Mid-Level Debt Finance Associate

Baker & Hostetler LLP; Cleveland (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Baker & Hostetler LLP in Cleveland seeks an experienced finance attorney to handle sophisticated financing transactions for lenders, borrowers, and sponsors across a broad range of facilities. You will draft and negotiate loan documents, attend closings, and manage complex closing processes with substantial clients including debt funds and banks.

The role requires familiarity with secured lending, UCC Article 9 and related articles, intercreditor agreements, and cross-border work.

Qualifications

Responsibilities

Job description

Overview

• The role involves sophisticated financing transactions for a diverse client base, representing lenders, borrowers, agents, and arrangers across a broad range of credit facilities and financing structures, including syndicated or bilateral facilities.
• Work includes various credit facilities such as secured term loans, cash flow and asset-based revolving credit facilities, leveraged acquisitions, first lien, second lien, and unsecured financings.
• Responsibilities encompass drafting, reviewing, and negotiating loan documents, including credit/loan agreements, security agreements, guarantees, intercreditor agreements, subordination agreements, promissory notes, fee letters, commitment letters, term sheets, and amendments.
• The position requires involvement and familiarity with principles and procedures relevant to secured personal property transactions, including UCC Article 9 and relevant elements of UCC Article 8.
• Tasks involve negotiating and obtaining third-party deliverables, such as control agreements, bailee waivers, credit card processing agreements, and insurance endorsements.
• The role includes standard diligence surrounding debt finance transactions, from both lender and/or borrower perspectives, including review of searches, organizational documents, management agreements, and preparation of disclosure schedules.
• Additional duties include organizing and running complex closing processes.
• Experience with substantial clients, including debt funds, banks, private equity sponsors, and privately held, middle-market companies, is expected.
• For candidates with greater than 4 years of experience, familiarity with drafting and negotiating legal opinions and opinion diligence is required.
• Preferred experience includes a varied scope of secured lending transactions, primarily in the middle market but also spanning smaller venture stage debt financing and some large investment grade financings, with exposure to cross-border work, project finance, restructuring and workout, and first lien/second lien/mezz transactions across various industries.