About me

Zach is a finance and real estate partner who advises lenders, sponsors, owner/operators, and public and private borrowers on complex, high-value corporate and real estate financing and acquisition transactions across the United States. Zach brings a pragmatic, solutions-oriented approach to structuring, drafting, and negotiating a broad range of debt and investment transactions. Zach has experience with senior secured syndicated and bilateral credit facilities; asset-based lending; mezzanine and senior subordinated financings; complex structured finance transactions, including asset securitizations; derivatives, including ISDA Master Agreements and related documentation; and private and public note offerings.

Zach has represented clients in corporate and real estate acquisition financings; project and construction financings; asset securitizations; bridge loans and equity lines of credit; letters of credit; and sophisticated derivatives and capital markets transactions, including interest rate and commodity hedging arrangements documented under ISDA Master Agreements, repurchase agreements under Master Repurchase Agreements, Master Securities Forward Transaction Agreements, and public and private note offerings.

In addition, Zach is experienced with complex real estate capital structures, has counseled firm clients on the formation and documentation of real estate joint ventures, programmatic and asset-level partnerships and preferred equity investments. Zach has also advised on acquisitions, acquisition loans (including agency debt), asset dispositions, defeasance transactions in connection with commercial real estate transactions.

As a member of the firm’s Opinion Committee, Zach is frequently engaged as Ohio local financing and real estate counsel on national and international loan and acquisition transactions, partnering with the lead deal teams to deliver efficient, commercially focused execution of Ohio local law issues and opinions.

Zach is knowledgeable on the complex legal and regulatory environment surrounding blockchain, tokenization and other digital asset technology, including as it relates to financing and other capital transactions, and regularly authors articles and speaks about these and related topics.

Representative Transactions include:

Finance

• Represented Greif Inc. in the refinancing of its syndicated credit facilities, consisting of a $800 million multi-currency revolving line of credit, $100 million term loan A-1 and a $400 million farm credit term loan.

• Advised a global leader in pre-hospital emergency care solutions on a bridge financing, including a senior secured term loan and asset‑based credit facilities.

• Advised a leading human resources, staffing, and IT agency on a structured finance facility, a senior credit facility, and a seller financing arrangement, all in connection with a change-of-control equity transaction.

• Advised Myers Industries, Inc. in a new $400 million incremental term loan used, in part, as the purchase price for the acquisition of Signature Systems.

• Advised a leading global financial services firm as lead arranger, administrative agent and collateral agent in a $150 million senior secured syndicated credit facility to the shareholders of a leading food supplier.

• Advised on complex due diligence and the structuring and negotiation of non‑recourse project financing for a private energy operator of six 21‑megawatt natural gas power plants in the Mid‑Atlantic, with a consortium of lenders advancing funds based on the projects’ aggregate risks and projected cash flows. The financing included derivatives documentation, intercreditor agreements, and account control agreements customary for project finance.

• Advised an aircraft leasing and air cargo transportation company in its $1.28 billion credit facility in connection with the financing of its acquisition of an aircraft management company and charter carrier, for a purchase price of $845 million

Securitizations/Derivatives

• Represented a global consumer lawn and garden products company in a $600 million accounts receivable securitization transaction.

• Regularly represents regional bank swap dealers and large corporate borrowers in their derivatives activities, including negotiating ISDA Master Agreements and other related documents, and providing regulatory advice in respect of a variety of matters under Dodd Frank.

Real Estate

• Regularly advises owner/operator sponsor of real estate in transactions involving multifamily and mixed-use properties in connection with structuring programmatic and asset-level partnerships and joint ventures.

• Advised a leading multifamily real estate investment sponsor on the acquisition and financing of three multifamily apartment complexes totaling nearly $275 million across the Southeast U.S.

• Advised on the due diligence, documentation and negotiation of a $60 million bridge to equity financing facility for a real estate investment firm from a super regional national banking association.

• Advised an owner and operator of a portfolio of multifamily properties in connection with a preferred equity financing transaction with a national diversified commercial real estate investment private equity firm.

• Assisted in the due diligence, structuring, drafting, and negotiation of development joint ventures, and advised large corporate borrowers on a public capital lease financing structure for national headquarters projects of large public and private companies in Ohio.

Zach received his J.D. with high distinction from the Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law, where he was an associate editor for the Ohio Northern University Law Review and a member of the Willis Society.  He received his B.A. summa cum laude from Wittenberg University.