Public Finance

Our Multifaceted Experience Is Key to Guiding Our Clients

Over the last half century, Saul Ewing's Public Finance Practice Group has grown to be one of the largest in the Mid-Atlantic region, serving government entities, investment banking and other financial institutions, 501(c)(3) organizations, and other participants in tax-exempt and taxable financings. We facilitate state and local bond issues as well as alternatives to traditional financing methods (such as interest rate swaps and other derivatives) ranging into billions of dollars each year for schools and universities, hospitals and other health organizations, transportation and utility systems, housing projects, and other critical infrastructure and public facilities. Through our experience as authors of public finance legislation, bond counsel for issuers and conduit borrowers, tax counsel, and counsel for underwriters and trustees, we are able to provide our clients with a multifaceted perspective and range of experience that is critical in helping them deal with their legal issues.

Regulatory Complexities Require a Professional Team

Given increased regulatory scrutiny of tax-exempt securities over the past decade, and the somewhat consequent need for financing alternatives, it is more important than ever to have experienced counsel as bond issues and derivatives transactions are structured, negotiated, and documented, and while due diligence is conducted. Clients must comply with complex regulations as they strive to achieve the lowest cost of capital while maintaining flexibility. Having a trusted and experienced advisor is essential.

We are a team of professionals who understand the intricacies of public finance and provide responsive, knowledgeable service and advice to our clients. Our experience is fueled by the variety in the types of public finance transactions we handle, but that is only one factor. Beyond our broad transactional experience, we have drafted legislation that governs the issuance of debt by Pennsylvania municipalities and school districts, as well as legislation creating the Delaware Insurance Authority. We also assisted in the establishment of a local government investment pool in Pennsylvania that we have represented for 25 years. We have developed public finance programs in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, and we serve as lecturers and panelists for numerous professional organizations, including the American Law Institute, National Association of Bond Lawyers, and Government Financial Officers Association.

Innovative Solutions Are the Hallmark of Service to Our Clients

We have found that to provide innovative solutions to complex or unique situations and concerns, we not only need to know our business, we need to know our clients' businesses. Our capabilities are enhanced by experience, and by the focus our attorneys have on learning about our clients and their financial goals, so that we can anticipate needs and identify solutions tailored to specific situations and concerns. This is the foundation and culture of our Public Finance Practice Group.