Commercial Finance

Commercial finance services tailored to your needs

Capabilities at a glance

• Pragmatic and business-centered approach, with a rigorous focus on the unique needs of each transaction.
• A sophisticated practice with a deep bench of legal talent and the tools to manage all issues that come into play in sophisticated transactions, including arrangements among the senior lenders, mezzanine or subordinated lenders, first-out and last-out lenders and equity participants in transactions.
• Broad geographic coverage with offices positioned across the country.
• Experience handling a diverse array of financings, including specific experience with secured and unsecured commercial loans, sponsor finance, asset-based loans, loan defaults and workouts, tax-credit financings, bond financings, ESOP loans, equipment finance, and real estate and construction loans.

Shared purpose with clients on commercial financial services

With Quarles, you can expect sophisticated work on commercial finance transactions delivered with a consistent focus on your needs. We will always deliver practical, efficient solutions with your business objectives in mind. As a full-service national firm with offices across the country, we have the depth and flexibility to respond quickly and clearly to any challenge or opportunity you encounter.

Secured and unsecured commercial loans: We handle secured and unsecured credit facilities, including deals involving single lenders and club and syndicated credit facilities. We assist lenders in structuring, documenting and closing commercial loans. We support borrowers in the due diligence process and in drafting and negotiating loan documents to efficiently close transactions, including financing of acquisitions and working capital financing.

Sponsor finance: Quarles has extensive experience handling finance deals involving a financial sponsor. Our experience with these transactions has included representation of borrowers, private equity firms, investors, lenders and agents. We have successfully closed separate sponsor finance deals and also deals that include preferred equity, mezzanine financing, seller debt and other sources of capital. Our varied work gives us familiarity with market trends, including the varied deal structures that are used in deals with financial sponsors and the typical document terms and conditions included in both credit documents and intercreditor agreements.

Asset-based loans: Our Commercial Finance team has extensive experience handling asset-based loans (ABL). We have successfully closed stand-alone ABLs and ABLs that are part of a multifaceted financing that may include term loans, public note sales, bond financing, mezzanine financing, seller debt and other intercreditor arrangements. Our experience has given us the tools to manage all the issues that come into play in ABL transactions and assist in managing our clients' risk, including arrangements with third parties such as warehousemen, outside processors, key customers and customs brokers.

Loan defaults and workouts: We have experience with loan defaults and workouts, from a basic waiver and amendment, through forbearance, restructuring and DIP financing. Our experience in these areas guides our loan documentation work and helps us guide our clients through decisions that arise regarding document negotiations, transaction structure and due diligence. When needed, we have the support of a large and experienced team of bankruptcy attorneys.

Tax-credit financing: For more than 30 years, Quarles has advised clients on tax-credit finance matters through an interdisciplinary team of tax, real estate and finance lawyers. We have been involved with new markets tax credits since the inception of the program. In this area, we have aggressively spearheaded deals that offered millions of dollars in new market tax credits. We have also worked on hundreds of low-income-housing tax credit transactions across more than 35 states. Our clients have included equity investors, first mortgage lenders and developers.

Bond financing: Quarles finance attorneys handle bond transactions, including representation of lenders acting as purchasers of bank-held bonds, either as separate financing transactions or as transactions that may also include revolving loans and term loans. Quarles also has a renowned public finance and bond practice.

ESOP Loans:  We have experience representing banks making loans to ESOPs and representing ESOPs as borrowers. Our work includes loans to fund the ESOP’s stock purchase and other loans to companies with new or existing ESOP structures. Our employee benefits attorneys contribute extensive expertise regarding the structure and regulation of ESOPs.

Equipment Finance: Our Equipment Finance team combines our Commercial Finance and Bankruptcy, Restructuring & Creditor’s Rights teams to provide sophisticated, experienced counsel to a wide range of equipment leasing and financial institutions. We assist clients with securitizations, syndications and loan and lease sale transactions. We also advise clients on new lease and finance documentation, workout and restructuring matters, and enforcement actions, including federal and state litigation, receiverships and bankruptcy.

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Real estate and construction loans: We represent lenders and borrowers in transactions involving owner-occupied property, as separate term loans and as part of multifacility financing relationships. We also have extensive experience representing real estate developers and investors, commercial real estate lenders and other parties to sophisticated real estate finance transactions.

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