Laura L. Bilas is a partner with Foley & Lardner LLP and a member of the firm's Finance & Financial Institutions, Health Care Finance & Restructuring, and Public Finance Practices. Her practice is concentrated on public finance and structured lending matters. Ms. Bilas' experience includes serving as bond counsel, borrower's counsel, underwriter's counsel, and credit enhancement provider's counsel for numerous public finance and other structured transactions, including general obligation, special service area, special assessment, tax increment, multi-family housing, health care and industrial development financings.
Ms. Bilas' practice includes service as bond counsel, borrower's counsel, underwriter's counsel and credit enhancement provider's counsel for 501(c)(3) financings, including financings for cultural, educational, assisted living and health care institutions.
Ms. Bilas has served as bond counsel, underwriter's counsel and issuer's counsel to the Illinois Housing Development Authority and to lending institutions on housing financings, aggregating in excess of $1 billion. She has also served as credit enhancer's or liquidity provider's counsel for over 250 tax exempt bond financings for domestic and foreign bank clients.
Ms. Bilas has been Peer Review Rated as AV® Preeminent™, the highest performance rating in Martindale-Hubbell's peer review rating system. She was selected for inclusion in the 2012 Illinois Super Lawyers® list in the area of bonds/government finance and elected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2012 in the field of eminent domain and condemnation law.*
Ms. Bilas received her law degree from the University of Minnesota (J.D., cum laude, 1985) and her undergraduate degree from Valparaiso University (B.A., highest distinction, 1982). She is a member of the American Bar Association and the National Association of Bond Lawyers, has served on the board of directors of Women In Public Finance, is a member of the Women Presidents' Organization, and previously served on the governing body of Athena Power Link. Ms. Bilas is admitted to the Bar in Illinois and Michigan.
* The Illinois Supreme Court does not recognize certifications of specialties in the practice of law and no award or recognition is a requirement to practice law in Illinois.
(Also at Chicago, Illinois Office)