Lisa Medina Williams Partner

Lisa’s practice primarily focuses on serving as bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel and bank counsel on tax-exempt bond financings. Her practice in private activity bond financings includes financings for retirement living facilities, hospitals, educational institutions, historical foundations and other nonprofit organizations. Lisa is experienced in governmental bond financings, including general obligation issues, revenue pledge issues, moral obligation financings, community development authorities and governmental leases, including building leases, equipment leases and energy equipment leases.

As bond counsel and borrower’s counsel, Lisa counsels clients on various corporate matters, including tax analysis under Section 103 of the Internal Revenue Code, real estate and credit issues, securities regulation, state and local government matters, and corporate governance.

In addition, as underwriter’s counsel, Lisa counsels clients on matters of disclosure and compliance with other securities laws and regulations.

Lisa has experience with various credits and security structures, including general obligation, revenue pledge, double barrel, moral obligation, unsecured, real estate backed, general revenue pledge, equipment leases, letter of credit backed, liquidity facility backed and unsecured. In addition, Lisa has experience with drafting complex credit documents, including structures with obligated groups, senior and subordinate debt, negatively pledged assets and multiple interest rate modes.

Lisa has counseled clients in legal matters regarding primary offerings, continuing disclosure and compliance with rules promulgated by the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board.

Lisa previously served as senior capital markets counsel for a national bank, where she focused on legal and regulatory matters for the bank’s public finance line of business.

Experience

Underwriter’s Counsel for a North Carolina continuing care retirement community for a series of refunding bonds to restructure certain of the community’s outstanding debt portfolio.

Bond Counsel for a Tennessee based non-profit health system for a series of financings and re-financings to put a new master trust indenture into place.

Underwriter’s Counsel for a California based non-profit health system in connection with the issuance of certificates of participation.

Bond counsel for a non-profit organization restructuring their debt in connection with a Chapter 11 restructuring.

Underwriters counsel on numerous financings and refinancings for continuing care retirement facilities.

Underwriter’s counsel on a multi-series financing and refinancing for a public university.

Bank counsel on numerous direct placement transactions.

Bond Counsel to numerous local government entities in connection with financing school improvements, courthouses, water and sewer projects, parking garages, roadway improvements, energy equipment and other public improvements.

Counsel to a national capital markets firm with respect to the implementation and compliance with MSRB Rule G-17.

  • University of Richmond School of Law, JD, magna cum laude, Manuscripts Editor and Staff, Richmond Journal of Global Law and Business, 2003
  • University of South Carolina, BS, cum laude, 2000

Member, Mecklenburg County Bar

Member, North Carolina Bar Association

Member, Virginia State Bar

Member, National Association of Bond Lawyers
- Fundamentals Faculty Member, 2019, 2020
- Fundamentals Steering Committee Member, 2020

Arts & Science Council, Board of Directors, 2019-2020
- Cultural Vision Grant Panel, 2019
- Chair, Creative Individual Advisory Council, 2020

Women in Public Finance, Virginia Chapter

Associate Member, North Carolina Government Finance Officers Association

Associate Member, North Carolina Association of Municipal Attorneys

Member, Leading Age North Carolina

  • Speaker, "Municipal Bond Financings Overview," VGFOA Professional Development Program, New Finance Director and Staff Orientation to Virginia Local Government Finance Southwest Higher Education, January 13, 2020
  • Speaker, "The Underwriting Process," Fundamentals Conference, National Association of Bond Lawyers, 2019
  • Speaker, "Underwriting Behind the Scenes," Fundamentals Conference, National Association of Bond Lawyers, 2019
  • Speaker, "Continuing Disclosure and Post Issuance Tax Compliance: Ten Frequently Asked Questions," Finance Symposium, Leading Age North Carolina/Leading Age Virginia, July 25, 2019
  • Speaker, Hot Topics and Best Practices: North Carolina Continuing Care Retirement Communities, May 21, 2019
  • Organizer and Moderator, Virginia Women in Public Finance Panel Discussion, "The Best Career You Never Heard About," Virginia Commonwealth University, 2014
  • Panelist, Virginia Women in Public Finance Panel Discussion, "The Best Career You Never Heard About," University of Virginia, 2013
  • Panelist, "Work Life Balance," University of Virginia, 2012
  • Speaker, "Your Legal Role in Tax- Exempt Financings," Virginia Industrial Development Authorities, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012
  • Speaker, "Your Legal Role in Economic Development," Virginia Industrial Development Authorities, 2008
  • North Carolina
  • Virginia

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Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, Public Finance Law, Woodward/White, Inc., 2021-2023

Named "Lawyer of the Year," Charlotte, Public Finance Law, The Best Lawyers in America, 2022

Named to "Virginia Rising Stars," Bonds/Government Finance, Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, 2009-2015

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