If a director wants to get into hot water—and their financial institution as well—violating Regulation O is a good place to start. It's "one of the three things that makes bank examiners see red," says Sanford Brown, a partner at the law firm Alston & Bird (the other two being the violation of lending limits and noncompliance with Regulation W, which governs transactions between a member bank and its affiliates). Designed to prevent insider abuse and ensure the safety and soundness of the bank through good lending practices, it's a violation that examiners have zero tolerance for, and often results...