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Community Banks

We help community banks turn vendor disputes into enforceable results — avoiding unfair fees, recovering losses, and restoring control over core and third-party relationships.

Leader in Community Bank Advocacy 
Our advocacy helped community banks avoid early termination and deconversion fees, invalidate overreaching contract terms, recover fraud losses, secure meaningful security and service enhancements, and ultimately build stable working relationships.  
 
Helping the Community Bank C-Suite 
We understand vendor disputes aren’t customer issues — they’re business failures with contractual and regulatory consequences.

That's why we work directly with CEOs, CFOs, COOs, boards, counsel, and consultants, ensuring every engagement aligns with executive priorities and strategic goals.

Vendors are profit-driven counterparties with obligations. When performance slips, the fallout hurts customers, examiners’ confidence, and reputation. Enforcing vendor obligations is a strategic advantage that strengthens customer trust and financial performance.

third-party advantage banks

Working With Us

Core Principles

Vendors Should Earn Their Keep
Vendor relationships are a major cost center for community banks. Performance and compliance aren’t optional — they’re the price of continued business.

Refunds & Clean Exits
If a third party fails to meet contractual or regulatory requirements, the banks should receive a refund and a clean exit option.

Security Failure Accountability
When security controls fall short, the vendor — not the bank — should absorb the fraud losses.

Use Audit Rights for Leverage
Proactive use of audit rights and internal quality inspections creates leverage that shifts control back to the bank.

Exposing Hidden Risks
Our process routinely uncovers gaps that marketing materials and standard pen tests overlook, exposing risks before they become losses.

Built for Impact

Credibility & Perspective
Our attorneys are sought-after thought leaders with deep industry knowledge. 

Quiet, Proven Results
Most matters are resolved out of court. Vendors know we preserve the record and are ready to litigate, giving community banks credible leverage to achieve outcomes efficiently.

Strength in Numbers
When multiple community banks face similar vendor misconduct, we organize coalitions to advance claims efficiently, reduce costs, and amplify influence.

Flexible Fees
Engagements are tailored with innovative fee structures: hourly, flat, subscription, or success-based — designed to fit your institution’s needs.

When to Engage 

Call us whenever a vendor:

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  • Fails to meet security, uptime, or delivery commitments

  • Reduces service levels or increases costs mid-contract

  • Exposes the bank to fraud losses

  • Imposes unfair deconversion fees or timelines

  • Mishandles fraud or customer data

  • Withholds access to customer information

  • Imposes surprise fees

  • Discontinues services or forces unwanted upgrades

 

We treat these issues as legal violations, turn frustration into enforceable leverage, and help your bank regain control.

Turning Legal Risk Into Business Advantage

NERKO operates on a single unifying premise: legal risk is not just something to be managed, it’s a source of business advantage.

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