Best Lawyers in America for Banking and Finance Law
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Clarke represents a wide array of businesses in many different types of business transactions. For more than 40 years, he has successfully negotiated commercial leases for tenants and landlords, formed venture capital funds for institutional investors, represented management in various transactions involving employment agreements, separation agreements, and various types of equity and phantom equity compensation arrangements. He is committed to providing cost effective, high quality legal ser...
Real Estate Jeanine focuses her practice on representing for-profit and not-for-profit owners and developers in connection with the acquisition, financing, development and disposition of commercial, mixed-use and residential properties, including affordable and supportive housing projects and skilled nursing, assisted living and independent living facilities. Such representation includes all aspects of acquisition, development, construction and financing through the use of tax-exempt bond iss...
Steve Howell has been practicing for over 40 years as a bankruptcy and insolvency lawyer providing a broad range of services in the distressed business context. A significant part of Steve’s practice is spent counseling lenders in troubled loan matters throughout the workout process, including exit strategies, refinancings, restructures, sales, out-of-court and court proceedings, bankruptcy and liquidation. Steve has also represented borrowers, creditors’ committees, creditors and...
Adam Spiegel focuses his practice on representing lenders and borrowers in commercial finance transactions, with an emphasis on structuring, negotiating and documenting secured and unsecured personal-property financing transactions, private equity, mezzanine and venture capital investments, workouts and restructurings, and debtor-in-possession financings. Read full biography: https://www.mwe.com/people/spiegel-adam/
Tom has been involved in matters dealing with a wide range of practice areas including finance, real estate, general business transactions, litigation, bankruptcy, land use, creditor’s rights, and corporate and commercial law. The areas of greatest concentration have been in project and commercial financing, real estate development, loan workouts and restructurings, and general business transactions. He has extensive experience with all major real estate asset classes, including retail,...
Michael Waters is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group. He focuses on issues facing banks, financial institutions, and other financial-services entities. Mike has practiced corporate and securities law, primarily in the financial institutions area, for more than 30 years. He routinely represents banks, bank holding companies, and other financial entities in acquisitions, capital raising transactions, SEC and shareholder issues, new bank formations, and board fiduciary duty issues. He has...
Reginald “Reg” Brown is a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. He has a vibrant and diverse crisis and governmental investigations practice, and regularly counsels financial institutions and other industry-leading clients facing complex and significant regulatory, enforcement and reputational matters. Reg provides investigations-related guidance, strategic counsel and crisis management assistance to a broad range of companies and senior executives c...
Doug Waldorf is a shareholder of Grant Fridkin Pearson, P.A. and has practiced law in Southwest Florida since 1987, including more than a decade as in-house counsel for SunTrust Bank. He is board certified in real estate by The Florida Bar since 2002 and listed in The Best Lawyers in America© in both Banking and Finance Law (2016-2017) and Real Estate Law (2016-2017), as well as in Super Lawyers©. Mr. Waldorf represents institutional and private equity lenders in structuring, docume...
Recognized as a leading lawyer for commercial lending by The Legal 500 US and by Chambers USA , Scott Lyons represents finance companies, banks and other lenders who provide debt financing to support private equity-led leveraged buyouts of middle-market companies. With deep experience in the health care and tech industries, Scott's understanding of market terms and ability to execute quickly help his clients meet the intense time demands of their customers, win their next deal and strengthen ...
James V. Maniace is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law, Energy Law, Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law. James V., who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James V. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Dan Sparks is head of Christian & Small’s Creditor & Lender Rights Practice Group. He focuses his practice in the areas of bankruptcy and business litigation involving creditors’ rights, consumer finance, lender liability and injunctive relief. Dan represents commercial lenders, debt buyers, corporations, Trustees, individuals and other secured and unsecured creditors in all aspects of commercial litigation, loan workouts, loan restructuring, asset recovery, foreclosure an...
Leah Petersen is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Banking and Finance Law. Leah, who practices law in Atlanta, Georgia, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Leah is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Emily Bowman represents financial institutions, including banks and insurance companies, and corporate clients in a variety of commercial and real estate lending and other real estate transactional matters. Emily also regularly issues legal opinions in connection with multi-state projects and as local counsel for transactions originated outside of Tennessee secured by real property located within the State. Her commercial and real estate lending practice includes representation of lenders and...
Marshall Page is a partner and co-leads the Corporate Practice Group. Marshall primarily practices in the areas of M&A, private equity investment, joint ventures, project development, and the associated financings, with special emphasis in the energy, maritime, and advanced manufacturing industries. Described by clients as “a very adept, thoughtful and professional negotiator” who is “very practical and creative in finding solutions” as referenced in Chambers USA &...
Ms. Sahu concentrates her practice in representing financial institutions in general commercial loan transactions and real estate transactions, including single lender, syndicated and second lien loan transactions and small business administration guaranteed loans. Ms. Sahu has extensive experience structuring, negotiating, and documenting secured and unsecured commercial loans to borrowers in a variety of industries including the technology and life science, manufacturing and service industr...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.