Our firm has one of the largest public finance practices in North Carolina. From 2005 through 2010, we served as bond counsel for North Carolina bond issues totaling more than $10.7 billion, according to Thomson Financial Securities Data. Best Lawyers® in America ranks Robinson Bradshaw number one among all North Carolina firms for Public Finance.
Governmental Bonds
Since 2003 we have served as bond counsel for almost $2.4 billion in State of North Carolina general obligation and limited obligation bonds. We serve as bond counsel for about 20 of North Carolina's 100 counties. These include Mecklenburg County, the state's largest, and other large counties located across the state: Gaston, Guilford and Durham. We also represent municipalities, authorities and districts located throughout North Carolina. The senior members of our group, Ed Lucas and Gundars Aperans (who spent 25 years at Brown & Wood in New York before joining Robinson Bradshaw), have more than 60 years of combined experience representing North Carolina governmental issuers.
Health Care Bonds
We have served as bond counsel, underwriter's counsel or borrower's counsel in more than 146 Medical Care Commission bond issues totaling approximately $7.6 billion. We have played a role in financings for practically every major health care system in North Carolina. For example, since 2001 we have served as bond counsel for approximately $800 million in tax-exempt financings for Duke University Health System. We also have served as bond counsel, underwriter's counsel or authority counsel for every Carolinas HealthCare System bond issue since the early 1980s.
Educational Bonds
Robinson Bradshaw has extensive experience in financings for private colleges and universities, UNC system campuses and private secondary schools, having served as bond counsel or underwriter’s counsel in 53 bond issues totaling approximately $4.1 billion. Since 2001 we have served as bond counsel for approximately $2 billion in bond issues for Duke University. We also serve as bond counsel for Davidson College and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and we have participated in bond issues for almost all major universities in North Carolina.
Exempt Facility and Industrial Development Bonds
Our attorneys have served as bond counsel or underwriter's counsel in hundreds of exempt facility and industrial development bond issues throughout the country, including bonds for multifamily housing, airports, docks and wharves, solid waste disposal facilities and pollution control facilities. Since 1999 we have served as bond counsel for approximately $800 million in exempt facility bonds for Duke Energy Corporation.
Variable Rate Bonds
Robinson Bradshaw has extensive experience with variable rate demand bonds ("VRDBs") . Since the late 1980s, we have drafted or maintained VRDB form documents for four different banks and assisted them in the development of new modes and products. Most recently, we have worked with Citigroup to develop the Window VRDB product. In 2009 we were hired by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association to serve as counsel for its Model Short-Term Products Working Group in developing model documents for the Window VRDB product.