed by the National Credit Union Administration under its Temporary Corporate Credit Union Liquidity Guarantee Program
  • Morgan Stanley on its $5.75 billion SEC-registered offering of FDIC-guaranteed debt
  • The underwriters on Washington Mutual’s $3 billion SEC-registered offering of non-cumulative perpetual preferred shares convertible into common stock
  • The underwriters on Indy Mac Bank, F.S.B.’s $500 billion Rule 144/Regulation S offering of perpetual non-cumulative preferred stock
  • Huntington Bancshares Incorporated on a $250 million SEC-registered offering of trust preferred securities
  • Industrial and Commercial Bank of China on its $15.3 billion international initial public offering
  • China Merchants Bank on its $2.4 billion international initial public offering
  • The underwriters on Saras S.p.A.’s €2.1 billion initial public offering
  • The underwriters on China Construction Bank’s $9.2 billion initial global equity offering
M&A Transactions
  • Morgan Stanley on the spin off of its in-house proprietary trading unit Process Driven Trading (PDT)
  • Morgan Stanley on its conversion of MUFG’s preferred stock interest in Morgan Stanley to common stock
  • Morgan Stanley on its securities joint venture in Japan with MUFG
  • Green Dot on its acquisition of Bonneville Bancorp
  • Tailwind on its $60 million investment in Hamilton State Bancshares
  • PIMCO on the formation of its $2.3 billion Bank Recapitalization and Value Opportunities (BRAVO) Fund and its proposed investment in ECB Bancorp
  • FBR Capital Markets as financial adviser to AloStar Bank of Commerce in its acquisition of Nexity Bank from FDIC receivership
  • SJB Escrow Corp on the largest “blind pool” ($1.1 billion) formed to acquire failed banks from the FDIC
  • FBR Capital Markets as financial adviser and placement agent for State Bank & Trust on its $300 million capital raising and FDIC-assisted acquisition of Security Bank
  • Deutsche Bank Securities as financial adviser to East West Bancorp in its FDIC-assisted acquisition of United Commercial Bank
  • Lloyds Banking Group on U.S. bank regulatory matters relating to its acquisition of HBOS and Her Majesty’s Government’s investment in Lloyds Banking Group
  • Ayala Corporation on its $290 million tender offer, together with Providence Equity Partners, for eTelecare Global Solutions
  • TPG-Axon on its acquisition of non-voting, mandatory convertible non-cumulative preferred stock from Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.
  • Banca Intesa and Sanpaolo IMI on the U.S. bank regulatory matters, and Sanpaolo IMI on all other matters, relating to the €65 billion merger between Banca Intesa and Sanpaolo IMI
  • Telecom Italia on its €20 billion tender offer for, and merger with, TIM
  • Sanpaolo IMI on the €679 million spinoff of Fideuram Vita from Banca Fideuram to Sanpaolo IMI
Recognition
Mr. De Ghenghi is listed as a leading lawyer in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business and IFLR1000: The Guide to the World’s Leading Law Firms 2012.
Professional History
  • Partner, 2006-present
  • Counsel, Davis Polk, London office, 2001-2006
  • Managing Director, J.P. Morgan (Brussels and London), 1995-2001
  • Associate, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, 1990-1995
  • Associate, Davis Polk, 1985-1989

Publications

    Forthcoming in 2012
  • Foreign Bank Acquisitions of U.S. Banks and Thrifts (6th Ed.)
    Chapter 6, Regulation of Foreign Banks and Affiliates in the United States
    Forthcoming in 2012
  • Foreign Banks as U.S. Financial Holding Companies (6th Ed.)
    Chapter 10, Regulation of Foreign Banks and Affiliates in the United States