Leigh K.Hughes

Partner

New York + 1.212.326.7839

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Leigh Hughes represents financial institutions and debt funds in sophisticated structured financing transactions on a national basis. She works with clients on single-lender, agented, and multi-lender financings, including construction loans, permanent financings, forward loan commitments, revolving credit facilities, and loan participations for single and multi-asset portfolios securing all types of real estate, including multifamily housing, office, retail, hotels, and industrial buildings. Leigh is also a licensed real estate broker.

Leigh has extensive experience representing commercial and institutional lenders in all types of real estate financing, with an extensive background in complex affordable housing transactions, including tax-exempt bond transactions, bond credit enhancement, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac executions, and government-subsidized mortgage lending programs. Prior to joining Jones Day, Leigh represented a national bank in financing for the rehabilitation of a historic landmark department store in downtown Des Moines, Iowa to be used as a mixed-use multifamily housing and commercial space. She has also represented multi-lenders in financings for construction loans of residential towers and condominium projects, industrial portfolios, and in financing of multistate hotel properties.

Before pursuing her legal career, Leigh worked in finance and accounting as an assistant controller for Marriott Hotels & Resorts. She is a member of the American Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, Metropolitan Black Bar Association, and New York State Association for Affordable Housing. She serves on the board of directors for a local nonprofit organization and is vice president of her condominium association board. Additionally, Leigh is the co-founder and coach for a nonprofit all-star cheerleading organization.

Experience

  • Financial institution provides $408 million syndicated loan secured by portfolio of industrial properties located in four Western statesJones Day represented a financial institution, as administrative agent and lead lender, in connection with a $408 million syndicated loan secured by a portfolio of industrial properties located in four Western states.
  • National real estate fund provides $195 million term loan facility secured by high-end mixed use multifamily development in Boca Raton, FloridaJones Day represented a national real estate fund in connection with a $195 million term loan facility secured by high-end mixed use multifamily development in Boca Raton, Florida.
  • Wells Fargo provides $120 million financing for five property life sciences portfolioJones Day advised Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as administrative agent, on the $120 million financing of a five property life sciences portfolio.
  • Vantage Data Centers obtains secured credit facilitiesJones Day represented Vantage Data Centers, a leading global provider of hyperscale data center campuses, in connection with secured credit facilities related to the acquisition and expansion of data center assets.
  • Wells Fargo amends facilities secured by mortgages on healthcare and life science propertiesJones Day represented Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as administrative agent, in connection with the amendment of a $750 million revolving credit facility, $200 million term loan facility, and related intercreditor arrangements, which among other things, secured the facilities with mortgages on close to 100 healthcare and life science properties across the country.
  • Wells Fargo-led syndicate of lenders successfully negotiate secured $1.1 billion restructuring credit facility for Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT)Jones Day represented Wells Fargo Bank, National Association (“Wells Fargo”), as administrative agent, in connection with the Chapter 11 financial reorganization plan of Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (“PREIT”), a publicly traded real estate investment trust that owns and manages a portfolio of shopping malls totaling over 23 million square feet of retail space.
  • Wells Fargo amends $1.4 billion revolving and term credit facilities secured by mortgages on travel centers and hotelsJones Day represented Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as administrative agent, in connection with the amendment of $1.4 billion revolving and term credit facilities, which among other things, secured the facilities with mortgages on close to 100 travel centers and hotels across the country.
  • Vantage Data Centers obtains delayed draw term loan facilityJones Day represented Vantage Data Centers, a leading global provider of hyperscale data center campuses, in connection with a delayed draw term loan facility related to the acquisition and/or build out of certain data center assets.
  • Corporate trustees seek advice relating to LIBOR transitionJones Day is advising two U.S.-based corporate trustees with respect to portfolios impacted by LIBOR transition and COFI cessation, including conducting portfolio-wide risk impact assessments, analyzing various consumer products, and developing litigation contingency plans.

    • The following represents experience acquired prior to joining Jones Day.

    Represented the agent in a $1.25 billion dollar multi-lender loan comprised of direct purchase bonds and conventional financing for the construction of three residential towers on the west side of midtown Manhattan.

    Represented the agent in a $550 million dollar multi-lender loan for the permanent financing of 53 hotel properties located in 14 states.

    Represented a syndicate of lenders in connection with a $80 million construction loan for a multi-family condominium project to be built on top of an existing parking garage and subject to a tax credit bond financing and ground lease.

    Represented a national bank as construction lender on a $40 million construction loan transaction for a low-income housing tax credit project in Brooklyn, New York. The construction loan was funded through the bank's purchase of 100% participation interest in an NYC Housing Development Corporation's originated cash construction loan.

    Represented a national bank in connection with the financing for the rehabilitation of a historic landmark department store in downtown Des Moines, Iowa to be used as a mixed-use multifamily housing and commercial space. Freddie Mac provided bond credit enhancement for publicly offered bonds for which the bank assumed the construction risk by making a taxable construction loan. The bank purchased short-term tax-exempt privately placed bonds for additional financing totaling $25 million. The transaction also involved 4% low-income housing tax credit, historic tax credits, and multiple layers of soft funds, including community development block grants (CDBGs), HOME Investment Partnerships Program, state historic credits, brownfield tax credits, and an enterprise zone credit.

    Represented a national bank in connection with a $19 million acquisition loan and a $24.5 million Freddie Mac acquisition/rehab bond credit enhancement for a 150-unit senior housing project in Washington, D.C. In addition, the bank provided a loan in the amount of $3.5 million to bridge equity installments to be made by the bank as upper-tier investor under a syndication. The project was also subject to a use agreement that places caps on the retail rents at artificially low rates to encourage neighborhood business.

    Represented Fannie Mae DUS® (delegated underwriting & servicing) lenders and Freddie Mac program plus lenders in connection with the annual origination of $500 million to $1 billion of taxable and tax-exempt bond financings, forward loan commitments, and conventional cash transactions.

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