Press Release

NEW ORLEANS—Jones Walker LLP announced today that the seven lawyers who formerly comprised the boutique banking and securities law firm of Spidi & Fisch, PC, in Washington, D.C., have joined Jones Walker's Banking & Financial Services Practice Group in the firm's Washington, D.C. office.

Spidi & Fisch, which served a client base of primarily financial institutions, includes John J. Spidi, Richard Fisch, James C. Stewart, and Daniel H. Burd, who will join as partners; Joan S. Guilfoyle, who will join as Special Counsel; and associates James D. Marky and Carolyn M. Rhodes. 

"Spidi & Fisch is well-known to our firm and the banking industry, and this group is a great addition to our nationally recognized banking practice," said Jones Walker managing partner, William H. Hines. "The transaction was strategic to our focus on expansion in the mid-Atlantic region and throughout the southeast, and is also a nice complement to our existing affordable housing and energy practices."

"We've worked across the table from Jones Walker on a number of occasions in the past, so we know they have a top-notch team," said Jack Spidi. "This transaction makes a lot of sense for both parties due to our compatible banking and securities practices and the extensive platform Jones Walker can offer our clients in legal matters we previously did not handle for our clients," Spidi added.

"We are thrilled to be joining the firm and expanding the full scope of legal services that we may offer our clients nationally," said Ricky Fisch.

The addition of these seven experienced attorneys brings Jones Walker's Banking & Financial Services Practice Group to more than 50 attorneys, including a team of ten attorneys now located in Washington, D.C., who advise on matters involving bank regulatory issues, corporate governance and securities regulation, debt and equity financing, mutual-to-stock conversions, and mergers and acquisitions, as well as taxation matters, executive compensation, employment, and bankruptcy and restructuring. 

The Spidi & Fisch lawyers enhance Jones Walker's nationally recognized team representing financial institutions, ranging in size from small community banks to complex banking organizations, and other public and private companies. The firm brings an impressive client list including financial institutions, bank and savings and loan holding companies, banks, thrifts, mutual financial institutions, investment banks, and credit unions. 

US News & World Report has ranked Jones Walker's banking practice as one of the top 50 in the U.S. since 2010, the first year in which that publication ranked U.S. law firms. Chambers USA – America's Leading Lawyers for Business has ranked Jones Walker in the first band for Banking & Finance among firms in Louisiana since 2004, and numerous Jones Walker attorneys are ranked by Chambers USA and Best Lawyers in America. Both firms also receive high rankings in bank merger and acquisition transactions, as awarded by SNL Financial.  

Below are brief biographies of the attorneys joining the Jones Walker team in its Washington, D.C. office:

John J. Spidi (Partner) concentrates in corporate, securities, and bank regulatory matters for financial institutions and their holding companies. Mr. Spidi's particular emphasis is in the area of securities offerings, annual securities reporting requirements, mergers and acquisitions, mutual-to-stock conversions, corporate governance requirements, and all aspects of corporate and bank regulatory matters involving financial institutions. He has served as issuer's or underwriter's counsel in numerous equity and debt offerings and mutual to stock conversion transactions. Mr. Spidi received his juris doctor degree, cum laude, from the New England School of Law, where he served as an editor of the Law Review, and a bachelor of arts degree, with honors, from Northeastern University. Mr. Spidi was Senior Attorney in the Division of Corporation Finance at the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. He is a member of the bars of Massachusetts, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Spidi can be contacted by phone 202.434.4670 or email jspidi@joneswalker.com.

Richard Fisch (Partner) focuses on mergers and acquisitions, bank regulatory matters, executive compensation, and corporate and securities matters. He also advises clients in the areas of corporate taxation, compensation and benefits matters, tax-qualified and non-qualified deferred compensation and retirement plans, equity incentive plans, charter conversion transactions, mutual-to-stock conversions, conversions of credit unions to federal mutual savings institutions, branch sales and purchases, and other regulatory and corporate matters for financial institutions. Mr. Fisch received his juris doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center, and a bachelor of science and a master of business administration degrees from Cornell University. He is a member of the District of Columbia and Maryland bars. Mr. Fisch can be contacted by phone 202.434.4665 or email rfisch@joneswalker.com.

James C. Stewart (Partner) has extensive experience representing financial institutions with respect to corporate, securities, and bank regulatory issues. His transactional experience includes securities offerings, recapitalizations, mergers and acquisitions, stock conversions, reorganizations, and bank start-ups. Mr. Stewart has served as issuer's or underwriter's counsel in numerous mutual-to-stock conversion transactions. Before private practice, he served for six years in the General Counsel's Office of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, the predecessor to the Office of Thrift Supervision, where he was a principal draftsman on regulations relating to stock conversions and acquisitions of control of savings associations. Mr. Stewart received his juris doctor degree from Catholic University Law School, where he served as an editor of the Law Review, and a bachelor of arts degree from Michigan State University. He is a member of the District of Columbia and Maryland bars and a member of the Banking Law Committee of the American Bar Association. Mr. Stewart can be contacted by phone 202.434.4671 or email jstewart@joneswalker.com.

Daniel H. Burd (Partner) focuses on regulatory matters for financial institutions. He was previously a staff attorney for the Federal Reserve Board (FRB) Legal Division, Washington, D.C. He received his juris doctor degree from the University of Chicago Law School, a master of arts degree from University of California Los Angeles, and a bachelor of arts degree from Stanford University. He is a member of the District of Columbia Bar. Mr. Burd can be contacted by phone 202.434.4673 or email dburd@joneswalker.com.

Joan S. Guilfoyle (Special Counsel) concentrates on corporate and securities matters for financial institutions. She has extensive experience representing institutions in connection with mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings, stock conversions, and securities compliance matters. She also represents institutions involved in proxy contests and has assisted clients with fidelity bond claims and internal investigations. Prior to practicing law, she was a Vice President and Commercial Lender for two Washington, D.C. area financial institutions. Ms. Guilfoyle received her juris doctor degree from George Washington Law School, a master of business administration degree from Georgetown University, and a bachelor of arts degree from Cornell University. She is a member of the Virginia State Bar, American Bar Association, and the ABA Banking Law Committee. Ms. Guilfoyle can be contacted by phone 202.434.4660 or email jguilfoyle@joneswalker.com.

James D. Marky (Associate) focuses on corporate and securities matters for financial institutions. Prior to practicing law, Mr. Marky worked in finance at a prominent hedge fund. He received his juris doctor degree from William & Mary School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree, cum laude, in Applied Economics and Management from Cornell University. Mr. Marky is a member of the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York bars. 

Carolyn M. Rhodes (Associate) focuses her practice on executive compensation, employee benefits, taxation, and corporate and securities matters. She received her juris doctor degree from William & Mary School of Law, a Master of Laws degree in taxation, with distinction, from the Georgetown University Law Center, and a bachelor of arts degree from the University of California Los Angeles. Prior to joining Spidi & Fisch, Ms. Rhodes served as a judicial law clerk to The Honorable David L. Bunning of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Ms. Rhodes is a member of the Virginia State and District of Columbia bars, and is a member of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation. 

About Jones Walker

Jones Walker LLP (www.joneswalker.com), with approximately 390 attorneys in Alabama, Arizona, California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, Ohio and Texas, provides a comprehensive range of legal services to a national and international corporate client base.

Jones Walker LLP
Washington, DC Downtown Office
Suite 200 W
1227 25th St NW
Washington, D.C. 20037
Tel: 202.434.4660