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Levi J. Smith
Associate
Email: lsmith@fredlaw.com
Office: 612.492.7489
Assistant: Karen Pajak, 612.492.7634
Overview
Levi represents lending institutions and borrowers in all aspects of commercial and real estate finance transactions.
Levi advises banks and other lending institutions on a variety of loan transactions and also represents private equity sponsors, corporate borrowers, and mezzanine lenders in commercial and real estate finance matters. Levi has experience with all types of loan transactions, including acquisition financings, real estate loans, senior and mezzanine debt, and secured and unsecured loans. Levi also has significant experience with mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and general corporate matters.
Experience
REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE
- Represents local and national banks and other lending instructions in a variety of loan transactions.
- Represents private equity sponsors and corporate borrowers in loans ranging in size from several million to over $500 million.
- Represents private equity sponsors in corporate transactions and general corporate matters.
- Represented bank in connection with $19,000,000 construction financing.
Articles & Presentations
Do Leveraged Lending Guidelines Reduce Risk?
September 1, 2017
Levi J. Smith & Devin T. Driscoll
In response to concerns over the systemic risk that leveraged lending can have on the financial system, federal regulations have attempted to limit this type of lending by prescribing various guidelines impacting the underwriting, originating, and servicing of leveraged loans.
Read MoreMinnesota’s New LLC Act: Update
June 1, 2016
Minnesota’s new limited liability company law took effect on August 1, 2015 (the New Act). Already, the Minnesota legislature has proposed a number of revisions to the New Act. These revisions, set to be adopted by the summer of 2016, will have a retroactive effective date of August 1, 2015.
Read MoreMinnesota’s New LLC Act: One Reason Banks Should Care
March 1, 2016
Minnesota’s new limited liability company (LLC) law took effect on August 1, 2015 (the New Act). The New Act applies to all LLCs formed in Minnesota after August 1, 2015. By January 1, 2018, the New Act will apply to all Minnesota LLCs, including those formed before August 1, 2015. The New Act governs the internal management of LLCs as well as LLCs’ relationships with third parties, such as banks. The New Act differs from the previous act in a number of consequential ways, especially for banks that enter into lending relationships with LLCs governed by the New Act.
Read MoreFiler Beware: A Lesson on the UCC-3 Termination Statement
March 2, 2015
In a ruling of much consequence to secured lenders everywhere, the Delaware Supreme Court held in Motors Liquidations v. JPMorgan Chase Bank that filing an incorrect UCC-3 termination statement can be a costly mistake.
Read MoreHonors & Education
EDUCATION
- University of Michigan Law School, J.D., 2014, magna cum laude
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, B.S., 2011, with distinction
BAR ADMISSIONS
- Minnesota, 2014
HONORS
- Minnesota State Bar Association, North Star Lawyer, 2015
- Contributing Editor, Michigan Journal of Law Reform, 2013-2014; Associate Editor 2012-2013
- Certificates of Merit in Land Use Planning and Control and Environmental Law and Policy, University of Michigan Law School