Analysis of European banks in New York

During the last 50 years, the role of foreign banks in the United States has changed tremendously. From being virtually non-existent, they have evolved into major players in the financial and banking system of the United States. They play an especially vital role on the world's most important financial markets in New York. In general, the purpose of this work was to provide an overview of the development of the foreign banking presence in the United States and the legal environment under which the banks operate. Hereby, the paper specifically focuses on the New York market and takes a practical approach through the analysis of three selected European banks and their New York operations. The author Berit Waschow wrote this analysis in 2002 as part of her final examination in business management. At the time, Landesbank Kiel (now part of HSH-Nordbank), was preparing to open a New York branch. This paper must be understood as part of this preparation and was written to help evaluating the strategic choices and business opportunities the bank would be faced with.