DLA Piper welcomes Joseph Stefano as a partner in the Finance group

DLA Piper is pleased to welcome New York-based partner Joe Stefano to the firm’s Finance group.

Joe has over 25 years of extensive experience structuring and restructuring a broad range of secured and unsecured financings in connection with corporate finance, trade and export finance, big ticket asset finance and project, energy and infrastructure finance transactions, including with many bespoke or first of their kind structures.

He regularly advises banks (in their capacity as lender, arranger, agent or trustee), financial services companies, insurance companies, funds, multi-lateral and government agencies, airlines, leasing companies and other corporate clients, providing him with an invaluable 360° perspective of transactional issues. He has deep cross border transaction experience, having closed transactions involving parties based in more than 70 different jurisdictions.

Some of his noteworthy experience includes representing the lead arrangers and lenders in connection with a series of credit facilities providing financing of US$3 billion of equipment for a telecommunications company, supported by three different export credit agencies; representing a US-based special situations and alternative credit provider in connection with a secured borrowing base facility for an automobile rental company; and representing the sole structurer and arranger in connection with a first of its kind “Blue Bonds” transaction that provided financing to a Central American country enabling it to restructure its sovereign debt and establish a marine conservation fund, with the benefit of political risk insurance.

“Joe’s asset-based lending experience, trade and export finance practice and lender agency and trustee work will be a significant addition to our institutional lender-based Finance practice,” said John Cusack, global co-chair of the firm’s Finance practice.

“With his robust structured lending and asset finance practice, the New York office is confident that Joe’s experience will be a major attraction for our Finance clients,” said Cara Edwards, managing partner of the firm’s New York office.