Hawkins is proud to have served as special and lead outside counsel on two financings that were finalists for The Bond Buyer deal of the year award for 2021 and winners in their respective categories. This year’s deals reflect the substantial expertise of Hawkins’ transportation industry attorneys.
Winner of the Northeast Region Deal of the Year was the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA) (MTA Bridges and Tunnels) $1.2 billion offering. As special disclosure counsel, Hawkins lawyers worked on all aspects of the Authority’s debt financing under the Payroll Mobility Tax obligation resolution, including drafting the official statement. The attorneys working on the transaction were Stanley Kramer, Samuel Litton and Eric Taylor.
Winner of the Public-Private Partnership Deal of the Year was the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA) Service Areas project. Hawkins attorneys served as lead outside counsel to the NYSTA in connection with this public-private partnership (P3) project to redevelop, operate, maintain and manage all 27 service areas located on the New York State Thruway. The scope of legal services provided by Hawkins included assisting the NYSTA in the procurement, drafting and negotiation of the P3 lease agreement, as well as assisting in the achievement of commercial and financial close, including reviewing and commenting on all financing documents relating to the $269 million tax-exempt private activity bond financing. The P3 legal advisory team was led by Joseph Sullivan, Christopher Taylor and Stanley Kramer.
Hawkins attorneys regularly serve as counsel for bond transactions, procurement and contract counsel for the construction and financings of large-scale transportation projects throughout the United States.
When judging entries, The Bond Buyer’s editorial board evaluated a range of factors, including: creativity, the ability to pull a complex transaction together under challenging conditions, the potential for the deal to serve as a model for other financings and the public purpose of the deal. The Bond Buyer launched the Deal of the Year awards in 2002. Hawkins is honored to have participated in 27 Deal of the Year transactions.
