Whiteman Osterman & Hanna has acted as borrowers’ and lenders’ counsel to municipalities, hospitals, schools, library districts, fire districts, banks, and other entities financing projects through tax-exempt and non-exempt bonds.
Our experience encompasses virtually every type of project or program financed with municipal debt, whether tax-exempt or taxable, for municipal or private borrowers.
Examples include a broad range of infrastructure, educational, utility, housing, health care, and other projects. At Whiteman Osterman & Hanna we know that public finance involves an in-depth understanding of evolving disclosure requirements regulated by the Securities Exchange Commission and that there is the need to master the individual compliance laws of all types of governmental and non-governmental units, monitor and respond to changes to the Internal Revenue Code, be familiar with the various tax incentives and structures available and negotiate with other financing participants that regularly operate in the area.
Bond and Agency Counsel
We provide bond counsel services for general obligation bonds, revenue based bonds, lease rental bonds, taxable bonds, bonds backed by tax revenues such as economic development income taxes as well as other specialized bond issues. We have been involved in the debt financing of major projects, such as the construction of dormitories and classrooms at The College of Saint Rose, the Town of Clifton Park Water Authority and Jefferson County Hospital as well as numerous infrastructure and public improvement projects for the City of Rensselaer and the Town of North Greenbush and East Greenbush. In North Greenbush, we have also represented the Woodland Hills Montessori School; WMHT and the New York State Independent System Operator.
We have also acted as agency counsel to the Town of Colonie Industrial Development Agency since 1997. In that capacity, we have not only represented the Agency with respect to individual projects (involving both taxable and tax-exempt issues), but have also advised the Agency with respect to change in applicable law, especially changes in New York Law.
In addition, to our broad experience as bond counsel and agency counsel, we also regularly serve as underwriter’s counsel, trustee counsel, letter of credit bank counsel, disclosure counsel and issuer’s counsel to public entities. Having participated on every side of a public finance transaction helps us as lawyers understand the intricacies that affect the success of a transaction. We use our breadth of experience to negotiate the best outcomes we can for our clients and assure that all our clients’ needs are met.
We are listed in the “Red Book” as nationally recognized bond counsel and individual attorneys in the Public and Private Finance Practice Group are members of the National Association of Bond Lawyers.
