Underwriters' Counsel

Hawkins is ranked as the #1 all-time underwriters’ counsel in the nation for public finance transactions.

Hawkins attorneys represent investment banking firms across the United States and the U.S. territories. We assist in the preparation of materials used in public or private securities offerings. The firm also assists underwriters with their due diligence responsibilities, and consults with the issuer and borrower regarding legal and practical sufficiency for disclosure purposes.

Serving as underwriters’ counsel, Hawkins has completed thousands of long term issues aggregating more than $528 billion. Our finance team regularly works with numerous leading investment banking firms in some of the most complex transactions done in all public finance sectors, including new money issues, refundings, variable, fixed and conversion rates, and tax-exempt and taxable financings. Our experience makes us uniquely qualified to provide the highest level of service.

Hawkins attorneys have a deep knowledge of the federal securities law.  The firm drafts and reviews the disclosure documents and analyzes financial structures to evaluate compliance with federal securities law requirements.  We are experts in MSRB rules and related SEC regulations.

We have drafted hundreds of offering documents, bond purchase agreements, continuing disclosure agreements, and remarketing agreements.  Hawkins also provides clients with negative assurance and opinion letters and blue sky law memoranda related to compliance with state securities laws.

Hawkins attorneys take their underwriters’ counsel responsibilities very seriously. We work closely with all the parties involved during each stage of the financing, providing clients with our expertise, comments and analysis. 

Our lawyers make every effort to become thoroughly conversant with the particular needs of each client and we continuously strive to assist our clients in implementing their overall policy objectives within the constraints of applicable state law, federal tax and securities laws and financial market considerations.

We understand underwriters’ needs and assist through the final stage of each transaction, overseeing the offering statement distribution and bringing the transaction to a successful and timely closing.

Hawkins’ underwriter’s counsel practice includes representation of all of the investment banking firms ranked in the top 10 by municipal bond issuance volume. Our engagements include financings for the following:

2 World Trade Center
3 World Trade Center
44th Street Development Corporation
7 World Trade Center
American Museum of Natural History
General Electric Capital Corporation
Health Quest Systems
Judicial Council of California
LaGuardia Gateway Partners
Lincoln Center For Performing Arts
Los Angeles International Airport
Mount Sinai Hospital
New York Botanical Gardens
One Bryant Park
Partners Healthcare System
Providence Health & Services
RAND Corporation
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Rockefeller University
San Francisco Ballet Association
San Francisco International Airports
Scripps Research Institute
Stanford University
The Brookings Institution
The Julliard School
University Hospital Health System
University of California
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Walt Disney Family Museum
Waste Management
Whitney Museum of American Art

Photo of Howard Berkman
Howard Berkman Retired Partner
Photo of John V. Connorton, Jr.
John V. Connorton, Jr. Retired Partner
Photo of Martin Geiger
Martin Geiger Retired Partner
Photo of Patricia Goins
Patricia Goins Retired Partner
Photo of Stanley Kramer
Stanley Kramer Retired Partner
Photo of John M. McNally
John M. McNally Retired Partner
Photo of Richard Van Dusen
Richard Van Dusen Of Counsel
Photo of T. Kam Wong
T. Kam Wong Retired Partner