Our people

Susan is a partner in Reed Smith's Los Angeles office and is a member of the firm's Financial Industry Group.

She has extensive experience representing major banks, financial institutions, private equity funds and hedge funds in corporate lending transactions. She frequently advises clients in connection with syndicated credit facilities, leveraged acquisition financings, cross border loans, asset-based loans, investment grade credit facilities, debtor-in-possession credit facilities, and real estate financings. She also has significant expertise in subordinated debt transactions, interest rate swaps and derivatives transactions, mezzanine debt and second-lien loans.

Representative Matters

• Represented the agent bank in a $675 million senior secured syndicated credit facility for a private corporation.

• Represented the agent bank in providing $275 million of senior secured credit facilities to a public company, including foreign currency advances for its European subsidiaries.

• Represented the agent bank in a $270 million debt financing for the “going private” acquisition of a public company.

• Represented an investment grade public company in obtaining $13 billion of revolving credit facilities for itself and its European affiliates, including provisions for funding in multiple foreign currencies.

• Represented the agent bank in a $137 million syndicated credit facility for U.S. and Japanese corporations as co-borrowers, with loans denominated in dollars and yen.

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Publications

• Author of the forthcoming book Corporate Credit: A CFO’s Guide to Bank Debt and Loan Agreements (2010)
• Editor, the Lending Law Report - http://www.lendinglawreport.com
• “Exploring Financing Options for M&A Deals,” VC Portfolio Company M&A Strategies: Leading Lawyers on Developing Negotiation Strategies, Analyzing Deal Terms, and Getting Deals Done, Thomson/Aspatore Books, 2008
• “FILO Loans – At the Crossroads Between Mezzanine and Senior Lending”, HedgeWorld News, December 1, 2008
• “Mezz Lending – What Is It, How Does It Work?” Law 360, April 23, 2009
• “Acquisition Finance - ABL’s Have the Opportunity to Step Up and Lead the Charge”, ABF Journal, Vol. 6, No. 5, May 2008
• “The Benefits and Risks of DIP Loans in Troubled Economic Times”, Aspatore Special Report: The Viability of Debtor-In-Possession Loans in the Economic Crisis, 2009

Speeches / Presentations

• Panelist, “Syndicated Loan Facilities,” Strafford CLE Webinar, April 2010
• Panelist, “A Candid Dialogue Between Lenders and MFI’s on New Lending Standards,” 8th Annual WWB Microfinance and the Capital Markets Conference, JPMorgan, New York, NY, March 2010
• Panelist, “Finding Financing in a Difficult Market,” Association for Corporate Growth, 2009 Business Conference, Los Angeles, CA
• Panelist,"Acquisition Finance: Deal Basics and Market Trends", Los Angeles County Bar Association, Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section, 2007
• Moderator, “Doing Business Globally – Stories from the Front Lines,” WLALA, June 2009
• Moderator, “How to Manage a Transaction”, WLALA Business Law Section and In-House Counsel Committee, 2008
• "The Art of Negotiation: Strategies for Getting Results," WLALA Business Law Section, 2006

Experience

Legal Education

Graduate Education

Undergraduate Education

Professional Admissions / Qualifications

• California
• New York

Professional Affiliations

• Executive Committee Member/Officer (2009-2010), Chair, Business Law Section (2004-2009)
  Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles
• Member, Financial Lawyers Conference
• Chair, Los Angeles Reed Smith Women’s Initiative
• Member, Association for Corporate Growth; Program Chair, Entertainment Industry Program (2008), Private Equity Program (2009)
• Member, LACBA/WLALA Joint Task Force on Women in the Legal Profession
• Member, Board of Directors, Altadena Children's Center (2002-2004)