Best Lawyers in America for Commercial Finance Law
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James Gradel, a partner in the firm's Commercial Finance and Real Estate Finance practices, has more than 25 years of experience representing institutional and private lenders and borrowers in secured and unsecured debt financing transactions. He focuses his practice on senior and mezzanine financing of leveraged buyouts, construction and permanent real estate loans, multilender loan syndications and participations, intercreditor transactions, high yield note offerings, credit enhanced bond f...
Bob serves as general counsel to high-net-worth families and their businesses. He personally handles matters that require attention to corporate compliance, corporate governance, business sales and combinations, shareholder disputes, contracts, real estate, credit facilities, and estate and tax planning. When counseling clients, family, or friends, Bob makes every effort to fully understand their present situation and their ultimate goals and objectives. By placing himself in their shoes he i...
Mike Parisi leads private credit and bank lenders through cash flow and asset-based lending transactions, including sponsor-backed leveraged buyouts and acquisition financings. Clients value Mike’s ability to navigate intricate finance transactions and his recognition of commercial dynamics. Mike is chair of Alston & Bird’s Corporate Debt Finance Team. He leads private credit lenders, bank lenders, corporate borrowers, and private equity sponsors in structuring, negotiating, a...
Julie A. Drewes is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Finance Law, Construction Law and Real Estate Law. Julie A., who practices law in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Julie A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Scott Schallhorn is a business attorney with extensive experience advising individuals and businesses in complex commercial transactions, finance and real estate matters. He represents corporate borrowers, institutional lenders and major developers in loan transactions involving construction financing, bridge loans, permanent/end loans, and loan restructuring. Scott counsels real estate owners, developers, and property managers concerning the conveyance, purchase, development and leasing of r...
Ryan Kelley provides legal counsel to public and private companies regarding debt and equity financings, commercial transactions and bankruptcy and creditors’ rights matters. Ryan represents both lenders and borrowers in construction, acquisition, new markets tax credits, term and working capital financing transactions. His transactional experience also includes commercial matters such as the representation of franchisors and franchisees with respect to franchise matters, of manufacture...
Amy focuses on real estate development, financing, acquisition and sales, commercial leasing and construction. Her practice has an emphasis on representing lenders and owners in financing commercial portfolios, multifamily housing, senior housing and health care facilities, §1031 Exchanges and sale/leasebacks. She has worked with numerous lenders and owners to handle their agency-financing needs with loan products from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and HUD. REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS Represented b...
Ross D. Taylor is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Finance Law. Ross D., who practices law in Cincinnati, Ohio, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Ross D. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
While fully engaged as Managing Partner of Buckley King, Brent Buckley counsels and represents financial institutions, private equity firms, lenders, businesses and executive management on business issues, complex and structured finance, workouts, asset-based lending, corporate internal investigations, and commercial litigation matters. Brent is nationally recognized for excellence in both corporate law and banking and finance litigation. He is named among the prestigious Legal Who's Who as o...
Ronald A. Weiner is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Finance Law and Commercial Transactions / UCC Law. Ronald A., who practices law in Atlanta, Georgia, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Ronald A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Jay T. Taylor is a partner in the firm’s Real Estate/Commercial Transactions Practice Group. Jay’s practice is focused heavily on commercial financing transactions. Jay has substantial experience structuring and closing New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) transactions, renewable energy tax credit transactions, low-income housing tax credit transactions and conventional commercial real estate and commercial/industrial lending transactions. Jay is nationally recognized as a qualified acti...
Gary Whitlock represents major financial institutions in a broad range of transactions. He routinely represents lenders making commercial and real estate loans, and has assisted his clients with loan restructurings and workouts. Gary also has significant experience working on loans to companies in the automotive sector, as well as representing clients with the acquisition of quarries. The typical transaction size is between $5 million and $25 million.
Mr. Sher is a business lawyer whose practice is concentrated in commercial real estate and business and finance law. He also practices in the areas of: commercial litigation, creditors' rights, workouts and foreclosures, commercial bankruptcy, disaster recovery, arbitration and mediation, secured finance and asset based lending. Along with his practice, Mr. Sher is actively involved with many professional and trade organizations, including the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, where he...
Christopher S.W. Blake focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, recapitalizations, and financings for a wide range of industries, including food and beverage, gaming, and real estate. Chris is a co-chair of Hahn Loeser’s International Practice Group and Corporate Transactions Group. He works on deals in the U.S. and around the world. He has worked with clients in countries in Eastern Europe, Africa, Central and South America, and Southeast Asia. Chris regularly us...
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.