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MelissaBennett

She | Her | Hers

Partner

"I enjoy the collegial atmosphere of my field and the challenge of sorting out a good puzzle when structuring transactions."

Overview

Biography

Melissa is co-chair of the Public Finance Practice Area. She serves as bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel, borrower’s counsel, and counsel to credit-enhancement providers and direct purchasers on a variety of general obligation and revenue bond transactions, including financings for school districts, municipalities, higher education institutions, health care providers, and affordable housing projects. Melissa has extensive experience handling public offerings, private placements, and direct purchases.

Melissa also serves as agency counsel to several industrial development agencies and local development corporations in connection with straight-lease transactions and tax-exempt and taxable revenue bond issuances and provides day-to-day advice to IDA and LDC clients on compliance and governance.

Bar Associations

  • New York State Bar Association

Selected Memberships & Affiliations

  • Barclay Damon’s Women’s Forum
  • National Association of Bond Lawyers
  • New York State Economic Development Council
  • New York State Association of School Business Officials
  • New York State Government Finance Officers’ Association

Languages

  • French
Experience

Representative Experience

  • Served as bond counsel for the New York State Housing Finance Agency's issuance of $209,640,000 Affordable Housing Revenue Bonds, 2021 Series D, E, and F. 
  • Served as bond counsel for the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York's $335,230,000 School Districts Revenue Bond Financing Program, Series 2021A–C.
  • Served as bond counsel for the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York's $28,185,000 InterAgency Council Pooled Loan Program Revenue Bonds, Series 2021A. 
  • Served as bond counsel for the Suffolk County Economic Development Corporation's issuance of $35,655,000 Revenue Bonds, Series 2021 (St. Johnland Assisted Living, Inc. Project).
  • Served as underwriters' counsel for the County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency's $44,685,000 School Facility Revenue Bonds, Series 2020 (Rochester Schools Modernization Project).
  • Served as underwriters’ counsel for the NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation’s $258,340,000 State Clean Water and Drinking Water Revolving Funds Revenue Bonds (New York City Municipal Water Finance Authority Projects – Second Resolution Bonds) Series 2018 B Subordinated SRF Bonds.
  • Served as underwriters’ counsel for Golden State Tobacco Securitization Corporation’s $1,674,650,000 Tobacco Settlement Asset-Backed Bonds, Series 2018A-1.
  • Served as bond counsel for the Town of Colonie Local Development Corporation’s $12,500,000 Tax-Exempt Revenue Bond (Shaker Pointe at Carondelet, Inc. Project), Series 2018.
  • Served as transaction counsel to Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency in a straight-lease transaction for a $40 million senior living facility involving multiple corporate layers and requiring complex document structuring and significant mortgage negotiations.

Prior Experience

  • Preservation of Affordable Housing, Inc., Legal Intern
  • University at Buffalo School of Law Affordable Housing Clinic, Student Attorney
  • Hiscock & Barclay, LLP, Legal Assistant

Selected Honors

  • The Best Lawyers in America®: Public Finance Law, 2023–2025
  • City & State New York, Albany 40 Under 40, 2022; Upstate Power 100 List, 2024
  • Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, Justice for All Award (Individual), 2024
  • The Bond Buyer, Rising Stars, 2022
  • Selected to Super Lawyers Upstate New York Rising Stars: Government Finance, 2019–2021
Knowledge

Selected Speaking Engagements

  • NYS Economic Development Council, 2024 Fall IDA Academy, "IDA Case Studies and Best Practices – Part II – Adaptive Re-Use Projects," Moderator
  • NYS Economic Development Council, “Legal Compliance for IDA Loans and Grants” Webinar

Selected Alerts & Blog Posts

Featured Media

Alerts

RAPID Action: NYS Office of Energy Renewable Energy Siting and Transmission Announces Draft Regulations for New Transmission Siting Framework

Alerts

NYSDEC Issues Draft Freshwater Wetlands General Permit

Alerts

USPTO Updates Audit Program

Alerts

NYS DOL Publishes Long-Awaited FAQs on Paid Prenatal Leave Law

Alerts

Update on Massachusetts Pay Transparency Law Disclosures and EEO Reporting Requirements in 2025

Alerts

Massachusetts Employers Required to Provide Job Applicants Notice That Use of a Lie Detector Test Is Unlawful

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