The Investment Banking & Structured Finance Group is involved each year in scores of tax-exempt and taxable bond issues, all of which are structured financings, ranging from very small issues on behalf of villages and townships to major financings in excess of $100 million for Glimcher Realty Trust, the City of Columbus, the State of Ohio and other large public and private borrowers. While we frequently act as bond counsel, we also specialize in acting as underwriter's counsel and structuring counsel.

Over the years, the group has participated in many novel and highly sophisticated financings. For example, Bricker & Eckler served as bond counsel on the first issue of general obligation, tax-exempt, commercial paper in the country. This technique, a milestone in the Columbus, Ohio debt program, allowed the city to save millions of dollars in interest.

We have also participated as bond or underwriter's counsel in various structured financings that take advantage of the various legal powers of public issuing authorities. These include COPs and real economic, off-balance sheet and synthetic lease financings for Ohio businesses utilizing port authorities as issuers. Examples include the Owens Corning Fiberglas world headquarters in Toledo and the Bearings Inc. headquarters in Cleveland. Similarly, our group structured and opined on multi-modal "lower floater" revenue bonds for large and small companies, secured by letters of credit issued by national and foreign banks. Our attorneys have been involved in the development of variable rate demand taxable notes as an alternative financing technique.

On a day-to-day basis, we aid cities, counties, school districts and universities and colleges seeking the most economical and efficient ways to finance their capital programs and public/private partnerships. Examples include special assessment bonds issued to finance public improvements, including improvements that serve commercial projects, and tax-exempt leases and mortgage revenue bonds issued by cities to finance governmental and quasi-governmental facilities.

In addition to bond issues for true governmental entities, the firm has an extensive practice in private purpose bond financings, such as industrial development bonds, hospital bonds, 501(c)(3) university bonds, and solid waste disposal bonds.

Case Studies

Industrial Development Bond Financing For a Manufacturing Company

Master Indenture Tax-Exempt Bond Financing For a Health Care Provider

Additional Services

Structured Finance
Corporate Finance
Project Finance
Asset-Based Lending
Securitization
Workouts/Bankruptcies
Litigation
Tax