Craig D. Mills, PC

My focus

Leveraged Finance

My practice focuses on representing financial institutions, including banks, mutual fund companies and other providers of capital, in a wide range of domestic and international secured and unsecured commercial loan transactions and structured finance matters. I have extensive experience representing clients in complex, multibank syndicated credit transactions, subordinated debt facilities, mezzanine finance transactions, securitization transactions, inter-creditor agreements, workouts, restructurings and other related matters. I maintain a substantial practice representing banks and mutual fund companies that invest in syndicated credit facilities and am regarded as an authority on the issues affecting such investors. In addition to representing financial institutions, I have extensive experience representing borrowers and issuers when they are entering into loan and credit arrangements with financial institutions, issuing bonds and notes and entering into commercial paper facilities.

Equipment Finance

I also represent banks and leasing companies when they buy, sell, lease, finance and remarket all types of equipment, including private and commercial aircraft, vessels, railcars and other large-ticket equipment. I have extensive experience representing lessees and other users of equipment. I regularly work on distressed asset situations and work closely with our bankruptcy and insolvency lawyers as well as our litigators when necessary to achieve our clients’ objectives.

General Business Counseling

I represent numerous emerging growth and middle market, generally privately held companies, serving in the role of outside general counsel to these companies and as a trusted business advisor to management. In that role, I advise senior management on important legal and business issues they face and, in addition to representing them on their financing needs, coordinate other firm attorneys, including litigators, labor lawyers, real estate lawyers and tax lawyers when necessary.

Representative experience

Investor

• Bank loan funds managed by a large mutual fund complex in hundreds of investments each year in term B tranches of large syndicated non-investment grade loan transactions
• Various institutions in dozens of investments in the form of assignments and participations in middle market and upper middle market transactions

Borrower/Issuer

• A multinational leading premium wine and beer company, in the following transactions:
  • Bridge and acquisition financings aggregating more than $10.3 billion, including in connection with its $4.75 billion acquisition of a major U.S. beer business
  • Multiple secured credit facilities  consisting of domestic and European tranches aggregating $5B+ with a large syndicate of bank and financial institutions
  • A $400+ million trade receivables securitization with a foreign conduit provider and domestic bank
• A diversified global logistics and transportation services company on multiple revolver, term loan and ABL financings, together with ship construction financings, aggregating many hundreds of millions of dollars of financing
• A leading financial services firm on more than $3 billion in secured and unsecured financing facilities for its investment funds
• A leading business process and document management company on its $2 billion investment grade credit facility
• Numerous trade receivables factoring transactions totaling $600 million for a large multinational company
• Numerous equipment lease receivables securitizations totaling $550 million for a global manufacturer
• A Fortune 200 equipment manufacturer in a $380 million trade receivables securitization
• A consumer products company on its $150 million first and second lien credit facilities
• A large defense contractor on its $130 million senior secured revolving credit facility and $40 million subordinated term loan facility
• A leading office supplier on its $260 million senior secured credit facilities

Aviation Finance

• Representation of a major independent leasing company in connection with the acquisition, restructuring and financing with a consortium of European financial institutions of three $75MM Airbus A340-300 aircraft on lease to Cathay Pacific Airways.
• Representation of a major leasing company in connection with the acquisition of three McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 aircraft, the subsequent leasing to Federal Express Corporation and related financings with AIG SunAmerica and Credit Industriel et Commercial.
• Representation of equity participants in connection with a sale leaseback and financing of one $32M Boeing  767-300 aircraft with Scandinavian Airlines System and related financing with Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi.
• Representation of equity participants in connection with the acquisition of multiple groups of rotables aircraft parts from AAR Corp., subject to lease to Sabena.
• Representation of equity participants in connection with the acquisition of rotables aircraft parts from AAR Corp., subject to lease to Air Atlanta Icelandic.
• Representation of equity participants in connection with the acquisition of two $18M McDonnell Douglas MD-83 aircraft, subsequent leasing to Aerovias de Mexico, S.A. and related financing with FINOVA Capital Corporation.
• Representation of equity participants in connection with the acquisition of two Boeing 737-236 aircraft, subsequent leasing to Lan Chile Airlines and related financing with Transamerica Business Credit Corporation.
• Representation of a large bank leasing company in connection with the financing of various corporate aircraft with private client customers.
• Representation of equity participants in connection with the lease of a Boeing 737-400 aircraft to Connexion by Boeing and related financing of same with Transamerica Equipment Finance.
• Representation of a bank in connection with the purchase of ten Shorts SD3-60 aircraft from various sellers, the leasing and subleasing of same to various lessees and related financings with a variety of lenders, and subsequent sale of each aircraft of various buyers.
• Representation of equity participants in connection with the lease of a Boeing 737-400 aircraft to Sky Airlines (Turkey) and related financing with Transamerica Equipment Finance.
• Representation of a bank in connection with the purchase of four Aerospatiale/Aeritalia ATR 42-320 aircraft, the leasing of same to Continental Airlines, Inc., the related financing of each aircraft with a domestic lender and the subsequent sale of each aircraft to a third party equity provider.
• Representation of a leasing company in connection with the friendly foreclosure of several Boeing aircraft off lease.
• Representation of the equity participant in the purchase leaseback of Boeing 737-300 aircraft with Dutch carrier and subsequent wet lease arrangements.
• Representation of owner in restructure of lease arrangements with respect to Boeing 737-400 aircraft under lease with a Belgian carrier.
• Representation of equity investor in restructure of aircraft leases in bankruptcy relating to Dornier 328-100 series aircraft.
• Representation of lessee in connection with the lease of Hawker 800XP aircraft to Turkish lessee.

Maritime Finance

• Advised the equity in purchase of three car carrier vessels from Actinor Car Carrier IAS subject to charters with Wilhelmsen Lines Shipowning AS and related acquisition financing with Fortis Capital Corp. and Danmarks Skibskreditfond
• Advised the equity in purchase charterback of 80,000 DWT doublehull shuttle tanker to domestic lessee
• Advised the lender in purchase charterback of 40 open top hopper vessels with Indiana Michigan Power Company and related financing with John Hancock Leasing and later sale of the same portfolio to Genesis Capital Leasing Corporation.
• Advised the equity in purchase charterback of three container ships from Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. and the related acquisition financing with Fortis Capital Corp.
• Advised the lessor in the financing of intermodal shipping containers in an investment structure with a foreign bank
• Advised the equity in purchase charterback of three groups of barges and the related acquisition financing with Key Corporate Capital and Fleet Capital Corp.