Lawyers / Professionals

Ms. Guth has practiced in the areas of municipal finance, commercial real estate financing and employee benefits since 1985. She serves as counsel to governmental issuers in connection with traditional financings, such as general obligation bonds, bond anticipation notes, revenue bonds for governmentally owned facilities (such as solid waste disposal facilities, parking facilities and hotels and conference centers), refunding bonds, equipment leasing, and participation in state and federal grant and loan programs.

She has also acted as bond counsel in numerous economic development revenue bond financings in Maryland for manufacturing facilities, multifamily housing and 501(c)(3) organizations. These financings have included publicly offered issues, private placements (including bank qualified issues), variable rate demand bonds and auction rate securities.

Ms. Guth has represented underwriters in publicly offered issues and limited offerings, including financing transactions for health care and senior living facilities, golf courses, elementary and secondary schools, and colleges and universities. She also regularly represents trustees in public finance transactions, and has significant experience in bond defaults and workouts.

Her practice also includes tax increment (TIF) and special taxing district financings. She has drafted state and local legislation authorizing the use of these financing techniques by Maryland counties and municipalities, including Baltimore City. She has represented issuers, underwriters, developers and trustees in connection with these financings throughout the mid-Atlantic region.

More recently, she has advised clients with respect to new financing options available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), including Build America Bonds, Recovery Zone Facility Bonds, and Recovery Zone Economic Development Bonds.

In addition to her public finance practice, Ms. Guth regularly represents lenders in commercial real estate transactions. She has advised lenders in connection with defaulted loans, including the negotiation of workout agreements and deeds in lieu of foreclosure. She also has significant foreclosure experience in Maryland, ranging from simple residential foreclosures, to more complex foreclosures involving commercial and residential rental properties and condominium regimes.

She also practices in the area of employee benefits, focusing exclusively on governmental pension plans and other employee benefits for governmental workers. She regularly advises clients regarding all aspects of administering pension plans, deferred compensation plans, and cafeteria plans, including investment of plan assets, qualified domestic relations orders, governmental pick-up plans and tax code compliance. She also has significant experience in the unique issues facing governmental plan sponsors, including fiduciary responsibilities of plan trustees, collective bargaining issues and plan amendments relating to reductions in force and decreases in benefits. She also advises clients with respect to the creation and administration of other post-employment benefits (OPEB) trusts.