Joseph E. Silvia

Partner

  • Joseph E. Silvia
  • Phone: +1 312 499 6764

    Joseph E. Silvia - LinkedIn Import to Address Book

  • Duane Morris LLP
    190 South LaSalle Street, Suite 3700
    Chicago, IL 60603-3433
    USA

Joseph E. Silvia focuses his practice on advising financial institutions and financial technology (fintech) companies on general corporate matters, mergers, acquisitions, governance, payments systems, anti-money laundering, sanctions, and bank and consumer finance regulation. One segment of Mr. Silvia’s practice focuses on advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, as well as other strategic transactions and general corporate law matters. A second segment of his practice focuses on providing analysis and regulatory advice to financial institution and fintech clients on risk management, compliance, enforcement, consumer protection, digital currencies, affiliate transactions, privacy, consumer and mortgage lending, and retail and commercial banking. This includes significant drafting and negotiation of transaction documents, vendor agreements, disclosures, and agreements between financial institutions and their clients, as well as significant interaction with state and federal agencies.

Mr. Silvia previously served as counsel to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, where he focused on the supervision and regulation of banks, bank holding companies, and savings and loan holding companies, as well as consumer finance and compliance matters.

Mr. Silvia is a graduate of the George Washington University Law School (LL.M., 2010), Chicago-Kent College of Law (LL.M., J.D., 2007) and Miami University (B.A., 2004).

Areas of Practice

  • Banking & Finance

  • Regulation of Financial Institutions

  • Corporate

  • Mergers & Acquisitions

  • Private Equity

  • Technology Transactions
  • Technology Transactions

  • Emerging Businesses

  • Securities

  • Cannabis

  • Capital Markets

  • Consumer Finance Litigation and Dispute Resolution

  • Financial Markets

  • Financial Services

  • Structured Finance

  • Venture Capital/Emerging Companies

Admissions

  • Illinois

Education

  • The George Washington University Law School, LL.M., International and Comparative Law, 2010
  • Chicago-Kent College of Law, LL.M., Financial Services Law, 2007
  • Chicago-Kent College of Law, J.D., 2007
  • Miami University, B.A., 2004

Experience

  • Duane Morris LLP
    - Partner, 2024-present
  • Chicago-Kent College of Law
    - Adjunct Professor of Law, 2014-present
  • Dickinson Wright PLLC
    - Partner, 2022-2024
  • Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC
    - Partner, 2019 -2022
  • Chapman and Cutler LLP
    - Senior Counsel, 2018-2019
  • Schiff Hardin LLP
    - Counsel, 2016-2017
  • Locke Lord ]LLP
    - Senior Counsel, 2015-2016
  • Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
    - Counsel, 2011-2015
  • Weiner Brodsky Sidman Kider PC
    - Associate, 2009-2011
  • Mortgage Bankers Association
    - Senior Public Policy Specialist, 2008-2009
  • Washington Legal Foundation
    - Chief Policy Counsel, 2007-2008

Professional Activities

  • American Bar Association
    - Section of Business Law
    -- Chair, Banking Law Committee, 2023-present
    -- Vice Chair, Banking Law Committee, 2020-2023
    -- Vice Chair, Subcommittee on Enforcement, 2019-2020
    -- Chair, Subcommittee on Community Banks, 2016-2019
    -- Vice Chair, Subcommittee on Community Banks, 2013-2016
    - Consumer Financial Services Committee
    - Mergers & Acquisitions Committee
  • Fundamentals of Banking Law
    - Faculty Member, 2024-present
  • Chicago-Kent College of Law Institute for Compliance
    - Advisory Board Member, 2013-present
  • Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Working Group on Financial Markets
    - Member, 2017
  • Law360 Banking Editorial Advisory Board
    - Member, 2017

Selected Publications

  • Author, "Federal Agencies Issue Changes to Bank Merger Review Process," Duane Morris Alert, September 26, 2024
  • Quoted, "Bank Regulators Maintain M&A Market Concentration Guidelines Despite DOJ Update," S&P Global Market Intelligence, September 16, 2024
  • Contributing Author, "Countering the Financing of Terrorism: Law and Policy," American Bar Association, July 2022 
  • "Control of a Bank Holding Company: What is it and How do I avoid it?" Banking & Financial Services Policy Report, Septembee 1, 2015
  • "The Basics of the Ability to Repay and Qualified Mortgage Rules," The Review of Banking and Financial Services, Septembee 1, 2015
  • "So, You Want to Invest in a Bank or Bank Holding Company.," Business Law Today, Volume: 25:9, Issue: May 2015

Selected Speaking Engagements

  • Speaker, “Corporate Governance in Banking,” National Academy of Continuing Legal Education, August 2024
  • "Complexities of Acquiring Control: Where the Fed’s Control Rule Meets Other Regulatory Definitions,” National Academy of Continuing Legal Education, October 13, 2022
  • Speaker, “Complexities of Acquiring Control: Where the Fed’s Control Rule Meets Other Regulatory Definitions,” National Academy of Continuing Legal Education, October 2022
  • "Meet the Expert: Cannabis Banking Legal Brief,” Shield Compliance Client Connect Conference, October 5, 2022
  • “Banks in the Cryptocurrency Ecosystem,” Illinois Bankers Association and Northern Illinois Compliance Association Workshop, Peru, IL, September 30, 2022
  • “Banks in the Cryptocurrency Ecosystem,” Illinois Bankers Association and Central Illinois Compliance Network Workshop, Rockford, IL, September 16, 2022
  • "Banks in the Cryptocurrency Ecosystem," Northern Illinois Compliance Association in partnership with Illinois Bankers, September 2022 
  • Presenter, "Crypto & Blockchain Seminar for Bankers," Illinois Bankers Association, July 2022 
  • "Updates on the Modernization of CRA," Chicago Bar Association, Chicago, June 12, 2019. 
  • "BSA/AML/OFAC Program Fundamentals to Keep You Out of an Enforcement Action," Chicagoland Compliance Association, Chicago,, April 5, 2019
  • "Salvation or Curse: The Impact of Innovation on Community Banking," American Bar Association, Vancouver, BC, March 28, 2019
  • "Hot Topics: BSA/AML Compliance," University of North Carolina Banking Institute, Charlotte, NC, March 22, 2019
  • "BSA/AML Compliance for Banks and Mortgage Companies," Mortgage Bankers Association, Washington, D.C. , September 16, 2018
  • "Cybersecurity for Community Banks–Third Party Relationships," American Bar Association, Austin, Texas, September 13, 2018
  • "Overview of Cybersecurity and Anti-Money Laundering in the U.S.," U.S./E.U. Cybersecurity Summit, Chicago, May 3, 2018
  • "Careers in Banking Law," American Bar Association, Washington, D.C., January 10, 2019