Thomas C. Mellor represents clients in structuring and negotiating a broad variety of finance transactions in the United States and globally. Tom’s broad range of experience has made him a sought-after advisor for financings with structural, intercreditor, cross-border, or other sorts of complexity. A frequent speaker and writer on finance topics, Tom is recognized as a leading lawyer in banking and finance in Chambers Global, Chambers USA, Chambers Latin America, Legal 500 Latin America, IFLR1000, and Latinvex. Tom serves as co-chair of the firm’s Latin America practice.
Tom’s experience includes leveraged transactions, acquisition financings, project financings, securitization transactions, and restructuring transactions. Tom also has considerable experience in certain alternative asset classes, including litigation funding and venture debt.
In partnership with the Loan Syndications and Trading Association (LSTA), the Loan Market Association (LMA), and the Asia Pacific Loan Market Association (APLMA), Tom serves as the contributing editor of The International Comparative Legal Guide to Lending and Secured Finance, published by Global Legal Group (2012–2021).
Leveraged and Acquisition Finance. Tom and his team represent banks and private credit providers in complex leveraged financings, including acquisition financings, recapitalizations, complex asset-based financings, and special situation financings. Tom and his team have deep experience in first lien, second lien, mezzanine and first-out/last-out financings, and related intercreditor arrangements, working with clients in many cases to develop innovative structures and solutions.
Latin American Finance. Tom has deep experience representing lenders in a wide variety of finance transactions in Latin America, from unsecured bilateral lending transactions to more complex secured acquisition financings, securitizations, project financings, and capital markets transactions. Tom serves as co-chair of the firm’s Latin America practice.
Litigation Funding. Tom represents leading litigation funders in structuring and negotiating innovative financing solutions for the litigation funding market, both in the United States and globally. Tom has negotiated over 100 litigation funding transactions over the last 10 years. Given his breadth of experience in this sector, Tom has a unique perspective on the benefits and risks of litigation funding for investors and funded parties, the issues that commonly arise in negotiation of these transactions (including economics) and what types of opportunities will be the most attractive to investors.
Venture Debt. Tom and his team represent a number of venture debt providers, are well-versed in the issues that arise in venture debt transactions, and have developed template venture debt documentation for a number of venture debt clients.
Restructuring Transactions. Tom and his team have deep experience in financial restructurings in the United States and globally (and Latin America in particular). Tom and the team are highly sought-after problem solvers for troubled situations that require creative solutions and outcomes.
Japanese Syndicated Lending. Working closely with the Morgan Lewis Tokyo office, Tom represents a number of Japanese banks that have arranged Yen-denominated cross-border syndicated loans (so-called “Samurai loans”) for non-Japanese borrowers.
Project Finance, Structured Finance, and Hybrid Transactions. Tom has experience representing lenders on a variety of project financings, especially project financings in the telecoms, renewables, and natural resources areas in the United States and Latin America. Tom works closely with the market-leading Morgan Lewis structured finance team on structured finance and securitization-hybrid transactions in Latin America.
Nonprofit Financings. Tom works closely with the firm’s leading tax-exempt organizations practice and has negotiated credit facilities for a number of the worlds’ leading foundations and cultural institutions.
Leveraged and Acquisition Finance
Latin American Finance
Litigation Funding
Venture Debt
Restructuring Transactions
Project Finance, Structured Finance and Hybrid Transactions
Japanese Syndicated Lending
Nonprofit Financings
Community Service and Pro Bono
Fellow, American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers
Recognized, International Trade and Finance Law, New York, The Best Lawyers in America (2023)
Ranked, Banking & Finance, Latin America, Chambers Global (2012–2023)
Ranked, Banking & Finance, USA, Chambers Global (2023)
Ranked, Chambers USA (2011–2012, 2014–2019)
Ranked, Chambers Latin America (2014–2021)
Recommended, The Legal 500 US (2016, 2019, 2020)
Recommended, Focus on Mexico, The Legal 500 Private Practice Powerlist: US-Mexico (2017–2022)
Recommended, Corporate and M&A, The Legal 500 Latin America (2023)
Recommended, Projects and Energy, The Legal 500 Latin America (2023)
Recommended, Banking and Finance, The Legal 500 Latin America (2013–2023)
Recommended, Capital Markets, The Legal 500 Latin America (2019)
Notable Practitioner, IFLR1000 Financial and Corporate (2022)
Rising Star, Banking and Finance, IFLR1000 (2014–2021)
Ranked, Latinvex, Latin America’s Top 100 Lawyers (2014–2022)
Deal of the Year: North American Renewables Deal of the Year, Regulus Project, Infrastructure Journal and Project Finance Magazine (2015)
Deal of the Year: Restructuring Deal of the Year, Petrozuata Project, Latin Lawyer (2008)
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