Mark A. Sternberg

Client Work

Domestic Transaction Representations

• The purchasers of $900 million guaranteed senior notes of a private equity real estate property fund
• The purchasers of $300 million guaranteed senior notes of a manufacturer of automated teller machines and election systems
• The purchasers of € 200 million senior notes of an international chemical company
• The purchasers of $200 million senior secured notes of a hotel management company secured by a pledge of shares of publicly traded equity securities
• The purchasers of approximately $40 million senior secured notes in connection with financing a natural-gas fired electric generating plant
• The purchaser of approximately $21 million senior secured notes issued in connection with the monetization of a fiber-optic network services agreement
• A U.S.-based international oil field services company in connection with its $1.25 billion senior credit facility
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International Transaction Representations

• The purchasers of $270 million guaranteed senior notes of an Australian property trust
• The purchasers of $100 million senior notes of a Puerto Rico domiciled wine and spirits distiller which notes are guaranteed by its Bermudan parent company
• The purchasers of $100 million senior notes of U.S. subsidiary of a Swiss sanitary technology company which notes are guaranteed by its Swiss parent company and a German sister subsidiary
• The purchasers of $75 million senior notes of a Swiss-based international medical-technology group
• A Canadian oil field services company in connection with its issuance of CAD $75 million senior notes which notes are supported by its Netherlands Antilles parent company
• The purchasers of CAD $60 million secured notes in connection with the monetization of the naming rights to the stadium played in by a Canadian NHL hockey team
• The purchasers of $30 million senior notes of an English international engineering group which notes are guaranteed by its subsidiaries incorporated under the laws of England, Germany, France and Australia
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REIT, Property Fund and Listed Property Trust Representations

• The purchasers of $2 billion guaranteed senior notes of an open-end private core real estate fund
• The purchasers of $800 million guaranteed senior notes of an open-end, commingled private real estate portfolio
• The purchasers of $800 million senior notes of a REIT focused on the development, acquisition and management of industrial property and transportation infrastructure
• The purchasers of $625 million guaranteed senior notes of by a vertically-integrated real estate company focused on high-quality office and state-of-the-art media and entertainment properties
• The purchasers of $500 million senior notes by the core realty fund of a state pension trust
• The purchasers of $450 million guaranteed senior notes of an Australian listed property trust specialized in developing, owning and managing shopping centers
• The purchasers of $340 million guaranteed senior notes of a specialty REIT investing in entertainment, recreation and education
• The purchasers of $250 million senior notes of a vertically-integrated REIT engaged primarily in the ownership and operation, acquisition, development and redevelopment of high-quality neighborhood and community shopping centers
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Energy- and Utility-Related Representations

• The purchasers of $411,000,000 senior secured notes of the parent holding company of a Northeastern natural gas local distribution company
• The purchasers of $320 million first mortgage bonds issued by a Southwestern generation and transmission electrical cooperative
• The purchasers of $75 million of senior unsecured notes of a issued by a Northeastern regional transmission organization
• The purchasers of $75 million first mortgage bonds issued by a Midwestern independent electric transmission company
• The purchasers of $75 million of senior secured “mirror bonds” issued by a Northeastern natural gas distribution company
• The purchasers of $60 million of pass through trust certificates issued in connection with the construction of a California wind farm
• The purchasers of $40 million senior secured notes issued by a joint venture in connection with financing a natural-gas fired electric generating plant
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Rail-Related Transaction Representations

• The debt participants holding approximately $600 million in equipment trust certificates under 14 separate leveraged lease transactions and one single investor lease transaction in connection with the sale and assignment of the lease portfolio of a U.S. subsidiary of a Canadian railcar manufacturer to an international railcar operating lessor
• A Class I Railroad in its public issuance of approximately $150 million of pass through trust certificates issued in connection with the leveraged lease of locomotives
• Debt participants in their purchases of approximately $100 million of equipment notes issued in connection with the leveraged lease of railcars by a U.S. subsidiary of a Japanese conglomerate which lease payments are guaranteed by its U.S. and Japanese parent companies
• Debt participants in their purchases of approximately $80 million of secured notes issued in connection with the leveraged lease of railcars by an operating lessor
• Equity participants in connection with their purchases of approximately $30 million in equipment cost acquired in connection with the leveraged lease of railcars by an operating lessor
• Debt participants in their purchases of approximately $25 million of secured notes issued in connection with the leveraged lease of railcars to a major oil company
• Debt participants in their purchases of approximately $20 million of secured notes issued in connection with the leveraged lease of railcars to a public utility
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Aviation-Related Transaction Representations

• The purchasers of the senior tranche of notes in connection with the $330 million securitization of lease payments under 50 aircraft engine leases for an international aircraft engine lessor
• Institutional investors in their purchases of $140 million of senior secured notes issued by an international aircraft operating lessor and secured by airframes, engines, spare parts, leases and other assets
• Institutional investors in their purchases of approximately $135 million of enhanced equipment trust certificates (EETCs) issued in connection with the leveraged lease of 10 Boeing B717 aircraft by a domestic air carrier
• Debt participants in their purchases of approximately $60 million of equipment notes issued in connection with the leveraged lease of two McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30 aircraft by a domestic air carrier which lease payments are guaranteed by the airframe manufacturer
• Debt participants in their purchases of approximately $35 million of equipment notes issued in connection with the leveraged lease of a Boeing 757 aircraft by an operating lessor and subleased to a domestic air carrier
• Debt participants in connection with the assignment by a domestic lessee of its interest in a leveraged lease of aircraft to a wholly-owned subsidiary of an airframe manufacturer and the sublease of such aircraft to a Philippines air carrier
• Institutional investors in connection with their purchases of approximately $35 million of senior secured notes issued to upgrade a jet fuel storage facility at a major U.S. airport which notes are secured by the obligations of the air carriers party to a cost sharing agreement
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Publications, Presentations & Recognitions

Publications

• “Leveraged Leasing From a Lender’s Viewpoint,” (co-author) in Equipment Leasing-Leveraged Leasing, 5th ed., The Practising Law Institute (1999)

Presentations

• “Special Considerations for Investments in REITs,” (moderator) American College of Investment Council 2017 Fall Annual Meeting and Education Conference, New York, N.Y. (Oct. 20, 2017)
• “Utility Financings,” (moderator) American College of Investment Counsel 2010 Annual Spring Investment Forum, Chicago, Ill. 

Mark has also spoken at client in-house seminars on legal and documentation issues arising in structured financings.

Recognitions

• Illinois Leading Lawyer, Law Bulletin’s Illinois Leading Lawyers Network (2008-2021)
• Top 250 Business Lawyers, Law Bulletin’s Illinois Leading Lawyers Network (2015)
• Illinois Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters (2006)

Boards, Memberships & Certifications

Boards

• American College of Investment Counsel, Board of Trustees (2007-2010)

Certifications

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)