About Michael G. Melzer

Michael Melzer paves the way for his clients to secure the financing they need to build for the future. Michael focuses on public finance matters and understands how to navigate regulatory requirements and find mutually beneficial solutions for every member of the deal team. He excels at creating or improving complex and novel financial structures, and his clients rely on him over and over again for his quick turnarounds and nimble problem-solving.

Smooth, efficient financing execution

Michael primarily works with state and local governments, leading investment banks, nonprofit entities and large institutional investors. He understands the importance of spotting potential issues well in advance, which allows him to efficiently handle complex transactions under tight time constraints.

In addition to his financing practice, Michael helps clients deal with regulatory enforcement actions, interest rate swaps and other financial derivative agreements, and nonprofit/for-profit mergers and acquisitions.

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Practice Focus

  • Public, private and restricted bond and other debt financings
  • Public-private partnerships
  • Infrastructure and project finance
  • IRS and SEC regulatory enforcement actions and compliance reviews
  • Municipal workouts and restructuring

Representative Experience

  • Bond counsel for more than $14 billion general obligation bonds; $6 billion airport revenue bonds; $54 billion convention, hotel and sports facility revenue bonds; $2.6 billion electric system revenue bonds; $1.8 billion health care and senior living revenue bonds; $1.3 billion of Liberty Bonds; $1.3 billion passenger rail bonds and notes; $1.3 billion clean and drinking water state revolving fund bonds; $675 million higher education revenue bonds and certificates of participation; $600 million park district and harbor bonds; $400 million wastewater revenue bonds; and $3.5 billion of tax-exempt commercial paper.
  • Underwriter's or disclosure counsel for more than $5.6 billion airport revenue bonds; $5.3 billion general obligation bonds; $4.4 billion electric system revenue bonds; $3.3 billion health care and senior living revenue bonds; $1.5 billion higher education revenue bonds; $1.1 billion of PILOT Revenue Bonds; $700 million wastewater revenue bonds; $600 million municipal lease revenue bonds, including 63-20 bonds; and $375 million multifamily housing bonds.
  • Borrower's or special counsel for more than $4.8 billion tax anticipation and general obligation bonds and notes; $2.2 billion higher education revenue bonds; $1.2 billion multifamily housing bonds; $600 million health care and senior living revenue bonds; $400 million pollution control bonds; and $185 million fixed-base operator revenue bonds.
  • Placement agent or purchaser's counsel for more than $5.5 billion passenger rail revenue bonds; $295 million state general obligation bonds; $275 million wastewater revenue bonds; $255 million of dock and wharf revenue bonds; $160 million multifamily housing revenue bonds; and $40 million surface water revenue bonds.
  • Counsel involving energy-as-a-service and public-private partnerships for airport passenger terminal facilities; consolidated rental car facilities; water and sewer utility systems; higher education facilities; healthcare facilities, public infrastructure and parking systems and garages.
  • Tax counsel for IRS ruling requests including private use of tax-advantaged financed hotel and sporting facilities; IRS audit defense; and the organization of, and exemption application for, nonprofit entities.
  • Regulatory counsel to seven national underwriting firms and dozens of issuers and obligated persons in connection with the SEC's MCDC initiative; counsel to underwriting firms and municipal advisors in SEC and MSRB enforcement actions including pay-to-play and Rule 15c2-12 enforcement actions.
  • Counsel in workouts involving Florida, Illinois, Indiana and Washington conduit revenue bonds; Indiana, New York and Tennessee low-income and tax credit housing facilities; special service area bonds; and road district debt certificates.
  • Counsel to municipal corporations navigating disclosure, contractual implications and legislative remedies for non-appropriation events.
  • Counsel for state Medicaid and other vendor payment programs.

Presentations and Events