Practice Areas & Industries: Baker & Hostetler LLP

Practice/Industry Group Overview

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, as 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.

Services Available

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, eleven-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.

About Baker Hostetler

Baker Hostetler lawyers help clients establish, maintain and protect market-leading positions across the United States and around the world. We offer clients the strength of 600+ lawyers in a full range of practices, a unique geographic platform including both the coasts and the center of the country, a deep knowledge of industry issues and a 90-year track record of excellence and achievement.

For more information about our Debt Finance practice, contact:

National Contact

Phillip M. Callesen
216.861.7884
pcallesen@bakerlaw.com

Cincinnati

Martiné (Marty) R. Dunn
513.929.3417
mdunn@bakerlaw.com

Cleveland

Phillip M. Callesen
216.861.7884
pcallesen@bakerlaw.com

Columbus

Henry P. Montgomery, IV
614.462.2637
hmontgomery@bakerlaw.com

Costa Mesa

Carl R. Steen
714.966.8803
csteen@bakerlaw.com

Denver

John L. Palmquist
303.764.4095
jpalmquist@bakerlaw.com

Houston

Gary M. Alletag
713.646.1356
galletag@bakerlaw.com

Los Angeles

Gary York
213.975.1622
gyork@bakerlaw.com

Orlando

Jeffrey E. Decker
407.649.4017
jdecker@bakerlaw.com

New York

James A. Mercadante
212.589.4206
jmercadante@bakerlaw.com

Washington, DC

William J. Conti
202.861.1726
wconti@bakerlaw.com

Clients:
Blue Point Capital Partners, Fifth Third Bancorp, KeyCorp, National City Corporation, PDS Gaming Corporation, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.