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Thomas P. Lauth

Partner

For more than 25 years, Tom has focused his practice on a full range of public finance matters.

Tom has represented states, counties, cities, public authorities, hospitals, non-profit and for-profit corporations and limited liability companies, investment banking firms and other financial institutions in a variety of public finance matters as bond counsel, underwriter's counsel, disclosure counsel, borrower's counsel, trustee's counsel and issuer's counsel. These public finance matters have financed and refinanced the cost of acquiring, constructing and equipping hundreds of projects, including student housing, dining facilities, research facilities and other university facilities, hospitals and health care facilities, senior living facilities, mass transit facilities, public schools, private schools and charter schools, sports stadiums and arenas, convention centers, water and sewer projects, renewable energy projects, parks and greenspace, manufacturing facilities, P3 projects, courthouse facilities and other public projects.

The structures of these financings have ranged from the issuance of general obligation bonds, revenue bonds and certificates of participation to the structuring of tax increment financings and leveraged lease/lease-back financings and have utilized a vast array of financial structures and derivative products, including commercial paper, variable rate demand bonds, floating rate notes, liquidity facility secured debt, interest rate swaps, caps and collars and forward purchase agreements.

Tom has served as a moderator, panelist and speaker addressing numerous public finance topics at events and classes sponsored by the National Association of Bond Lawyers, the Georgia Charter Schools Association, the Council of Development Finance Agencies, The University of Georgia and Georgia State University.

Tom advises clients on a wide variety of business and legal issues, including state constitutional and statutory issues and federal tax and securities issues, primarily related to public finance matters.

 

  • Bond counsel to DeKalb County, Georgia in connection with the financing of various water and sewer, greenspace, parks, transportation and library projects through the issuance of tax-exempt bonds and notes in an aggregate principal amount in excess of $2.5 billion.
  • Disclosure counsel and issuer’s counsel to Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) in connection with the financing and refinancing of its rapid transit system through the issuance of its sales tax revenue bonds and commercial paper notes in an aggregate principal amount in excess of $5 billion and the leveraged lease financing of rolling stock and rail line assets valued at approximately $2 billion (2001 US Rail Deal of the Year Jane's Transport Finance and 2003 Deal of the Year – US Municipal Transportation).
  • Bond counsel to Chattanooga-Hamilton County Hospital Authority (dba Erlanger Heath System) in connection with the financing and refinancing of various capital improvements for its hospital facilities.
  • Bond counsel to State of Nevada, Office of the Treasurer, in connection with the financing and refinancing of more than 50 capital improvement and natural resources projects aggregating in excess of $4.5 billion in principal amount.
  • Bond counsel and underwriter's counsel to several national and regional investment banking firms in connection with the financing of dozens of student housing facilities, dining facilities, parking facilities, athletic facilities and related higher education projects located throughout the University System of Georgia, including The University of Georgia, Georgia State University, Augusta University, Kennesaw State University, University of West Georgia, Valdosta State University, Georgia Southern University, Georgia Gwinnett College, South Georgia State College, Georgia Highlands College, Gordon State College and Georgia Southwestern State University.

  • Chambers USA©, Public Finance, Georgia, 2024
  • The Best Lawyers in America®, Public Finance Law, 2022-2025
  • Georgia Trend’s Legal Elite – Public Finance, 2008, 2013, 2015-2023
  • Martindale-Hubbell®, "AV Preeminent" Rating