Stephanie A. Zabela

Partner

Chicago

Leads complex commercial finance and real estate transactions, representing lenders, sponsors, and borrowers in structured deals and cross-border transactions

Stephanie is an attorney in the Global Corporate Group. She focuses her practice on representing agents, lenders, private equity sponsors, portfolio companies, and other borrowers in connection with structuring, negotiating, and documenting secured and unsecured financing transactions, such as cash flow facilities, ABL facilities, leveraged acquisitions, multicurrency/cross-border facilities, construction finance, mortgage warehouse finance, lender finance, fund finance, and capital call facilities. Stephanie is experienced with unitranche structures, first lien/second lien structures, mezzanine structures, wrapping lien structures, opco/propco structures, complex intercreditor issues, specialized collateral (e.g., real estate (including all types of health care properties), health care insurance receivables, intellectual property, and assets evidenced by certificates of title), forbearance scenarios, debt restructurings, and commercial real estate matters. Additionally, Stephanie represents clients with respect to corporate transactions, such as mergers and acquisitions, and advises foreign and domestic financial institutions regarding regulatory compliance.

Experience

Representative matters

Represented a leading Chicago-based provider of senior and junior debt and equity co-investments as agent (and various of its funds as lenders) with respect to senior revolving and term loan credit facilities (multicurrency) in the aggregate maximum amount of approximately $300 million to multiple affiliated co-borrowers in the pharmaceutical industry, with credit support from U.S., Canadian, UK, and European loan parties.
Represented a national banking association as agent and a lender with respect to a $90 million ABL revolving credit facility to one of the largest newsprint manufacturers in North America, with U.S. and Canadian co-borrowers and collateral (including timber to be cut), including negotiation and documentation of split-lien collateral structure.
Represented a national banking association as agent and a lender with respect to ABL revolving credit facility (multicurrency) in the maximum amount of approximately $99 million to one of the world’s leading manufacturers of branded towing and trailering equipment, with U.S., UK, and Canadian co-borrowers and collateral, including negotiation and documentation of split-lien collateral structure.

Recognitions

  • Selected for inclusion on the Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Stars list for Banking, Real Estate: Business, and Business/Corporate by Thomson Reuters, 2014-2017
  • Recognized in Chicago Magazines Top Women Attorneys in Illinois for Banking, 2014-2015

Credentials

Education

  • New York University School of Law, 2007, J.D., Staff Editor, New York University Journal of Legislation and Public Policy
  • University of Notre Dame, 2003, B.A., summa cum laude

Professional admissions & qualifications

  • Illinois

Professional affiliations

  • American Bar Association
  • Illinois State Bar Association
  • Chicago Bar Association
  • Commissioner of the Lombard Historic Preservation Commission
  • Member of the Board of Managers of The Lombard Historical Society, Inc.