Project & Infrastructure Finance

Around the world, Squire Sanders lawyers have worked closely with clients on large projects requiring extensive experience in structuring and negotiating project financing, including analyzing, preparing, and negotiating all related documentation, including commitment letters, loan agreements, security documentation, trust agreements, and other finance-related documentation. We have experience working with the leading financial advisors, commercial banks, investment banks, export credit agencies, and multilateral financial institutions and bring that to bear when serving as legal counsel.

Squire Sanders lawyers have assisted private entities and governmental bodies in planning, financing, and implementing infrastructure projects including airports, ports, railways, roadways and mass transit systems, communications, health care, education and privatization. Our lawyers have also been involved in project financing aspects of energy projects, professional sports stadiums, museums, urban development projects, waterfront development and marina projects, port projects, housing projects, manufacturing facilities and mixed use entertainment/retail facilities.

Practice Expertise

• Airports & Transportation
• Energy
• Hotels & Convention Centers
• Infrastructure Finance
• Sports & Leisure Facilities

Representative Experience

• Representing the owner of the Phoenix Coyotes National Hockey League team in negotiations with the city of Glendale, Arizona for the development, financing, construction, leasing and operation of a new 17,500-seat multipurpose sports and entertainment center and the surrounding 225-acre site. We negotiated and drafted the arena development agreement on behalf of the developer; the arena management, use and lease agreement on behalf of the team and arena manager; and the mixed use development agreement on behalf of the developers of the 3 million to 5 million sq. ft. of commercial, retail and residential projects surrounding the arena. The total development cost for these projects was projected as more than US$750 million. The city of Glendale agreed to contribute US$180 million to the arena project.
• Serving as underwriters' counsel in connection with the issuance and sale of US$211.7 million of certificates of participation to finance a portion of the cost of design and construction of a new psychiatric hospital on the campus of St. Elizabeth's Hospital in the District of Columbia and of acquisition and renovation of an existing building to house the headquarters and a full-service location of the District's Department of Motor Vehicles.
• Serving as bond counsel to Broward County, Florida in connection with its issuance of US$176.8 million of bonds, in tax exempt and taxable series, to refinance bonds initially issued to pay the cost of construction of a sports and entertainment arena that is the home of the Florida Panthers.
• Serving as bond counsel to Western Reserve Port Authority for the development of a privately-owned rail-served landfill (to receive municipal solid waste and construction and demolition debris) to be located in Mahoning County, Ohio.
• Advising an international real property investment firm on the acquisition of land and buildings and transactions relating to further development for various types of projects including hotel, residential, office space and conference centers.
• Serving as bond counsel to the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority in connection with interim financings for capital improvements and working capital.
• Representing the underwriter in connection with the issuance by the Regional Airports Improvement Corporation of US$29.6 Facilities Lease Refunding Revenue Bonds. The conduit bonds were issued to refinance and finance completion of fuel filtration, storage, pumping and transfer facilities and measurement and control systems located at Los Angeles International Airport and owned by LAXFUEL Corporation, a California nonprofit mutual benefit corporation whose members are the principal air carriers operating at LAX.
• Serving as bond counsel to the Tucson Airport Authority in connection with the issuance of US$32 million of Subordinate Lien Airport Revenue Bonds to finance concourse improvements.
• Assisting an urban redevelopment authority for a large UK port city with an organizational transformation as well as individual PPPs for road, hotel/convention center and other projects.
• Representing Lone Star Wind, LLC and FPL Energy (now NextEra Energy Resources, LLC) in a US$700 million term loan and letter of credit project financing deal for wind facilities.