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Morrison & Foerster’s Boston Office Enters Chambers USA Rankings

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ith the most recent edition of Chambers USA released last week, we are thrilled to share that our Boston office, which opened just last year, has been ranked in the Massachusetts Banking & Finance category. In addition, office managing partner David Ephraim entered the rankings for Massachusetts Banking & Finance, and partner Dennis Jenkins was elevated from Recognized Practitioner to a band ranking for Massachusetts Bankruptcy & Restructuring.

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<img src="https://media2.mofo.com/v3/images/blt5775cc69c999c255/bltbcf1bcbbd722d9c9/6273211c0cffdf1eb136a109/100418-chambers-usa-top-ranked-new.jpg?format=auto&quality=60" alt="Chambers USA Top Ranked 2020" align="left" type="asset" sys-style-type="download">With the most recent edition of Chambers USA released last week, we are thrilled to share that our <a href="/people/?office=1313171">Boston office</a>, which opened just last year, has been ranked in the Massachusetts Banking & Finance category. In addition, office managing partner David Ephraim entered the rankings for Massachusetts Banking & Finance, and partner Dennis Jenkins was elevated from Recognized Practitioner to a band ranking for Massachusetts Bankruptcy & Restructuring.Given Boston’s reputation as a powerhouse in technology, life sciences, venture capital, and private equity and the firm’s market-leading capabilities in these areas, office managing partner David Ephraim and Life Sciences Group chair Mike Ward had the following to share: “Being able to enter the reputable Chambers rankings within the first year is a great accomplishment for our lawyers. This achievement speaks to the impressive work that our team is handling and the presence we have established already within the Boston market. We are looking forward to showcasing our strengths in the technology, life sciences, finance, emerging companies, and venture capital practices once again in the year to come.”You can view the Chambers USA Massachusetts Banking & Finance review on the publication’s <a href="https://chambers.com/department/morrison-foerster-llp-banking-finance-usa-5:6:12703:1:7854" target="_blank">website</a>.

Morrison & Foerster’s Boston Office Enters Chambers USA Rankings

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David Ephraim serves as co-chair of Morrison Foerster’s Transactions Department and managing partner of the Boston office. He represents banks, other institutional lenders, debt and equity funds, commercial finance companies, mezzanine funds, second lien funds, and various other non–bank lenders.David represents clients on all aspects of secured lending, including asset–based financing, fund finance, venture debt, second lien financing, mezzanine financing, receivables financing, acquisition financing, syndications, loan restructurings, and workouts. A substantial part of his practice involves cross–border financing transactions.David has nationally recognized experience in, and is a frequent speaker on, secured lending in the areas of technology, life sciences, venture capital, and fund finance.David has been ranked in Band 3 in the area of Banking & Finance law by Chambers USA 2024, with commentators identifying him as “a ‘power player’ in the fund financing space.” Clients remark, “He's fantastic; he's a great listener and a great businessman who is able to take very complicated matters and simplify them so people who are not attorneys can understand."

David Ephraim

Partner

Michael (Mike) Ward is co-chair of the firm's Life Sciences + Healthcare Group, Patent Group, Intellectual Property Group, and Food + Agriculture Group.As co-chair of the Patent Group, Mike manages a team that includes 80+ Ph.D.s and 100+ attorneys and others with advanced scientific degrees in life sciences and related engineering disciplines. From small molecules and antibodies to gene editing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, MoFo has deep experience protecting some of the most important innovations in the life sciences and food and agriculture sectors.Life SciencesFor his work across the life sciences sector, Mike was named San Francisco Biotechnology Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in America in 2020 and is recommended for his patent strategy and prosecution practice in LMG Life Sciences. He also led the team that was named 2022 Patent Management and Strategy Firm of the Year at the 2022 LMG Life Sciences Americas Awards.Food + AgricultureRecognized as “one of the world’s foremost plant and agriculture IP lawyers,” Mike manages a wide range of intellectual property issues related to plants and plant products. He and his team advise clients on plant and plant utility patents; licensing agreements for plant IP; litigation in U.S. state and federal court and before the International Trade Commission; and regulatory approvals from the USDA, FDA, and EPA for gene edited and genetically engineered plants.Patent Strategy + ProsecutionMike is a Legal 500 US Hall of Fame lawyer for patent prosecution and is consistently named one of the leading IP lawyers by Managing Intellectual Property, Chambers USA and Chambers Global, and IAM Patent 1000.Mike works closely with many clients to develop and manage their patent portfolios. He helps clients identify, monitor, and assess the infringement risks of third-party patents. He also assists clients in preparing both offensive and defensive patent portfolios, with a particular emphasis on drafting patent applications that will be utilized in licensing and in litigation efforts.IP Due DiligenceFor venture capitalists seeking to invest in early- and mid-stage companies, underwriters involved in IPOs, and companies seeking to acquire or merge with other companies, Mike has managed extensive IP diligence. His work includes assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of patent portfolios, evaluation of freedom to operate issues, and strategic recommendations for maximizing the value of patent portfolios going forward.Mike also works closely with the IP Litigation Group on various litigation matters including patent interferences to determine the first-to-invent and patent re-examination work and actively participates in both mediation and arbitration proceedings on behalf of clients in the life sciences and food and agriculture areas.He is a frequent lecturer and speaker. Among numerous speaking engagements, Mike is the IP instructor at the UC Davis Licensing Academy and founded Morrison Foerster’s annual Harvard Biotechnology Club Fall Patent Law Course.Mike holds a Ph.D. in plant physiology (biochemistry) and an M.S. in agronomy from the University of California, Davis; a B.S. in biology from the University of California, Berkeley; and a J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law. He was a post-doctoral fellow in plant molecular biology at the Harvard Medical School and the Department of Molecular Biology at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he worked on the Arabidopsis genome project.

Michael Ward

Alex represents commercial banks and other financial institutions in secured lending transactions and debt restructurings. His work with lenders regularly involves structuring, negotiating, and documenting secured credit facilities, intercreditor agreements, restructured financing arrangements, modification agreements, and forbearance agreements. Alex also represents secured lenders in multi–jurisdiction and international lending transactions.When necessary, his practice also involves the enforcement of creditors’ rights, including real estate foreclosures, Article 9 secured party sales, and appearing on behalf of lenders in bankruptcy court.<h4>Representative Experience</h4><ul><li>Represented a secured lender in a revolving credit facility to a publicly traded pharmaceutical company.</li><li>Represented a secured lender in mezzanine financing for a manager of a multi–state university housing portfolio.</li><li>Represented a secured lender in the financing of an artificial intelligence developer.</li><li>Represented a secured lender in the restructuring of secured convertible debt to a multi‑state biodiesel producer.</li><li>Represented a secured lender and agents in the restructuring of a revolving credit facility to a national jewelry retailer.</li><li>Represented a secured lender in the organized liquidation of an automobile tire manufacturer and its Canadian affiliates.</li><li>Represented a secured lender in connection with the sale of a telecommunication company’s Canadian subsidiary.</li><li>Represented a secured lender in the secured party sale of stock in subsidiary telecommunications companies.</li><li>Represented a mezzanine lender in connection with the secured party sale of limited liability company membership interests in a borrower’s subsidiary.</li><li>Represented a secured lender in connection with a debtor–in–possession credit facility to a consumer drone manufacturer.</li></ul>

Alex Rheaume

Beth guides lenders on a broad range of financings across a variety of different structures. She represents banks and other financial institutions on all aspects of secured lending, including venture debt, asset-based financing, second lien financing, mezzanine financing, acquisition finance, and international financing transactions.A substantial part of Beth’s practice involves representing commercial lenders in both single lender and multi-lender transactions with regional, national, and international companies engaged in the areas of life sciences and technology. Beth is also an active member of the Greater Boston chapter of Women in Bio and a member of the board of Women in Law Empowerment Forum.

Beth H. Tunstall

Charles has extensive experience representing financial institutions, debt funds, and multi–lender syndicates in structuring, restructuring, and documenting complex domestic and cross–border financing transactions.Charles advises clients on all aspects of secured and unsecured lending, including cash flow finance, asset–based finance, and sponsor–backed leveraged buyouts. He often represents clients in connection with financings involving multiple tranches of debt including second lien, mezzanine, and unitranche facilities, and advises clients on complex intercreditor and subordination agreements.Charles also advises lenders with respect to the ongoing management of their relationships with borrowers in a variety of industries, including technology, software, manufacturing, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals.<h4>Representative Experience</h4><ul dir="ltr"><li>An agent in a $750 million senior secured revolving credit facility to an international cybersecurity company.</li><li dir="ltr">An agent in a $250 million senior secured credit facility to a consumer technology company.</li><li>An agent in a $90 million acquisition financing and working capital facility to an international technology company.</li><li>An agent in a $110 million senior secured working capital and term facility to an international software services company.</li><li>An agent in a $197.5 million unitranche credit facility in connection with the acquisition of a provider of software and hardware video solutions.</li><li>An agent in a $360 million working capital and acquisition facility to a global advisory and financial services company.</li><li>An agent in a $75 million senior secured working capital facility to an international technology company.</li><li>An agent in a $110 million restructuring of working capital and term facilities to an automotive industry consultant.</li><li>An agent in a $100 million senior secured working capital and real estate facility to a government defense contractor.</li></ul>

Charles Stavros

David represents banks and other institutional lenders, venture debt funds, and other mezzanine funds in single-lender and multi-lender financing arrangements with global companies in the areas of hardware, software, technology, fintech, life sciences, entertainment, cleantech, ESG, and renewable energy.The financing arrangements David has advised on include all aspects of secured and unsecured lending, including asset–based financing, SaaS financing, fintech, second lien financing, mezzanine financing, participation arrangements, syndications intercreditor agreements, subordination agreements, receivables purchase facilities, acquisition financing, loan restructurings, and workouts.A significant part of David’s experience involves international financing transactions, including the representation of global lenders in financing transactions with companies in England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Canada, Germany, Israel, France, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Singapore, Jersey, Guernsey, and Australia.David is also a member of our global Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) steering committee.

David Givner

Joe O’Donnell is a partner in Morrison Foerster’s Boston office. Joe represents banks and other financial institutions in syndicated and bilateral credit facilities with private equity and venture capital funds, including capital call/subscription lines of credit, NAV facilities, management company facilities, GP financings, portfolio company loans, and other products within the fund finance space.Joe also represents lenders in asset-based, second lien, and mezzanine lending transactions to foreign and domestic life sciences and technology companies. He previously served as a representative of the in-house legal department of a commercial bank under an 18-month secondment arrangement.

Joseph O'Donnell III

Guy McPherson’s practice focuses on real estate finance transactions, including representation of both borrowers and lenders in some of their largest and most complex matters.Guy has extensive experience with financing transactions of all types, including syndicated construction financing, acquisition financing, senior and subordinate debt arrangements, and revolving credit facilities. He also represents clients in the disposition and acquisition of real estate assets and in real estate joint ventures. Guy’s practice also involves representing funds and lenders in connection with subscription line credit facilities. His experience extends to a variety of real estate asset types, including office, commercial, retail, industrial, multi-family, and hospitality.Guy is a member of the Distressed Real Estate Group and represents clients in workouts and restructurings. Guy is recommended by Best Lawyers in America 2023.Guy received his J.D. magna cum laude from Fordham University School of Law, where he served as an associate editor of the Fordham Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. While at Fordham, Guy published a student note in the Fordham Law Review on the subject of rent regulations in New York City.

Guy McPherson

Of Counsel

Ellis Telford is of counsel in the firm’s Boston office and a member of the Finance Group.Mr. Telford brings to the firm 30 years of experience in representing technology companies and their investors in a wide range of transactions, including initial formation of both companies and private equity funds, equity and debt financings (representing companies and investors), contracts, joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions, and public offerings. His career includes, in addition to private practice, having served as general counsel to a telecommunications company that raised more than $350 million in investor financing, including a $100 million public bond offering.A substantial part of Mr. Telford’s recent practice has involved representing debt funds and lending institutions in acquisitions and dispositions of borrower equity securities. In addition, Mr. Telford recently represented a large regional bank and a national hotel chain in the redevelopment of their substantial information technology contract bases.

Q. Ellis Telford

Benjamin Rosenzweig is an associate in the firm’s Finance Group.Mr. Rosenzweig’s practice is primarily focused on representing banks and other financial institutions in single- and multi-lender transactions with regional, national, and international companies engaged in the areas of technology and life science, and private equity and venture capital funds and their portfolio companies.Mr. Rosenzweig represents clients in all aspects of secured lending, including venture debt, asset-based financing, second lien financing, mezzanine financing, acquisition finance, international financing transactions.

Benjamin Rosenzweig

Associate

Da’s practice is primarily focused on representing banks and other financial institutions in single- and multi-lender transactions with regional, national, and international companies engaged in the areas of life science and technology as well as private equity and venture capital funds and their portfolio companies.Prior to joining Morrison Foerster, Da was an associate in another large law firm representing private equity firms, portfolio companies, and corporate borrowers in debt financing transactions, including secured and unsecured senior and subordinated acquisition financing, recapitalization, working capital facilities, and receivables financing. Previously in her career, Da represented state-owned oil and gas companies and governments in connection with infrastructure, natural resource, and energy projects and project finance transactions with state-owned and private Chinese banks, and state-owned Chinese petroleum companies and contractors, and advised on the sale and acquisition of renewable energy projects in Latin America.

Da Mao

Daniel Gonzalez is an associate in the firm’s Finance Group.Mr. Gonzalez’s practice is primarily focused on representing banks and other financial institutions in single- and multi-lender transactions with regional, national, and international companies engaged in the areas of technology and life science.

Daniel Gonzalez

Ian Hohmeister is a member of the Transactions Department and the Finance Group, based in Boston.His practice focuses on representing leading banks, private credit, and other financial institutions in transactions with both U.S. and international companies in the areas of technology, life sciences, and hardware. A significant portion of his practice and experience involves transactions with Fintech companies and he has expertise in the area of lending to entities engaged in digital assets (cryptocurrency and NFTs).In addition to his commercial finance practice, he has experience in the acquisition, disposition, financing, and leasing of commercial real estate. He received his J.D. from Suffolk University Law School and his B.A. from the University of Massachusetts.

Ian Hohmeister

Josh Pierce has a decade of experience working with clients on commercial real estate matters, with a particular focus on the acquisition, financing, and disposition of U.S. real estate assets.Josh represents domestic and foreign investors (including private equity and investment fund sponsors) in large-scale acquisitions, financings, and dispositions of U.S. commercial real estate assets and in the structuring and documentation of strategic joint ventures and direct investments in U.S. commercial real estate assets. His practice frequently involves the representation of foreign institutions making in-bound investments into the United States.Josh also represents institutional lenders providing financing to commercial real estate projects and borrowers throughout the United States and abroad with respect to a wide variety of asset classes, including office building, multi-family, hotel, industrial, condominium, and land deals. He regularly represents lenders in connection with construction, mortgage, and mezzanine loans; fund, REIT, and bond transactions; sale-leasebacks; unsecured lines of credit; and warehouse lines of credit.Prior to joining Morrison Foerster, Josh worked in the finance group of a law firm in New York, as well as at the U.S. Department of State in the Office of the Legal Adviser.Josh received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2009, where he was the notes and articles editor of the Georgetown Journal of International Law. Josh is admitted to the bar in New York and Massachusetts.

Joshua Pierce

Maria Strickland is a partner in the firm’s Finance Group. Ms. Strickland’s practice is focused on representing banks and other financial institutions in single-lender and syndicated financing transactions with foreign and domestic private equity and venture capital funds, their general partners, management companies, and portfolio companies. Ms. Strickland has extensive experience advising clients on complex documentation, structuring and cross-border issues in connection with subscription facilities, capital call facilities, NAV-based facilities, GP and management facilities, fund guarantees and intercreditor agreements.Previously in her career, Ms. Strickland served as a law clerk to the Honorable John S. Dalis, United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Southern District of Georgia.While receiving her J.D. from Boston College Law School, Ms. Strickland was a senior editor of the Uniform Commercial Code Reporter-Digest.

Maria Jones Strickland

Matthew Hadge is an associate in the firm’s Finance Group.Mr. Hadge’s practice is focused on representing banks and other financial institutions in both single- and multi-lender financing transactions involving private equity and venture capital funds and their portfolio companies.Mr. Hadge has also represented clients on a wide variety of commercial financing matters.

Matthew Hadge

Mr. Queenan’s practice is focused on representing financial institutions in the origination and modification of commercial loan facilities.Mr. Queenan has advised lenders with respect to single- and multi-lender financing transactions, as well as syndicated facilities and participations. He also has experience representing clients in commercial real estate transfers and general corporate matters.Representative Transactions*<ul class="li-margin"><li>An agent in a $100 million senior secured borrowing base revolver with sublimits for swingline loans and letters of credit to a cybersecurity technology company.</li><li>A lender in a $30 million senior secured borrowing base revolver with a sublimit for letters of credit to a furniture company.</li><li>An agent in a $10 million term loan facility to global clothing manufacturer.</li><li>A lender in a $4 million term loan facility with multiple tranches to a SaaS optimization platform provider.</li></ul>*Includes Prior Law Firm Experience

Stephen Queenan

Will Gerber is of counsel in the firm’s Finance Group.Mr. Gerber’s practice focuses on representing banks and other financial institutions in transactions with companies in the areas of technology and life sciences, with a particular focus on asset-based financing, SaaS financing, second lien financing, mezzanine financing, and loan restructurings.

Will Gerber

Zack represents and advises banks, private debt funds, business development companies, asset managers, and other finance companies in connection with asset-based and cash-flow lending structured as single-lender/club and syndicated first and second lien, senior secured, unsecured, or subordinated mezzanine financings that facilitate acquisitions, recapitalizations, and cross-border transactions touching upon industries including airline and shipping, healthcare, professional services, retail, sports franchises, and technology.Prior to joining Morrison Foerster, Zack was an associate in another large law firm’s private credit group. He also previously worked on a variety of securities litigation and regulatory investigations and, during law school, in the legal departments of State Street Corporation and The Kraft Group LLC / New England Patriots LP.