The Governmental Services & Finance Department of Barnes & Thornburg offers a full range of federal, state, and local government-related legal services to business and government clients. The firm has involved lawyers from its various areas of practice in organizing this department, creating a multidisciplinary team to meet the vast and varying needs of our clients.
Legal Services. Barnes & Thornburg offers comprehensive legal services to the governmental finance market. We have served as bond counsel, underwriters' counsel, issuer's counsel, borrower's counsel, credit provider's counsel, trustee's counsel, disclosure counsel, special tax counsel and tax controversy counsel.
Clients. Our clients range from small, first-time borrowers to large institutions that regularly access the capital markets. We have assisted in financings for many types of borrowers, including state instrumentalities, bond banks, counties, cities, towns, townships, school corporations, libraries, redevelopment commissions, redevelopment authorities, economic development commissions, airport authorities, hospital authorities, housing authorities, conservancy districts, nonprofit organizations and government officials.
Projects. We have participated in financing a variety of public and private projects, including public buildings, correctional facilities, police and fire stations, public schools, libraries, sewage works, water works, economic development projects, redevelopment projects, manufacturing facilities, highways, roads, streets and bridges, airports, solid waste disposal facilities, housing, hospitals and other health care facilities, retirement communities, private schools, cultural facilities and working capital.
Financings. We design financings to meet our clients' objectives. We have served as bond counsel in connection with the issuance of general obligation bonds, revenue bonds, lease financings, tax increment bonds, bond anticipation notes, variable rate bonds, commercial paper and pooled financings.
Derivative Securities. The capital markets have developed numerous "derivative" securities, which "derive" their value from the value, or change in value, of other financial instruments or indices. We have counseled our clients on a variety of investment and hedging products, including interest rate swaps, caps, floors and collars, forward contracts, option contracts, guaranteed investment contracts and collateralized repurchase agreements.