Ana Lucia Murillo

2 months ago | bizjournals.com | Ana Lucia Murillo

Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp. has closed its acquisition of Sandy Spring Bancorp Inc., months earlier — and at a lower price — than originally expected. The deal was first announced Oct. 21 and was anticipated to close in the third quarter, but the parties moved the closing date to April 1 after winning regulatory approval in February. Shares of Olney-based Sandy Spring, which went public in 1996, stopped trading after markets closed Monday.

2 months ago | bizjournals.com | Ana Lucia Murillo

Its move comes at a time when other Silicon Valley VC firms are bulking up in D.C.One of the largest venture capital firms in the world, Sequoia Capital, has plans to shutter its policy office in D.C., indicating it no longer needs to be physically located in the nation’s capital to maintain close relationships with national and international policymakers.

2 months ago | bizjournals.com | Ana Lucia Murillo

A bill recently introduced to the D.C. Council aims to lessen the burden of swipe fees on retailers and restaurants. The Fair Swipe Act, introduced by Councilmember Charles Allen, D-Ward 6, late last month, would ban credit card processors from collecting fees on tax and tips, eliminating those amounts from the calculus. Currently, D.C. business owners pay what’s called an interchange fee on each credit card swipe, which includes a small percentage of the transaction — generally between 1% and 3%.

2 months ago | bizjournals.com | Ana Lucia Murillo

The end of one program means they can no longer buy staples like chicken, eggs and fruit at steep discounts. Cuts to two federal food programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture are poised to have a severe impact on food banks across Greater Washington, which distribute millions of meals annually and help cash-strapped families make ends meet.

2 months ago | bizjournals.com | Ana Lucia Murillo

Immediately after President Donald Trump won the November election, bankers in Greater Washington were confidently claiming his return to the White House would be a boost for business. They anticipated looser regulation would lead to more mergers and acquisitions, open up lending opportunities and lower their operating costs after a challenging few years marked by rising interest rates and weakening commercial real estate portfolios driven by falling office values.