Mark B. Knowles has extensive experience representing senior lenders, borrowers, credit enhancers and equity sponsors in complex domestic and international financings, including syndicated loans, leveraged buyout and other acquisition financings, first lien/second lien financings, asset-based financings, project financings, loan workouts, restructurings, debtor-in-possession financings, letter of credit financings, structured trade finance transactions, real estate financings, derivatives transactions and private placements.

He has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America for Banking Law.

Representative Matters

Lender Representations

Mr. Knowles has represented:

• The administrative agent in a $100 million syndicated, revolving credit and term loan financing to a nonprofit health system.
• The letter of credit fronting bank in connection with the issuance of a $95 million direct pay letter of credit that supports tax exempt variable rate demand bonds.
• The administrative agent in a $650 million revolving credit facility to a leading provider of climate control solutions.
• The administrative agent in a $500 million revolving credit facility to a major restaurant chain.
• The lead arranger and administrative agent in six separate senior, syndicated financings for the acquisition of portfolio companies by financial sponsors.
• The administrative agent in a $125 million syndicated, revolving credit and term loan financing for a $500 million leveraged recapitalization of a manufacturer of recessed lighting products.
• The lead arranger and administrative agent in a $52 million secured, revolving credit facility to finance a management buyout of a chain of pizza restaurants.
• A fund in a $40 million secured multiple draw term loan to a telecommunications company for constructing a wireless network.
• The administrative agent in a $37.4 million senior, secured financing for the acquisition of a health-care company by a financial sponsor.
• The administrative agent in a $400 million credit facility to a public company.
• The administrative agent in a $177.5 million syndicated, revolving credit and term loan financing to a physician practice management company.
• The administrative agent in a secured $71 million financing to a real estate development company.
• A major financial institution in providing a secured, oil and gas hedging facility to an oil and gas exploration and development company in connection with the company's $130 million high yield bond bankruptcy exit financing, and in connection with its subsequent bankruptcy.
• A major investment bank, as sponsor and placement agent, in an $88 million monetization of a gas supply contract.
• The administrative agent in a secured $125 million credit facility to an oil and gas exploration and production company.
• The lead bank in a $30 million landfill gas project financing.
• The administrative agent in a $750 million debtor-in-possession financing to a leasing company.
• The lessor in a $35 million synthetic lease financing of a food production facility.

Borrower Representations

Mr. Knowles has represented:

• A financial sponsor in a $68 million secured, multi-facility financing for the acquisition of a manufacturing company with operations in the United States and Canada.
• A portfolio company owned by a financial sponsor in a restructuring of senior and subordinated credit facilities totaling $30 million.
• French issuer in a cross-border private placement of €100 million senior unsecured notes to a major US insurance company.
• A French issuer in a cross-border private placement of €50 million senior unsecured notes to a major US insurance company.
• The owner of several restaurant chains in financings in an aggregate amount in excess of $300 million.
• A public company in financings totaling $1.2 billion for the acquisition of commercial real estate.
• A major brewer and certain of its affiliates in connection with seven bilateral credit facilities totaling $1.2 billion, the proceeds of which were used to acquire a wine producer.
• A public company in a $135 million syndicated, multi-currency revolving credit facility.
• A public company, as lessee, in a $75 million synthetic equipment lease of manufacturing equipment with equipment takedowns in the United States and a number of European countries.
• A public company, as lessee, in a $60 million restructuring of two synthetic equipment lease facilities.
• A telecommunications company in the exercise of a purchase option under a $753 million synthetic lease of a fiber network immediately prior to the bankruptcy of its parent.
• A telecommunications company and its publicly traded parent in pre-bankruptcy, bankruptcy and post-bankruptcy financings in excess of $1.75 billion.
• A telecommunications company, as lessee/borrower, in the termination of a sale-leaseback, and related $150 million refinancing, of its corporate headquarters.
• A manufacturer of pet products in its restructuring of a $90 million secured, syndicated credit facility and an exchange offer outside of bankruptcy pursuant to which its outstanding high yield notes totaling $85 million were exchanged for its common stock.

Other Representations

Mr. Knowles has represented:

• A broker-dealer in a 34-country legal survey with respect to broker-dealer and investment advisory services.
• A broker-dealer in a 15-country foreign securities and investment law survey.
• A financial institution in a 10-country foreign law survey with respect to OTC derivative products.

认许

• Texas
• New York

会员资格

• State Bar of Texas, Legal Opinions Committee, Business Law Section
• American Bar Association, Banking Law Committee
• Turnaround Management Association

出版物

• Co-author, "Intercreditor Agreements: A Grey Area of the Law," Bankruptcy Law 360, August 3, 2007
• Co-author, "Volumetric Production Payments," Texas Lawyer, May 9, 2005

Seminars

• Panel Moderator, "Rapid Rise in Second Lien Financings and Rising Conflicts: Mismatched Expectations and the Coming Reality," Turnaround Management Association, Dallas, Texas, January 2007