The Finance Practice Group provides lenders of every nature with a full range of sophisticated legal services required for the extension of credit and the enforcement of obligations. Our experience includes transactions involving asset-based lending, real estate financing, syndicated credits, public finance and bankruptcy and creditors’ rights. Our wide range of experience enables us to effectively and efficiently structure and, when necessary, restructure transactions.
We provide our clients with more than legal counseling. Because of the depth of our understanding of the markets and industries in which our clients lend, we are able to create potential business connections and encourage network opportunities for our clients. We provide value-added service by allowing our business, community and government contacts to be available to our clients and by bringing business alternatives to the table.
Real Estate Financing
Schnader is recognized as one of the preeminent national firms in the area of real estate financing. We represent both regional and national banks, insurance companies and other real estate lenders in construction loans, revolving credit facilities, permanent mortgages and leasehold financings involving all types of properties.
Our clients value not only our legal abilities, but also our more than 70 years of real world, practical experience in the field. As a result, we tend to develop long-standing relationships with our clients.
The Real Estate Financing Group is best known for its extensive experience in construction lending, having made possible the construction of homes, shopping centers, hotels, office buildings, industrial facilities, golf courses and related facilities across the country. During the loan documentation process, we focus on those issues where disputes most frequently arise during construction, whether involving the lender, borrower, contractors, tenants or local governments, thereby minimizing the likelihood that problems will develop that may affect the progress of construction and the repayment of the loan. The credibility we have earned from developers’ counsel throughout the country enables us to negotiate, document and close construction loans on a timely basis and for fees that are within development budgets.
Commercial Lending
Industry knowledge and familiarity characterize and distinguish our asset-based lending practice. Over the years, our knowledge and experience have grown with our clients as they have targeted borrowers in the information technology, transportation, communications, construction services, health care and nonprofit sectors. Whether documenting large multilender syndicates or credits for an individual lender, we recognize the tension between the lender’s desire to place funds and the lender’s need to protect its interests, as we focus the parties on the significant issues. We pride ourselves on our ability to meet or exceed our clients’ expectations for efficiency and turnaround time.
Whether it is traditional asset-based loans, mezzanine financing, securitized loan financing, leveraged buyouts or recaps, Schnader has been in the forefront of helping lenders and borrowers identify and structure the most advantageous financing arrangements.
Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights
Our experience representing lenders and borrowers encompasses all aspects of debt restructuring and asset recovery, both in and out of bankruptcy. Our clients include secured creditors, equipment lessors, landlords, creditors’ committees and trustees.
We have significant experience representing lenders and other creditors. In that regard, we have a great track record for maximizing opportunities created by quickly accessing the creditor’s goals and debtor’s circumstances, immediately taking control of a generally unstable situation, recommending a positive course of action for the creditor and aggressively implementing a plan. The attorneys in this group add value to the representation of our clients through their business perspective, industry knowledge, experience in restructuring sophisticated financial products and multidisciplinary transactional proficiency.
Outside of the bankruptcy arena, we represent lenders and borrowers in the development and implementation of sophisticated workout strategies and in litigation of complex commercial loan disputes. We have represented countless lenders in commercial foreclosures involving office and apartment buildings, shopping centers, condominiums and construction projects. Our attorneys are experienced in obtaining, often on a time-sensitive basis, possession and control of distressed real estate and other collateral through court-appointed receivers and others. We also help our clients recover inventory, equipment and other collateral through personal property foreclosures and replevin/repossession actions.
Public Finance
The Firm’s public finance practice is varied, with members of the Public Finance Group prepared to serve as bond counsel and counsel to underwriters, issuers, credit enhancement providers and trustees, as well as counsel to underlying borrowers in connection with all types of tax-exempt financings or the refunding of tax-exempt transactions, including general obligation issues, school issues, higher education issues, housing issues, infrastructure issues, health care issues, and tax and bond anticipation note issues. The Firm is listed in The Bond Buyer’s Municipal Marketplace (“The Red Book”) and enjoys an excellent reputation with both regional and national investment banking firms. Schnader has participated in public finance transactions with a volume in excess of $1 billion.
As a result of the Firm’s ongoing involvement in public finance, our attorneys are thoroughly conversant with applicable state law as well as with the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code that relate to tax-exempt indebtedness, including, but not limited to, spending requirements, rebate issues and arbitrage issues. The Firm also has substantial experience in the area of derivative products such as interest rate swap agreements and other similar types of transactions.
Our Attorneys
Related Practices
News & Publications
- George Kalikman named California Super Lawyer, Jennifer Thai a Rising Star
- Rich Barkasy Presents on Cross-border Insolvency Panel at the TAG Alliances Spring 2023 International Conference
- Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank Collapse: How It Happened, What It Means, and Why (Most of Us) Shouldn’t Worry at the Moment
- Terry Loscalzo, Keith Whitson, and Rich Barkasy will join Schnader’s Chairman Ken Puhala and its Executive Committee
- Schnader receives rankings in the 2023 edition of U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms”
- California Super Lawyers Named
- Kevin S. Blanton Honored with 2021 Earl G. Harrison Community Service Award
- Schnader a Tier One Firm in “Best Law Firms” Rankings
- Before the 9/11 Victims’ Fund, There Was the Agent Orange Settlement Fund
- New York Super Lawyers Named
- Schnader Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America
- Environmental, health and safety due diligence when buying or selling a business: Beyond a Phase I
- Pa. High Court Points Way To Valid Employer No-Poach Deals
- Albert Dandridge Will Be Honored With Dennis H. Replansky Memorial Award
- Albert Dandridge Featured in Two Veterans Day Articles on Law360.com
- New York Super Lawyers Named
- Schnader Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America
- Eight Minutes and Forty-Six Seconds: From Sympathy to Empathy
- The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act – Financial Relief for Businesses
- COVID-19: SEC Guidance Regarding Annual Shareholder Meetings
- COVID-19: Governor’s Order about Annual Shareholder Meetings in New York
- COVID-19 and New Disclosure Considerations for Public Companies
- NY Super Lawyers Named
- State Supreme Court to Hear No-Poach Employment Case, First in Pennsylvania
- Schnader Attorneys Named to CA Super Lawyers
- Albert Dandridge Receives Diversity Leadership Award from Temple Law Alumni Association
- Megan Harmon Marks 30 Years of Giving Scholarships to Students at Woodland Hills High School
- No-poach employment provisions – are they still acceptable?
- Do We Have a Deal? A Groundbreaking Court Decision May Impact MAE Issues
- Steves and Sons vs. Jeld-Wen: The First Private Antitrust Divestiture Suit
- Ralph Wellington Featured in Legal Intelligencer’s Coverage of Philadelphia Diversity Law Group Symposium
- October 10 is the Date: Be Prepared for Changes to the Pa Contractor and Subcontractor Payment Act
- Schnader Attorneys Named to NY Super Lawyers
- Schnader Attorneys Named to CA Super Lawyers
- Schnader’s M&A Practice Nationally Ranked by The Legal 500 USA
- David Smith Named Board President of AJC Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey
- Albert Dandridge Encourages Leadership Roles for Women and Persons of Color in Litigation and Business Transactions
- Schnader Advises Valley Pool Sales Regarding Acquisition by Large National Pool Retailer
- Schnader Advises Waste Management Regarding Acquisition of Saratoga Landfill
- Albert Dandridge Co-Authors Cover Story in The Philadelphia Lawyer
- Albert Dandridge Contributes to Op-Ed by Philadelphia Diversity Law Group
- SCOTUS Clarifies Who is a Debt Collector Under FDCPA
- Schnader’s M&A Practice Recognized by The Legal 500
- Lee Schwartzberg to Receive 2017 Support Center for Child Advocates Award
- Melissa Blanton Quoted in South Jersey Biz
- Schnader’s M&A Practice Recognized by The Legal 500
- Schnader Announces New Leadership Roles
- “The Right Time and Circumstances: M&A Strategy”
- How to Form a Superstar Advisory Board
- Albert Dandridge, III Presents Justice Sonia Sotomayor Diversity Award
- “Walking Point”
- Albert Dandridge Installed as the 88th Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association
- “Helping Women of Color to Break Through the Glass Ceiling”
- The Third Circuit Limits the “Benign Language” Exception to the FDCPA Without Endorsing It
- Al Dandridge Presented with Hon. William F. Hall Award
- Raising Capital Through IPO in the US
- Schnader and Yang & Co. Formalize Representation Arrangement for Indonesia Related Legal Matters
- The Legal Intelligencer Names Melissa Blanton a 2013 “Lawyer on the Fast Track”
- Delaware Adopts the 2010 Article 9 Amendments
- Judge Arlin Adams and Al Dandridge Spotlighted as Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients by The Legal Intelligencer
- Al Dandridge Named as One of The Legal Intelligencer’s Diverse Attorneys of the Year
- Albert S. Dandridge III Featured in Philadelphia Business Journal Article
- FFIEC Proposes Guidance for Use of Social Media by Banks
- Schnader’s Al Dandridge Elected Philadelphia Bar Association’s Vice Chancellor
- Kimmel Cancer Center Honors Barry Bressler with the “Spirit of Courage” Award
- Schnader Sponsors Economic Outlook 2012 Hosted by the Philadelphia Chapter of the Risk Management Association
- Did Hurricane Sandy Just Give You an Opportunity to Renegotiate Your Outsourcing Agreements?
- Schnader Recognized as a Tier One Law Firm in the 2013 “Best Law Firms” Rankings
- Schnader Attorneys Recognized as Members of the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania’s Pro Bono Roll of Honor
- Schnader’s Kevin Blanton Offers Comment on Philly AIDS Walk
- Megan Harmon Selected as One of the “2012 Most Powerful and Influential Women of Pennsylvania”
- Majority Shareholders Who Take Part in “Squeeze-Outs” Can No Longer Count Pennsylvania as the Sanctuary It Once Was Thought to Be
- “What the Marine Corps Can Teach the Legal Profession About Diversity”
- Schnader’s Chief Diversity Officer Albert S. Dandridge, III Offers Comment on the 2012 Justice Sonia Sotomayor Diversity Award
- Schnader Sponsors AIDS Fund 13th Annual Black-Tie GayBINGO
- “Regulators Propose Alternatives to Credit Ratings”
- Protecting Yourself as a Secured Creditor – Proposed Amendments to Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code
- Schnader Lawyers Secure Financing for Harlem Arts and Culture Center
- Albert S. Dandridge III Recognized by the Philadelphia Diversity Law Group
- Schnader’s Albert Dandridge, Adjunct Professor of International Securities Transactions, Receives One of Boston University’s Highest Honors
- Schnader Names Four New Partners
- Schnader Welcomes Two New Partners to the Firm’s San Francisco Office
- Schnader Attorneys Contribute to The Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual Breakfast
- “Reducing the Risks of Defaulting Equipment Buyers”
- “Employers, employees gain from IRS change to flexible spending accounts: Change allows for limited period of contribution carryover”
- Schnader Attorneys Feted as Super Lawyers
- “Considering the Sale of Your Practice?”
- “Avoiding the Pitfalls of Capitation Contracts”
Related Events
- Real Estate Institute 2021 of the Pennsylvania Bar Institute
- Transferring Your Business During These Challenging Times
- A Webinar on Banking Ethics and Compliance
- Megan Harmon and Elliot Dater Serve as Coaches and Moderators at Invent Penn State Venture & IP Conference
- Progressive Networking Luncheon for ACG Pittsburgh
- 2018 PDLG Symposium: Diversity in the First Chair: Symposium on Women and Diverse Lawyers in the Courtroom and Boardroom
- Sarah Hewitt, Richard Barkasy, and Megan Harmon Presented “Delaware – The Land of A Million of Corporations”
- Schnader Helped Teens in Foster Care on Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service
- Megan Harmon and Elliot Dater Presented Private Equity, Venture Capital, Crowdfunding – Investment 101
- Elliot Dater Presented PBI Crowdfunding Webinar
- Sarah Hewitt Presented “M&A Update: ESOP Financing as a Viable Exit Strategy”
- Megan Harmon and Elliot Dater Explored “Handling the Sale of a Business”
- Sarah Hewitt Examined “Emerging Issues in the SEC: Proposed Amendments to the Exchange Act Rules”
- Albert Dandridge, III Appeared on Puerto Rican PANORAMA
- Intellectual Property Issues: From Formation to Funding
- Sarah Hewitt Spoke on Nonprofit Finance at the New York Junior League’s Nonprofit Boards Clearinghouse’s Spring 2015 Course
- Al Dandridge Appeared on MSNBC’s “Taking the Hill”
- Justine Kasznica Moderated “Drive Forward: A Panel Discussion”
- Sarah Hewitt Presents Nonprofit Governance: Safeguard against Fraud, Theft, Embezzlement and Asset Diversion
- Barry Bressler Spoke At The 88th Annual National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges
- Sarah Hewitt Spoke on Nonprofit Finance at the New York Junior League’s Nonprofit Boards Clearinghouse’s Spring 2014 Course
- Schnader and Alice Paul Institute Host Cocktail and Networking Reception
- Schnader Attorneys Host Mentoring Luncheon – “Where the Law Can Take You”
- Schnader Attorneys Served as Judges for the National Transactional LawMeet at Earle Mack School of Law at Drexel University
- Sarah Hewitt and Catherine McGrath Participated in Brooklyn Law School’s Business Boot Camp
- Schnader’s Elliot Dater Presented CLE Seminar “Off to a Good Start (Up)”
- Schnader Attorneys Presented at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s 16th Annual Real Estate Institute
- Schnader Attorneys Present “Financial Basics Every In-House Attorney Should Know” at the DELVACCA Mini-MBA CLE Institute
- Albert S. Dandridge, III and Rachel Branson Spoke at the Philadelphia Diversity Law Group
- Schnader Hosts Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Diversity and Inclusion Network Breakfast
- Schnader’s Chief Diversity Officer, Albert S. Dandridge, III, Speaks at “Meet the Judges and Legislators” Event
- Schnader Hosts Keiretsu Forum Pittsburgh
- Albert S. Dandridge, III Spoke at Temple University’s Black Law Students Association Diversity Series
- David Smith Participates in Panel at the National Symposium on Diversity in the Legal Profession
- Schnader’s Albert S. Dandridge III Participates in White House Roundtable
- Schnader’s Bressler and Barkasy Attend TMA’s 8th Annual Mid-Atlantic Regional Symposium
- Alternative Methods of Payment – PayPal and Mobile Payments in the United States
- Dealing with Bankrupt Airlines
- Preparation of Annual Disclosure Documents
- Due Diligence Investigations
- SEC Hot Topics Institute
- Swaps, Caps and Collars – Hedging Interest Rate Risks