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Bryan Cave colleagues Ken Achenbach and Sean Christy join Jonathan and me on this episode of The Bank Account to examine the ability of banks to gain efficiency through shared services.  Throughout the business environment, business are looking to out source all non-core competencies.  Ken and Sean explore the opportunity for banks to similarly explore the opportunity for banks to join forces to purchase outsourced services and invest in technology platforms

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With Jonathan and I attending the Georgia Bankers Association’s 125th Annual Meeting, Bryan Cave colleagues Ken Achenbach and Sean Christy broke into our podcasting studio to record an episode of The Bank Account looking at vendor negotiations through a regulatory lens.

The FDIC’s Office of Inspector General’s Report on Technology Service Provider Contracts provides another source of regulatory guidance that needs to be considered while negotiating vendor contracts.  Ken

When negotiating bank third party vendor contracts it is not unusual to ask the vendor to acknowledge in the contract that bank regulators might exercise some sort of supervision over the vendor. Vendors will oftentimes push back on that point, claiming that since they are not a bank the FDIC has no jurisdiction over their affairs. We typically respond that “if the shoe fits, wear it.”

The fit arises because of the definition of “institution-affiliated party” (“IAP”). The definition was added under

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On March 17, 2017, Jonathan and I sat down with Bryan Cave Partner Sean Christy in the latest episode of The Bank Account for a discussion of the FDIC’s Office of Inspector General’s Report on Technology Service Provider Contracts.  Before diving into the OIG report, Jonathan and I briefly discuss the potential impact on deposits with regard to the Federal Reserve’s latest increase in rates, the OCC’s draft supplement for fintech

Managing third party vendor relationships has always been an important function in banks. More recently it has become a hot topic for state and federal financial bank regulators.

As a result, we have compiled our Seven Part Guide on reviewing third party vendor service contracts into one article.  A checklist for reviewing third party vendor contracts is included in the article, and also available separately.

The analysis covers typical elements that should be found in any third party vendor contract, including provisions on the nature

This is part 7 of a Seven Part Guide to reviewing vendor contracts. Part 1 can be found here, and other parts can be found here.

Indemnification. Indemnification provisions in a third party services contract can be hotly contested. There is no question that banks should include indemnification clauses that specify the extent to which the bank will be protected from claims arising out of the failure of the vendor to perform, including failure of the vendor to obtain any necessary intellectual property licenses. Not surprisingly, they can be one of the most difficult provisions to reach an

This is part 6 of a Seven Part Guide to reviewing vendor contracts. Part 1 can be found here, and other parts can be found here.

Ownership of Trademarks, Copyrights, Patents and Other Trade secrets, Source Code escrow Agreements. Typically, each party should own its pre-existing materials and derivative works thereof and materials developed by the parties or their contractors individually and outside of the contract, and each party should provide the other with licenses to its materials necessary to receive or provide the services during the term.  The contract should include intellectual property provisions that clearly define

This is part 5 of a Seven Part Guide to reviewing vendor contracts. Part 1 can be found here, and other parts can be found here.

Vendor Notice Requirements

Business -Strategic Changes. There are several categories of events the bank will want to be notified about.  The first involves things like significant strategic business changes, such as mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, divestitures, or other business activities that could affect the activities involved. In certain instances the bank may want the ability to terminate the contract if the vendor merges with another company or if there is

This is part 4 of a Seven Part Guide to reviewing vendor contracts. Part 1 can be found here, and other parts can be found here.

Services level. Services levels should be defined. For example, are the service to be made available 24/7 365 days a year or are they only needed during normal business hours. When the services involve some type of software or online technology, what is the minimum amount of   “uptime” required? Depending on the services involved, uptime might be 99.9%, for example.  vendors will understandably push back on that figure and might suggest 98%.

This is part 3 of a Seven Part Guide to reviewing vendor contracts. Part 1 can be found here, and other parts can be found here.

Location of where the work to is to be performed

Domestic locations. Where is the vendor actually performing the work? Will they need physical access to the bank premises or equipment?  Will they be on-site during or after business hours? The contract should reference security policies governing access to the bank’s systems, data (including customer data), facilities, and equipment.  The vendor should be obligated to comply with the security policies