Joan N. Stern has established herself as one of the country's top public finance attorneys. She concentrates her practice in the areas of general government and education, transportation and utilities, tax and revenue anticipation financing, healthcare and housing finance, refinancing and working capital finance, project finance, and derivatives transactions. Ms. Stern serves clients in the full range of public finance matters, including:
· serving as bond counsel, underwriter's counsel, issuer's counsel, and trustee's counsel for all types of bond issues, tax-exempt and taxable
· drafting debt and finance legislation for a variety of financing programs for governmental and corporate clients
· derivative transactions
· enforcement matters involving the SEC and the IRS
Chambers USA names Ms. Stern one of America's leading banking and finance lawyers. Chambers notes she has "phenomenal understanding of bond transactions and related tax and corporate issues." Clients say that her "experience and command of the legal requirements of debt issuance are extraordinary" and she "is refreshingly direct and gets the job done."
She was recognized as the Best Public Finance Lawyer in Philadelphia by Philadelphia magazine. She is also listed in the Legal Intelligencer's 2004 Women in the Profession, and is listed in Who's Who in the World, Who's Who in America, Who's Who of American Women, and Who's Who in American Law. Ms. Stern has received the highest possible rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
Ms. Stern is a member of the Board of Blank Rome Government Relations LLC.
Representative Matters
· Ms. Stern is the principal drafter of the statute creating the financial oversight authority for the City of Philadelphia and served as special counsel to the City in all of the bond issues of that authority.
· As bond counsel, Ms. Stern drafted the legislation and bond indenture creating a multi-modal transportation authority in New Jersey, consisting of a toll road, an airport and a group of public parking facilities and as bond counsel for the authority's initial financing, provided for the acquisition of all of the transportation assets, including the toll road and airport.
· As bond counsel to The School District of Philadelphia, Ms. Stern drafted deficit funding legislation for the School District and served as lead bond counsel for deficit funding bonds, multiple series of bonds for capital improvements and refunding bond issues for the District.
· As lead bond counsel for a bi-state bridge and port authority, Ms. Stern structured the bond indentures creating a program of secured and unsecured bonds for the authorities bridge facilities and economic development programs, respectively.
· Ms. Stern has served as lead bond counsel for two of the largest pension funding bond issues undertaken; one for a state and the other for a major city. For both issues, Ms. Stern drafted the authorizing legislation as well as creating the governing instruments for the bonds.
Community Service & Affiliations
Ms. Stern serves on the boards of the Police Athletic League, the Urban Tree Connection, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, the Thomas Skelton Harrison Foundation, and The Franklin Institute. She Chairs the Board of the Jewish Federation Center for Israel and Overseas and is Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of Moore College of Art and Design. She is a life fellow of the American Bar Foundation. Ms. Stern served as the chair of the Task Force on Alternative Finance Strategies for The School District of Philadelphia, as a member of the Tax Policy and Budget Advisory Committee of the City of Philadelphia and on the Task Force on Regulatory Reform for The School District of Philadelphia. In addition, she served as consulting counsel for the Philadelphia Charter Commission.
Events
POST-ISSUANCE TAX COMPLIANCE FOR GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES: A NEW LANDSCAPE IN THE 21ST CENTURY
[Event]
One Logan Square, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
April 20, 2009
10:30 a.m.-Noon
April 22, 2009
Joan N. Stern, Marc S. Stein and Robert I. Tuteur
PENNSYLVANIA'S RIGHT-TO-KNOW LAW: WHAT PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND THEIR LAWYERS MUST KNOW ABOUT THIS STATUTE
[Event]
Marvin Comisky Conference Center, One Logan Square, Philadelphia, PA
October 23, 2008
Lawrence J. Beaser, Lauren Fox, Brian S. Gocial, Marc S. Stein, Joan N. Stern and Robert I. Tuteur
BLANK ROME HOSTS INAUGURAL WOMEN'S FORUM RETREAT
[Event]
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
April 10-11, 2008
Bonnie Glantz Fatell, Ann Blair Laupheimer, Sheila G. Riesel and Joan N. Stern
BLANK ROME HOSTS INAUGURAL WOMEN'S DINNER
[Event]
June 18, 2007
Joan N. Stern and Nathaniel R. Jones
PUBLIC FINANCE TODAY: ENFORCEMENT, DISCLOSURE, AND NEW PRODUCTS
[Event]
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
April 21, 2003
Edward N. Cahn, Marc S. Stein and Joan N. Stern
Publications
AMENDMENTS TO SECURITY AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION RULE 15C2-12 AND ACCOMPANYING INTERPRETATION EXPAND DISCLOSURE OBLIGATIONS, ELIMINATE THE MATERIALITY DETERMINATION FOR CERTAIN LISTED EVENTS, ESTABLISH A TEN-DAY TIME FRAME FOR SUBMITTING EVENT NOTICES AND PROVIDE INTERPRETIVE GUIDANCE TO UNDERWRITERS
[Alert]
Public Finance Alert
April 2011 (No. 1)
Dacia A. Haddad, Marc S. Stein, Joan N. Stern and Robert I. Tuteur
PROVISIONS OF THE AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT OF 2009 AFFECTING MUNICIPAL BONDS
[Alert]
Public Finance Alert
February 2009 (No. 1)
Marc S. Stein, Joan N. Stern and Robert I. Tuteur
LEHMAN BROTHERS HOLDINGS, INC. CHAPTER 11: SWAP AGREEMENTS WITH NON-DEBTOR AFFILIATES
[Alert]
Public Finance Alert
September 2008 (No. 4)
Marc S. Stein, Joan N. Stern and Robert I. Tuteur
EXTENSIVE COMPLIANCE INFORMATION BEING REQUESTED BY INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE FROM ISSUERS OF TAX-EXEMPT BONDS
[Alert]
Public Finance Alert
June 2008 (No. 3)
Marc S. Stein, Joan N. Stern and Robert I. Tuteur
REDESIGNED FORM 990 IMPOSES EXTENSIVE NEW REPORTING REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO TAX-EXEMPT BONDS ISSUED BY OR ON BEHALF OF 501(C)(3) ORGANIZATIONS
[Alert]
Public Finance Alert
May 2008 (No. 2)
Marc S. Stein, Joan N. Stern and Robert I. Tuteur
SUPREME COURT TO DECIDE IMPORTANT MUNICIPAL BOND TAX CASE
[Alert]
State Tax Alert
December 2007 (No. 3)
Joan N. Stern
News
DEVELOPING GOOD LAWYERS-AND GOOD CITIZENS
[Media Coverage]
April 22, 2010
Fred Blume, Carl M. Buchholz, Lawrence S. Chane, T. Michael Dyer, Gary R. Goldenberg, Alan J. Hoffman, et al.
Cases and Deals
BLANK ROME SERVES AS CO-SPECIAL COUNSEL TO THE PHEAA STUDENT LOAN TRUST 2011-1
[Deal]
July 14, 2011
Marc S. Stein, Joan N. Stern, Grant E. Buerstetta, Mark I. Rabinowitz, Alan H. Lieblich, Lawrence R. Wiseman, et al.
Blank Rome served as co-special counsel to the PHEAA Student Loan Trust 2011-1 (the "Issuer"), a Delaware statutory trust, wholly owned by the PHEAA Student Loan Foundation, Inc.
BLANK ROME REPRESENTS RAYMOND JAMES IN CONNECTION WITH ACR ENERGY PARTNERS PROJECT
[Deal]
April 11, 2011
Joan N. Stern, Robert I. Tuteur, Dacia A. Haddad and William T. Benzing III
Counsel to the Underwriter, Raymond James, in connection with the issuance of taxable and tax-exempt bonds to finance the construction of a distribution system and the central energy center to service the Revel Entertainment Resort being completed in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
BLANK ROME SERVED AS UNDERWRITERS' COUNSEL IN CONNECTION WITH THE ISSUANCE OF $325,526,000 OF QUALIFIED SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BONDS
[Deal]
October 7, 2010
Marc S. Stein, Joan N. Stern and Dacia A. Haddad
Citi and Morgan Stanley, et al. as underwriters' counsel in connection with the issuance of $325,526,000 Pennsylvania State Public School Building Authority, Federally Taxable Revnue Bonds, Series A of 2010.
BLANK ROME REPRESENTS MORGAN STANLEY IN $400 MILLION BUILD AMERICA BONDS DEAL
[Deal]
November 12, 2009
Joan N. Stern, Marc S. Stein and William T. Benzing III
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated as Underwriters' Counsel in connection with the issuance by the Commonwealth Financing Authority of its $400 million Revenue Bonds, Series D of 2009
BLANK ROME SERVES AS BOND COUNSEL TO SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PHILADELPHIA IN ISSUANCE OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS
[Deal]
November 20, 2008
Joan N. Stern and Robert I. Tuteur
The School District of Philadelphia as bond counsel in connection with the issuance of $396,580,000 General Obligation Bonds
BLANK ROME CLOSES BOND ISSUE FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PHILADELPHIA REFUNDING AUCTION-RATE BONDS
[Deal]
April 23, 2008
Joan N. Stern, Robert I. Tuteur and William T. Benzing III
School District of Philadelphia in its issuance of $682 million in tax exempt variable-rate bonds to refund outstanding auction-rate bonds.
Recognition
CHAMBERS USA 2011 RECOGNIZES MORE BLANK ROME ATTORNEYS AND PRACTICES
[Ranking]
June 10, 2011
Thomas H. Belknap, Jr., Thomas E. Biron, Fred Blume, J. Caleb Boggs III, Kevin J. Bruno, David W. Carickhoff, et al.
CHAMBERS USA 2010 RECOGNIZES MORE BLANK ROME ATTORNEYS AND PRACTICES
[Ranking]
June 11, 2010
Thomas H. Belknap, Jr., Thomas E. Biron, Fred Blume, Ernest W. Chung, Scott F. Cooper, Steven Dubow, et al.
CHAMBERS USA 2009 RECOGNIZES MORE BLANK ROME ATTORNEYS AND PRACTICES
[Ranking]
June 2009
Thomas H. Belknap, Jr., Thomas E. Biron, Fred Blume, Scott F. Cooper, Steven Dubow, Bonnie Glantz Fatell, et al.
CHAMBERS USA 2008-HIGHER RANKINGS FOR MORE BLANK ROME TEAMS AND ATTORNEYS
[Ranking]
June 2008
Thomas E. Biron, Fred Blume, Scott F. Cooper, Steven Dubow, Bonnie Glantz Fatell, Joseph S. Finkelstein, et al.
CHAMBERS USA 2007 RECOGNIZES BLANK ROME'S LEADING PRACTICES AND ATTORNEYS
[Ranking]
June 2007
Thomas E. Biron, Fred Blume, Steven Dubow, Bonnie Glantz Fatell, Lawrence F. Flick II, Harvey I. Forman, et al.
CHAMBERS USA 2006 RECOGNIZES BLANK ROME AS LEADING LAW FIRM
[Ranking]
June 2006
Thomas E. Biron, Fred Blume, Bonnie Glantz Fatell, Lawrence F. Flick II, Harvey I. Forman, Anthony B. Haller, et al.
CHAMBERS USA 2005 NAMES FIRM PRACTICES AND ATTORNEYS AS LEADERS IN THEIR FIELDS
[Ranking]
May 31, 2005
Thomas E. Biron, Fred Blume, Bonnie Glantz Fatell, Lawrence F. Flick II, Anthony B. Haller, Michael J. Hanlon, et al.
CHAMBER USA 2004 RANKS MORE BLANK ROME ATTORNEYS AS LEADING LAWYERS
[Ranking]
December 2004
Thomas E. Biron, Fred Blume, Lawrence F. Flick II, Harvey I. Forman, Anthony B. Haller, Michael J. Hanlon, et al.
CHAMBERS USA 2003-2004 RANKS BLANK ROME AMONG THE TOP
[Ranking]
December 2003
Thomas E. Biron, Fred Blume, Lawrence F. Flick II, Harvey I. Forman, Ann Blair Laupheimer, Frederick D. Lipman, et al.