Practice Strengths

Companies that turn to the global debt finance market for their most complex capital needs rely on Baker Hostetler. We have assisted some of the world's largest market leaders in the energy, healthcare, hospitality, media and transportation sectors with their financing needs for everything from acquisitions to capital restructuring. We also represent numerous bank groups and other credit sources in structuring U.S. and international credit facilities, including both upside credit restructurings and downside credit management issues.

We work with credit structure, documentation and collateral perfection in all types of senior and subordinated commercial and asset-based facilities. Our lawyers have broad capabilities in project finance, the securitization of mortgage loans, real estate portfolios, receivables and other financial instruments. We help borrowers secure low-cost financing while using cutting-edge techniques to protect lenders.

Baker Hostetler's capabilities in lease financing, particularly sale-leaseback and synthetic lease transactions, are well known in the industry. And we have a long and successful history of representing public sector and not-for-profit borrowers and their underwriters in issuing tax-exempt debt and other public finance instruments.

Each year we represent clients in billions of dollars of debt finance transactions involving the most sophisticated debt financing techniques.

Recent Debt Finance Experience

• Represented the sponsor in the formation of a $275 million investment fund using a novel REIT structure to facilitate international investment and also in a related subscription-secured line of credit.
• Represented Pacific Crossing in its post-bankruptcy financing arrangements involving U.S. and international obligors and unique collateral, including a trans-Pacific communications line.
• Represented the sponsors in connection with the Project Finance Magazine's North American Industrial "Deal of Year" for 2005.
• Closed a $245 million, 11-property synthetic lease transaction for a client through the efforts of Baker Hostetler lawyers in Columbus, New York, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Orlando and Houston.
• Represented an equipment lessor in the negotiation of multiple aircraft acquisition transactions, with equipment values in excess of $100 million.
• Represented a major life insurance company in connection with the $225 million financing of an office building in downtown Los Angeles where the borrower was a nationally-known REIT. A major feature of the transaction was the simultaneous funding of three mezzanine loans, which required the preparation and negotiation of a multi-layered intercreditor agreement among the four lenders.
• Represented the borrowers in connection more than $400 million of real estate-secured debt used to fund a joint venture's acquisition of seven shopping center properties from a REIT.