Chris Molen has joined McGuireWoods’ Atlanta office as a partner, bringing deep knowledge of the leveraged finance and asset-based lending markets to the firm’s nationally respected Debt Finance Department.
Molen has more than 40 years of experience representing national banks, hedge funds, private equity funds and international financial institutions in transactions around the world. He leads secured and unsecured lending deals, with significant experience in the healthcare and communications sectors. He also advises on debt restructurings, workouts and bankruptcy matters.
Molen comes to McGuireWoods from King & Spalding.
Molen has held a Chambers USA Band 1 ranking — the highest possible — in banking and finance law for Georgia for 14 years in a row. He is a past president of the Atlanta Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth and a member of the Commercial Finance Association and the Turnaround Management Association.
“Chris is highly regarded for his debt finance experience and is a prominent member of the Atlanta bar,” said Chris Greene, debt finance lawyer and managing partner of McGuireWoods’ Atlanta office. “His experience will be invaluable to clients across the country. We are excited to welcome him to the firm.”
Raj Natarajan, chair of McGuireWoods’ Debt Finance Department, added, “Chris’ reputation as a major player in the financing world precedes him. His addition further enhances our formidable capabilities to deliver for clients in Atlanta, across the U.S., and around the world. We are delighted to welcome him to our team.”
McGuireWoods’ finance practice is one of the largest in the United States, with more than 90 debt finance lawyers in the U.S. and London. The firm represents each of the top 10 U.S. banks ranked by assets and has handled domestic and cross-border commitments exceeding $100 billion in each of the past eight years.
“McGuireWoods has a well-deserved reputation nationally as a powerhouse firm in the banking and financial services industry,” Molen said. “This is a great platform for my practice and I look forward to introducing my clients to McGuireWoods.”
McGuireWoods has developed nationwide programs to bring together investors and companies seeking financing, including its annual healthcare-focused private equity, lending and finance conference, which this year will be held Feb. 20-21 in Chicago. The firm earned a nationwide ranking in Chambers USA for its experience in healthcare transactional matters — as well as its regulatory, litigation and privacy work — and for its skill advising private equity firms and companies on investments and sales.
McGuireWoods was named 2019’s “Law Firm of the Year” for banking and finance law in U.S. News-Best Lawyers’ “ Best Law Firms.” In addition, The Best Lawyers in America recognized 25 McGuireWoods lawyers for banking and finance law, the most of any firm in the United States. McGuireWoods consistently ranks among the top five U.S. law firms by deal count and among the top 10 by dollar volume in Thomson Reuters’ league tables.