Matthew R. Lewin has devoted his career to serving as bond counsel and underwriter's counsel on a wide variety of municipal financings, including private activity and general governmental bond issues, throughout the United States. The focus of his practice has primarily centered on tax-exempt financings for charter schools, public housing, multi-family affordable housing, elementary, secondary and higher education, health care and miscellaneous 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organizations, small issue (manufacturing), solid waste financings for landfills and other private entities, utilities, port facilities, recovery zone and empowerment zone facilities, airports, stadiums and governmental facilities.
Matt founded and chairs GT's Charter School Group consisting of 60 attorneys nationwide active in the charter school community.
Matt was bond counsel in connection with the issuance by the Chicago Housing Authority of its $291 million Capital Program Revenue Bonds, Series 2001, which represented the first securitization of federal public housing capital grants ever undertaken in the United States. The transaction was selected as The Bond Buyer's inaugural "Deal of the Year" in the United States. He was underwriter's counsel in connection with the joint issuance by 37 Alabama public housing authorities of their $125 million Capital Fund Revenue Bonds, Series 2003, representing the first pooled securitization of federal public housing capital grants ever undertaken in the United States. The transaction was selected as The Bond Buyer's "Southeast Deal of the Year" for 2003.
Matt has written several articles regarding the issuance of public housing authority capital fund revenue bonds and is a frequent speaker on this topic at NAHRO, PHADA and other PHA national, regional and state conferences.
Areas of Concentration
ˇ Charter Schools
ˇ Education
ˇ Housing - affordable multi-family
ˇ 501(c)(3) not-for-profit
ˇ Housing - public
ˇ New markets tax credits
ˇ Industrial development revenue bonds - manufacturing
ˇ Solid waste, sewage and other environmental disposal
ˇ General purpose governmental bonds
ˇ Renewable energy
ˇ Tax increment financing
ˇ Recovery zone facilities
Significant Representations
ˇ Served as bond counsel, underwriter's counsel, credit enhancer's counsel and/or borrower's counsel on multiple charter school revenue bond financings in several states.
ˇ Served as counsel to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in connection with purchase or credit enhancement of 25 single-family and multi-family housing bond issues pursuant to New Issue Bond Program.
ˇ Served as counsel to Fannie Mae in connection with its loans to public housing authorities secured by capital funds. Assisted in structuring these obligations as "private activity bonds" for use in mixed-finance low-income housing tax credit transactions.
ˇ Served as bond counsel to the Chicago Housing Authority in connection with its issuance of multi-family housing revenue bonds to finance mixed-income, mixed-finance redevelopment of multiple affordable housing developments.
ˇ Served as bond counsel in connection with tax-exempt Midwestern Disaster Area Bonds combined with New Markets Tax Credits.
ˇ Served as bond counsel or underwriter's counsel on over 50 501(c)(3) bond issues since 2000.
ˇ Served as bond counsel in connection with multiple privately owned landfill financings in several states.
*Certain of the above representations were handled by Matt prior to his joining Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
Professional & Community Involvement
ˇ Member, National Association of Bond Lawyers
Awards & Recognition
ˇ Listed, Banking and Finance, Chambers & Partners USA Guide, an annual listing of the leading business lawyers and law firms in the world, 2009, 2010 and 2011
ˇ Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, 2012
ˇ Selected by Leading Lawyers Network, 2008 - 2012
Articles, Publications, & Lectures
Articles
ˇ Co-author, "Local PHAs Use HUD Capital Grants to Back Bonds," Affordable Housing Finance, May 2003
ˇ Author, "Growing Trend of HUD Capital Grant-Backed Housing Bonds Offer Win-Win for Investors, Communities," Asset Securitization Report, March 10, 2003
ˇ Author, "Capital Fund Revenue Bonds Become Increasingly Popular," Affordable Housing Finance, September 2003
Speeches
ˇ Panelist, National Association of Bond Lawyers 501(c)(3) Financings-Charter Schools, October 2009
ˇ Speaker, "Recovery Zone Facility Bonds, Build America Bonds and Midwestern Disaster Area Bonds," Quad Cities Regional Economic Development Authority Luncheon, September 23, 2009
ˇ Speaker, "Green Initiatives for the Tax-Exempt Market," Council of Development Finance Agencies Sustainable Public Finance Symposium, March 5, 2009
ˇ Speaker, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Annual Conference on Capital Fund Revenue Bonds, September 2007
ˇ Speaker, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Annual Conference on Capital Fund Reserve Bonds, Spring 2006
ˇ Speaker, Public Housing Authorities Directors Association Annual Conference, Reno, Nevada, Spring 2005