John Bruno is a partner in Lord, Bissell & Brook LLP’s corporate department. With more than 20 years of experience in the financial industry as a regulator, attorney and investment banker, he has in-depth knowledge of banking law, regulations, policies and procedures. He has provided legal and financial counsel to numerous Boards and senior managements on transaction structure and general corporate matters and has completed several precedent-setting transactions in the area of financial institutions.
John began his career in 1983 as an attorney with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency ("OCC"), the Federal regulator and administrator of national banks. While at the OCC, John spent two years in the Legislatives Counsel’s Division drafting Comptroller testimony before Congressional banking committees, drafting proposed banking legislation and regulations, and representing the agency at bank hearings on Capitol Hill. He also wrote opinions of the Comptroller in administrative matters. John spent two years in the Securities and Corporate Practices Division enforcing the securities laws for registered national banks. While in the Division, John reviewed bank securities filings and corporate applications.
John left the OCC in 1987 to join a Washington, D.C. boutique law firm specializing in banks and savings and loans. While there, John acted as counsel on numerous corporate financings of debt and equity, mutual to stock conversions of savings institutions, and mergers and acquisitions. He also provided counsel on tax, securities, employment compensation and general corporate matters to a national client base. During his 9-year tenure, he also served as counsel to the largest initial public offering of a mutual thrift in history ($805 million).
John left the practice of law in 1996 to join Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. (KBW), a Wall Street investment banking firm specializing in financial institutions. John was a Managing Director of KBW and managed and structured corporate transactions, including debt and equity financings, mergers and acquisitions and mutual to stock conversions. He also provided advice on financial planning and strategic initiatives. While at KBW, John structured the first ever conversion of a mutual thrift ($1.3 billion) and simultaneous stock for a stock merger with a publicly traded thrift ($400 million).
Immediately prior to joining Lord, Bissell & Brook, John was employed in the consumer loan industry, including holding the position of the Senior Vice President of CNG Financial Corporation. While at CNG, John headed up the company’s initiative to enter the banking industry, managed relationships with bank partners and represented the company before State and Federal legislators and regulatory authorities.
- Ohio State University College of Law, J.D., 1983
- Ohio State University, B.S. Business Administration, 1980, cum laude
- District of Columbia, 1989
- Ohio, 1983
- Ohio Bar Association
- Washington Bar Association