Public Finance Associate

Barnes & Thornburg LLP•Washington, DC

About The Position

Barnes & Thornburg LLP, an Am Law 100 firm with a nationally recognized Public and Project Finance practice, is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Public Finance Associate. This addition is driven by long-term strategic growth and is an outstanding opportunity for a mid to senior-level associate looking to work primarily in debt securities and tax credit finance, with a sophisticated, complex practice, and with a clear path for advancement. Our nationally recognized Public Finance group is Chambers ranked Band 1 and advises investment banking firms, commercial banks, utilities, health systems, medical centers, universities, state and local governmental entities, LIHTC investors and other clients on some of the most sophisticated and high-impact financings in the market. We serve as bond counsel, borrower’s counsel, disclosure counsel, underwriter’s counsel, bank counsel, investor’s counsel, tax counsel, and indenture trustee’s counsel on complex, rated and unrated debt financings across the country, and we represent key market participants in restructuring public finance debt. The attorney in this position will gain significant, broad-based public and project finance experience, including substantive experience structuring and executing finance transactions, as well as working with municipal bond workouts and restructurings. In this role, you will work on high-profile and highly rated tax-exempt and taxable bond financings, as well as distressed and high-yield municipal bond transactions. This is a fast-paced practice that involves managing multiple matters simultaneously, frequent client interaction, and engagement with sophisticated financial products and complex credit structures and transactions.

Requirements

Relevant experience in public finance, transactional, and/or commercial real estate work
Strong drafting, analytical, and organizational skills
Ability to manage multiple matters in a deadline-driven environment
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
J.D. from an accredited law school and strong academic credentials
Must hold a current license to practice law in the state of application, or be eligible for admission by reciprocity (waiver) in that state

Nice To Haves

Some public finance experience
Experience serving as bond counsel, disclosure counsel, or underwriter’s counsel
Experience with bond and finance transactions and restructurings, tax and bankruptcy

Responsibilities

Serve as a key member of deal teams representing a wide range of clients in public and project finance transactions
Structure and document tax-exempt and taxable municipal securities as well as other debt instruments and derivatives
Draft and review principal transaction documents, including: Trust indentures and loan agreements, Bond purchase and underwriting agreements, Primary and secondary market disclosure and disclosure undertakings, Security documents, Tax certificates and opinions
Conduct legal research and analysis related to securities, tax, bankruptcy, and municipal law issues
Assist with restructurings of distressed municipal debt, including workouts, etc.
Interface directly with clients, financial advisors, investment bankers, rating agencies, and other transaction participants.