Overview
Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell is one of only a handful of American law firms for whom the representation of corporate trustees is a primary practice area. A skilled and experienced team of lawyers provides a full range of services to corporate trustees across the spectrum of all types and phases of transactions and corporate trust activities (including but not limited to trustees, custodians, collateral agents and escrow agents). Firm lawyers not only are seasoned and knowledgeable about the primary and tangential legal issues and considerations involved, but also have a broad understanding of corporate trust transactions and the latest developments in the legal, administrative and transactional environment in which corporate trustees participate.
The range of services provided is complete across the spectrum and includes:
- Structuring transactions in a manner which minimizes legal risks to the trustee and maximizes administrative efficiencies;
- Providing constructive working group participation in new transactions, with an emphasis on responsiveness, while remaining attentive to the avoidance of undue legal risks to the corporate trustee;
- Providing best practices advice to the corporate trustee in its participation in transactions;
- Providing experienced counsel to corporate trustees in resolving questions and difficulties encountered in the administration of corporate trusts;
- Providing experienced and measured advice and representation in all aspects of default administration, including but not limited to UCC foreclosures and public or private UCC sales;
- When it becomes necessary, providing to corporate trustees bankruptcy counsel experienced and knowledgeable about the particular considerations important to the administration of corporate trust matters in bankruptcy, and to the protection of the interests of the corporate trustee itself in such proceedings;
- When necessary, providing litigation counsel experienced in court proceedings relating to corporate trust administration and the protection of the interests of the holders for whom the corporate trustee acts and also of the corporate trustee itself;
- Providing regulatory and corporate advice to corporate trustees which is broadly informed by an understanding of the state and federal regulatory environment in which corporate trustees operate.
The services of the Firm span the breadth of the types of transactions in which corporate trustees participate, including corporate, municipal and structured finance transactions which are mortgage-backed, asset-backed, synthetics, leases, derivatives, CDOs and many other types.
For the Firm, the representation of corporate trustees is a primary practice area in its own right, and not the mere extension of the lawyers whose primary focus is the representation of other participants in corporate trust transactions. The manner in which this specialized practice is carried out derives from both the culture of the Firm and its deep experience for over half a century in corporate trust transactions. These characteristics include responsiveness and timeliness to the needs of clients, the willingness to provide experienced and informed counsel to corporate trustees in all matters relating to their business and the transactions in which they participate, as well as flexibility and creativity in crafting solutions to problems, while never straying from the primary consideration of providing legal protection to the corporate trustee against the perils to which it might potentially be exposed.
A primary emphasis remains at all times on collaboration between client and lawyer, between experienced senior lawyers and younger lawyers and among the lawyers who are expert in corporate trustee representation, whether their primary emphasis is on corporate trust transactions, origination and administration, defaults and workouts, bankruptcy, litigation, regulatory, or any of the other disciplines which become involved in the representation of corporate trustees.
For over half a century, Locke Lord corporate trust lawyers have placed their primary focus on the representation and protection of corporate trustees, and this team of lawyers is prepared to bring its experience to bear on the needs of corporate trustees today.