Liz concentrates her practice on banking and financing transactions including domestic and cross-border leveraged acquisition financings, fund financing, working capital financings, restructurings and other distressed transactions. She brings to the firm a practice that complements the firm’s industry-leading fund finance practice, strengthening the firm’s US-based capabilities in an area of increasing importance to clients. She will also be a member of Reed Smith’s growing global cross-border direct lending and acquisition finance teams.
Liz regularly represents US and international corporate borrowers, financial sponsors, portfolio companies, arrangers, agent banks, financial institutions and alternative capital sources on bilateral, club and broadly syndicated transactional finance matters across a variety of industries. She also has significant experience with structuring and negotiating secured and investment grade credit facilities, first lien, second lien, mezzanine, unitranche and multi-tranche financings, liquidity lines, letter of credit facilities, trade financings, derivative-backed structured financings, restructurings, DIP loans, private placements and high yield debt offerings. Finally, Liz also advises on conflict of law issues (including with respect to sanctions regimes) and the differences between the US Loan Syndications and Trading Association and the European Loan Market Association norms, market practices and standards.
“Over the past few months we have added a group of uniquely talented finance attorneys to an already formidable international practice,” said Ed Estrada, global chair of Reed Smith’s Financial Industry Group. “Liz is an extremely accomplished attorney who has strong experience in areas of lending which are strategically critical to the firm’s growth ambitions. We are proud to welcome her to the firm.”
“Reed Smith has a long history in Philadelphia and continues to attract elite legal talent from other firms, in-house, and students out of law school,” said Wayne Stanfield, Reed Smith Philadelphia office managing partner. “We are pleased to welcome Liz as we continue to strengthen our finance capabilities in Philadelphia and New York.”
Reed Smith’s finance practice has benefitted from several notable additions at the partner and counsel level in the US and EMEA over the past year, including Gerard Martin in Chicago, J. Eric Holland in Houston, Jim Lawlor in Philadelphia, and Bronwen Jones, Kevin-Paul Deveau, David Barton and in London. Furthermore, individual attorneys and the practice as a whole have recently been recognized as leaders among peer firms and attorneys in the 2019 Chambers Asia-Pacific, 2019 IFLR1000 global, and 2019 Legal 500 UK rankings.
Liz received her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law. She earned her B.A., cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania. Aside from Dechert, Liz also previously worked at Clifford Chance in London.
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a dynamic international law firm dedicated to helping clients move their businesses forward. Our belief is that by delivering smarter and more creative legal services, we will not only enrich our clients’ experiences with us, but also support them in achieving their business goals.
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