Equipment Leasing and Finance Association - Equipping Business for Success

R. Scott Adams

Vice President Legal & Compliance, North America
Volvo Financial Services

Scott Adams serves as VP, Legal & Compliance North America for Volvo Financial Services in Greensboro, North Carolina. He has experience structuring, negotiating and documenting a variety of commercial transactions, as well as managing bankruptcy and insolvency matters. A native of Charleston, W.Va., he attended Colgate University and WVU College of Law.

Andrew Alper

VP and Shareholder
Frandzel Robins Bloom & Csato, L.C.

Andrew K. Alper is a Vice President and shareholder with the law firm of Frandzel Robins Bloom & Csato, L.C. in Los Angeles, California. Andrew has the A.V. Rating with Martindale Hubbell and has been representing equipment lessors, funding sources and other financial institutions since 1978. Andrew obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of California at Santa Barbara and received his Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School of Los Angeles in 1979. Andrew was on the Board of Directors for the United Association Equipment Lessors (now known as National Equipment and Finance Association ("NEFA") and has been a speaker for the United Association of Equipment Lessors and NEFA, the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association of America ("ELFA") at its Credit and Collections Conference and Legal Forum, the Eastern Association of Equipment Lessors (now part of NEFA), and the National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers. Andrew has been on the ELFA Legal Committee twice and the Credit and Collections Committee and continues to serve on the subcommittees for Amicus Briefs, Legislation, and Renewal Legislation. Andrew was awarded the prestigious Edward R, Groobert Award for Legal Excellence by the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association in 2019. Andrew was named one of the 25 most influential persons in equipment leasing and finance by the Leasing News in 2015. Andrew wrote the Chapter on Equipment Leasing for the California Continuing Education of the Bar in its periodical entitled Financing and Organizing California Businesses released in April, 2007, and updated the California Continuing Education of the Bar manual of California UCC Sales and Leases published in December, 2014. Andrew has written many articles for The Monitor and also has written for the Journal of Equipment Lease Financing on the California Financial Law. Andrew has spoken on various topics at the ELFA Legal Forum, ELFA Credit and Collections Conference, National Equipment Finance Association, Small Business Lending Conference, and National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers on various transactional, litigation, operational, and bankruptcy topics. Andrew has also taught the legal and collections sections in the ELFA Principles of Leasing classes. Andrew has also presented a seminar on Equipment Leasing for the Los Angeles County Bar Association. Andrew's practice emphasizes the representation of all aspects of equipment leasing, equipment finance, real property finance, bankruptcy, business and commercial litigation in State and Federal Courts, factoring, and transactional and operational matters for various types of financial institutions and commercial creditors.

Christa Ballin Esq

Attorney
Dell Financial Services

Christa joined Dell in 2017 as Legal Counsel for its finance subsidiary, Dell Financial Services L.L.C. (DFS), supporting payment solutions in the U.S. for small and medium businesses, the public (State, Local, & Educational government entities, “SLED”), and consumer segments. She also supports DFS’ global payment terms, “aaS” offerings for infrastructure, software and PCs (IaaS, SaaS, PCaaS, etc.), and utility & consumption-based solutions. In 2019 with the DFS business growing exponentially, Christa became the lead attorney for DFS’ entire SLED segment, providing contractual and legal support on various, complex government deals for the DFS North America Public Sales organization in both Canada and the U.S. Prior to joining Dell, Christa was a Corporate Associate Attorney at Orson and Brusini, Ltd., where she specialized in business and corporate law, business governance and succession planning, mergers and acquisitions, finance, litigation and alternative dispute resolution, commercial transactions, employment law, and real estate. Prior to that, she was a Litigation Associate Attorney at Bengtson & Jestings, LLP for two years with an emphasis on insurance defense and insurance coverage disputes, as well as municipal law, land use and zoning issues, and title insurance claims. She holds a bar license at the state and federal levels in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and is an active member of various professional organizations, including, but not limited to, the RIBA, MBA, FBA, AGLF, ELFA, NECCA, and ACC Northeast Chapter. Since going inhouse with Dell, Christa has enjoyed the opportunity to devote herself to one client and become a true partner inside a dynamic business that is continuously innovating, changing and growing.

Naomi Barnes

Partner
Kutak Rock LLP

Naomi Barnes is a Partner in the Scottsdale office of Kutak Rock. She lives and works in Santa Fe, New Mexico She focuses her practice on transactions involving Native American tribes, but also represents municipal and governmental entities, as well as investment banks and conduit borrowers in municipal public finance transactions, particularly project-finance transactions involving conduit and other structures. In her tribal practice, Naomi regularly advises tribal governments, tribal businesses and tribal instrumentalities on finance, corporate matters and business matters. She has advised on numerous financing transactions involving Native American tribes, including taxable and tax-exempt loans and securities offerings. Financed projects include tribal infrastructure, casinos, casino expansions, general commercial projects, health clinics, administration facilities, public-safety facilities, conference centers, hotels and other projects./p>

Stephen Bisbee

Founder
Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions

Stephen F. Bisbee is the co-inventor of the eOriginal® process and serves as President and CEO of the Company. He founded eOriginal to fulfill the vision of a unique solution wrapping electronic business and legal processes in security technologies to reduce the inefficiencies of critical paper transactions. His leadership role among the American Bar Association committees that established the legal standards for electronic commerce has been invaluable in the design of the eOriginal products. Mr. Bisbee’s years of experience as a corporate attorney specializing in commercial transactions, financing and development also provided the business foundation for the eOriginal platform. eOriginal is a founding member of the Electronic Signature & Records Association, and Mr. Bisbee has served as its Chairman and currently serves on its Board of Directors.

Mr. Bisbee and the team at eOriginal have been members of ELFA for over six years. During that time, eOriginal and its customer, Direct Capital Corporation, were recognized in 2010 for the Operations and Technology Award for Direct Capital’s ClickFund project that transformed business processes and reduced transaction time and increased efficiency. In 2008, Madison Capital, supported by eOriginal, was also recognized by ELFA at the Operations and Technology conference for their project focused on customer engagement.

Rachel Brescoll

Associate
Kutak Rock LLP

Rachel Brescoll is an Associate in Kutak Rock LLP’s Chicago office, practicing in the firm’s Finance Group. Rachel’s practice focuses on equipment leasing and finance transactions. Before joining Kutak Rock, Rachel worked as an in-house attorney at Citizens Asset Finance for six years. At Citizens Rachel handled a variety of asset finance transactions and syndications. Rachel holds a J.D. from DePaul University College of Law and a B.A. from Hanover College.

Eileen Brown

Partner
Thompson Coburn LLP

Scott Chait

Director, Counsel - Practice Group Head
Sumitomo Mitsui Finance & Leasing Co., Ltd.

Scott Chait is an equipment leasing and finance attorney in the Americas Division of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. His industry experience includes not only in-house and law firm positions, but he has also served “in the trenches” in an operations role with an international bank affiliate. His experience covers a wide-range of asset types in the small, medium, and large ticket sectors and he has documented, structured, negotiated, and closed a diverse portfolio of transactions, including direct originations, syndications, refinancings, workouts, transfers and assumptions, and vendor and dealer referral and remarketing programs. Scott has also developed standard documentation, policies, and operational procedures, and conducted extensive trainings for non-lawyer professionals. His past experience also includes handling litigation and bankruptcy matters for banks, bank affiliates, captives, and independent equipment finance companies.

Robert Cohen

Partner
Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP

Robert S. Cohen is a Partner at Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP, with offices located on Long Island and in New York City. With over 26 years of experience in all facets of the equipment leasing and asset based lending industries, Bob's practice is devoted to commercial litigation, creditors' rights, corporate transactions and bankruptcy matters. Bob has particular experience in the documentation of financial transactions, enforcement of equipment leases and secured loans, as well as the negotiation of workouts and resolutions. He frequently serves as a speaker and author on various topics relating to the leasing industry.

Bob devotes a significant portion of his time as an active member of ELFA, serving on its Credit and Collections Management Committee, as well as participating as a presenter at its various conferences, including its 2013 Legal Forum Conference, and 2012 and 2011 Credit and Collections Conferences where he served as a speaker at sessions on litigation strategy, electronic discovery, forbearance agreements, lease/secured transaction documentation and legal updates in the finance industry. He is also an active member of NEFA, serving on both its Legal and Education Committees and participating as a presenter at its annual conferences.

In 2012, Bob also presented at the Association of Commercial Finance Attorneys' CLEW Conference. In addition to his professional endeavors, Bob is an active supporter of the Special Olympics of New York-Long Island Region, where he has served as a Chairman of its Annual Gold Coast Tour for Champions Golf Outing for the past eleven years.

Benjamin Court

Partner
Stinson LLP

Jennifer Crastz

Partner
Hemar, Rousso & Heald, LLP

Jennifer Witherell Crastz’s practice is concentrated on bankruptcy and bankruptcy litigation, representing secured and unsecured creditors in Chapter 7, 11 and 13 proceedings, and a broad range of business and commercial litigation matters, including U.C.C. and equipment leasing disputes.

Ms. Crastz received her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley. She earned her law degree in 1996 from Southwestern University School of Law, where she was a member of the Journal of Law and Trade in the Americas.

Ms. Crastz previously served for two years as a Judicial Law Clerk to the Hon. Robert W. Alberts, of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California.

A seasoned litigation and bankruptcy attorney with experience in both state and federal courts, Ms. Crastz is also admitted to all four U.S. District Courts of California.

Jeanette Dannenfelser

Senior Vice President, General Counsel
Summit Funding Group, A First Financial Bank Company

Mandeep Dhaliwal

Partner
Lawson Lundell LLP

Kristin Esche

Associate Chief Counsel
John Deere Financial

Kristin Esche serves as Associate Chief Counsel for John Deere Financial. In this role she provides broad legal guidance in support of the Company?s lending services and financial innovation. Kristin currently co-leads John Deere Financial's Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion team for the US and Canada.
Since Kristin joined Deere & Company in 2012, she has counseled the Company in the areas of litigation, corporate governance, and securities law. Before joining Deere, she spent a decade in Los Angeles where she had a diverse commercial litigation and white-collar criminal defense practice.
Kristin completed a Bachelor's degree in Literature from the University of California, San Diego; a Master's degree in Women's Studies from The Ohio State University; and a juris doctorate from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

Julia Gavrilov

Partner
Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP

Julia Gavrilov concentrates her practice in equipment leasing, secured finance, asset-based lending and all areas of complex commercial litigation. On the transactional side, Ms. Gavrilov specializes in the drafting of equipment lease and loan documents in various secured financing transactions on behalf of secured lenders, banks and lessors, and in representing both buyers and sellers in syndication and capital market transactions. Based on her steady rise throughout the leasing and finance industry, Ms. Gavrilov has been invited to speak on numerous industry panels, including the Legal Forum for the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA), the ELFA Annual Convention, the ELFA Credit & Collections conference and the National Equipment Finance Association’s Finance Summit.

As a seasoned litigator, Ms. Gavrilov’s commercial litigation practice includes the enforcement and/or preservation of lender/lessor’s rights under defaulted equipment lease and secured loan transactions, and in regularly representing both institutional and individual clients in actions involving breach of contract, fraud, shareholder derivative disputes, trademark infringement, counterfeiting, trade diversion, Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO), attorney malpractice and bankruptcyrelated disputes before the Federal and State courts, as well as various arbitral bodies.

In addition to her daily practice, Ms. Gavrilov also Chairs the Firm’s Women’s Initiative program: “MHH WINS” – “Women’s Initiative for Navigating Success”, and serves as a member of the Firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee.

Education:

• New York Law School, J.D. 2006
• Barnard College, Columbia University, B.A. 2002

Admissions:

Ms. Gavrilov is admitted to practice in New York, as well as before the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Affiliations:

Ms. Gavrilov is a member of the American, New York State and Nassau County Bar Associations. She is also member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA), where she serves on its Service Providers Business Council Steering Committee as well as on the Research Committee of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation. Additionally, Ms. Gavrilov is a member of the Secured Finance Network's (SFNet) Women in Secured Finance Committee, as well as a member of GGI-Worldwide Alliance of Independent Law Firms.

Recognitions:

• 2021 - Top Women in Equipment Finance (The Monitor)
• 2021 - NextGen Leader / 40 Under 40 (The Monitor)
• 2020 - SFNet Top Women In Commercial Finance
• 2020 - SFNet 40 Under 40 Award

Languages:

Robert Geis

Assistant Chief Counsel
First Citizens Bank Equipment Finance

Bob provides legal support to CIT’s small and mid-ticket lease and loan vendor business segments with an emphasis in the technology, industrial and healthcare markets through negotiation of vendor and end user agreements, and portfolio acquisitions and sales. Bob also provides legal and regulatory compliance support to CIT Bank subsidiaries.

Prior to CIT, Bob was in-house counsel with Barnett Banks in Florida for five years litigating consumer collection and bankruptcy matters followed by 10 years with Xerox Corporation as region counsel responsible for enforcing commercial leases, managing bankruptcy matters, and supporting its Public Sector Leasing division. Immediately prior to joining CIT, Bob worked for Metavante Regulatory Services as Compliance Manager and provided regulatory compliance advice, training, and consulting services to financial institutions.

Bob received his law degree from the University of Florida and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from University of South Florida. Bob lives in Jacksonville Florida with his wife and two daughters.

Arlene Gelman

Shareholder
Vedder Price P.C.

Arlene N. Gelman is a Shareholder at Vedder Price in the firm’s Commercial Litigation and Corporate Reorganization, Bankruptcy and Insolvency groups and currently serves as Co-Chair of the firm's Creditors' Rights and Collections group.

Ms. Gelman concentrates her practice in the representation of lenders, equipment lessors and other creditors in U.S. state, federal district, appellate and bankruptcy courts, including prosecuting numerous breach-of-contract and replevin actions, and representing the interests of secured and unsecured creditors in various state courts and in bankruptcy matters.

Ms. Gelman is a frequent and sought after speaker on equipment finance and bankruptcy related topics. She is a member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA), Chicago Bar
Association, The Illinois State Bar
Association, the American Bankruptcy Institute, and the International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation.

In 2020 and 2022, Ms. Gelman was included on Lawdragon’s list of the 500 Leading U.S. Bankruptcy and Restructuring Lawyers. Since 2013, she has been selected by her peers as a Leading Lawyer in Bankruptcy & Workout: Commercial
and Creditor’s Rights/Commercial Collections. She has also received an "AV Preeminent" Peer Rating in Martindale-Hubbell. Ms. Gelman was recognized by The Best Lawyers in America in the 2023 edition for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency Law and Reorganization Law.

Ms. Gelman is a graduate of the University of Illinois (B.A., with distinction, 1989) and Boston University School of Law (J.D., 1994), where she was an Edward F. Hennessey Scholar. Ms. Gelman also served as a staff attorney to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois; Law Clerk to the Honorable Ronald Barliant, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Illinois; Law Clerk to the Honorable Eugene Wedoff, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Illinois; and Law Clerk to the Honorable Joan H. Lefkow, U.S. District Court Judge for the Northern District of Illinois.

Ms. Gelman is currently a member of ELFA’s Legal Committee and is a past member of ELFA's Credit and Collections Committee.

Ms. Gelman's past ELFA speaking events include:

Speaking as a moderator at the Legal Update panel at ELFA's 2022 Legal Forum

Speaking as a panelist at the Legal Update panel at ELFA's 2021 Credit & Collections Management Conference

Speaking as a panelist at the Legal Update panel at ELFA's 2021 Legal Forum

Speaking as a panelist at ELFA's 2020 Webinar: Covid-19's Hidden Costs: Bankruptcy, Repossessions & Challenging Legislation

Speaking as a panelist on the Legal Update panel at ELFA's 2019 Legal Forum

Speaking as a panelist on the Legal Update panel at ELFA's 2019 Credit & Collections Conference

Speaking as a panelist on the Legal Update panel at ELFA's 2018 Credit & Collections Conference

Speaking as a panelist at ELFA's 2017 Equipment Management Conference and Exhibition on the topic of forbearance agreements

Marshall Goldberg

Partner
Glass & Goldberg, A Law Corporation

Marshall F. Goldberg is the Managing Partner and a founder of Glass & Goldberg. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Political Science, and was a member of the Dean's Honor List throughout his university tenure. He graduated from Loyola University School of Law, Los Angeles in 1979 with Honors.

Marshall's expertise includes both litigation and transactional matters in the areas of commercial finance law, regulatory compliance with lender licensing, corporate restructuring, equipment leasing, secured and unsecured transactions, creditor rights, real estate, commercial mortgage back securities and insolvency law. He specializes in the representation of creditors, servicers and real estate owners, including major banks, equipment lessors, credit and capital corporations, factors, merchant cash advance companies, finance companies, thrifts and other funding sources and lenders. Mr. Goldberg has served as lead counsel in well over one hundred major trials. He has been an active member and leader for many years in financial institution associations, including the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association ("ELFA"), the National Vehicle Leasing Association ("NVLA") and the National Equipment Finance Association (“NEFA”), and its predecessors.

Marshall was listed in the February 2013-2021 issues of Los Angeles Magazine as one of the top lawyers is Southern California.

Marshall was showcased in the December 2011 issue of Forbes Magazine, as the Magazine’s exclusive Southern California choice for outstanding lawyer in Bankruptcy, Property, Commercial and Creditor/Debtor Rights law.

Marshall has been selected for the past twelve (12) consecutive years for inclusion in “Super Lawyers Magazine,” which represents only 5 percent of the lawyers in the State of California. Super Lawyers is a listing of outstanding lawyers, chosen from a rigorous, multiphase process, who have attained high peer recognition and professional achievement.

Marshall is the recipient of the annual “Edward A. Groobert Award for Legal Excellence” presented on behalf of the ELFA Lawyers. This is the highest award given to an attorney by a peer group of hundreds of both in house and outside counsel.

For ELFA, Marshall serves on the Legal Committee and has served on the Credit and Collections Management Committee, and as a member of the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of Equipment Lease Financing. He has been the Chairman of the Professional Development, Education and Information Sub-Committee for the ELFA Legal Committee. He is responsible for developing, organizing, managing and editing the Legal Website, which includes an online compendium of legal issues pertaining to the 50 States, "What's New in the Law", and the "Catalogue of Legal Information". With the assistance of the ELFA staff, he developed, chaired and monitored the Legal Listserve, an online forum for attorneys to discuss pertinent legal issues on a daily basis. Marshall is co-author and co-editor of the Executive Guide to Remedies, and the Executive Guide to Lease Documentation.

Marshall also extensively speaks and instructs within the legal and business communities. He has given numerous educational and strategic seminars throughout the United States on subjects including Loan and Lease Enforcement, Mixed Collateral, Fraud Prevention, Creditors’ Rights in Bankruptcy, the Seller Assisted Marketing Plan Act (SAMP), Revised Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code, the Uniform Personal Property Leasing Act, Commercial Mortgage Back Securities and their Servicing and the Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. He is a regular panel speaker at a multitude of legal education seminars for the commercial financial services industry on such topics as the Uniform Commercial Code and real property secured transactions. He provides annual legal update presentations for financial association lawyers, including written summaries of current case and statutory law. Also, Marshall frequently speaks to bar associations on the topics of pre-judgment and post-judgment remedies and bankruptcy. Marshall’s legal writings include publications on topics relating to commonly litigated contractual provisions, on the Uniform Commercial Code and on collateral preservation and disposition. His weekly blog can be found at www.glassgoldbergblog.com and his monthly update Newsletter is available upon request.

Marshall sits on the Executive Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Provisional and Post Judgment Remedies Section, and is a member of the Commercial and Bankruptcy Sections of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the Financial Lawyers' Conference and the State Bar of California.

Marshall has earned the highest rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

Doron Goldstein

Partner
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

Doron Goldstein, head of Katten’s Privacy, Data and Cybersecurity practice and the firm’s deputy general counsel and Katten privacy officer, has a well-earned reputation for helping clients from start-ups to multinationals overcome complex and sometimes frightening situations involving their data security and information technology. He is part of the inaugural group of twenty-seven lawyers certified as Privacy Law Specialists by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), accredited by the American Bar Association; the IAPP is not affiliated with any governmental authority. Doron is also an IAPP Fellow of Information Privacy and was named a "Cybersecurity Trailblazer" by the National Law Journal. With his background in information technology as both a software developer and network administrator, Doron works closely with clients' legal and technology teams in complex data management, cloud and software-as-a-service (SaaS), and outsourcing arrangements, and counsels clients on privacy practices, information security, and data breach planning and response.

Doron also co-chairs Katten's Advertising, Marketing and Promotions group, and regularly advises on various aspects of advertising and promotional programs, branded entertainment, and integrated marketing campaigns, including talent and production agreements, advertising agency relationships, user-generated content, Internet distribution, brand and product integration, sponsorships, and promotions.

Barbara Goodstein

Partner
Mayer Brown LLP

Barbara M. Goodstein is a partner in the Banking & Finance practice of the New York office of Mayer Brown LLP. Barbara's experience consists of commercial and structured financing as well as restructuring of transactions for a wide range of asset types including auto, trade, health care, timeshare and lease receivables, sports franchises, intellectual property, transportation equipment (including aircraft, aircraft engines, railcars and vessels), technology equipment, medical equipment, communications and office equipment, construction equipment, and marine and inter-modal containers. She also has extensive debt workout and restructuring experience primarily representing senior creditors and syndicate groups, bondholders, and secured creditors both in and out of bankruptcy; foreclosures, DIP and exit financing; contested and consensual bankruptcy matters; and other financial and legal restructurings.

Barbara is a featured columnist for The New York Law Journal's Secured Transactions section and a former Regent, and current Fellow of the American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers. She previously served as a member of the Board of Editors of Equipment Leasing Newsletter and the Uniform Commercial Code Law Journal. She also previously served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the ELFA, and is currently a member of the Legal Committee Subcommittee on Air, Rail and Marine.

Barbara has been recognized as an outstanding lawyer by ELFA, having received ELFA's Legal Committee Edward A. Groobert Excellence in Leasing Award in 2015. She is a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and recently chaired a Task Force for the ABA Committee on Structured Finance and Securitization. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Port Chester-Rye Brook Public Library.

Jennifer Gould

Shareholder

Benjamin Gross Esq

Partner
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP

Benjamin is a long time member of ELFA and is a part of the committee that organizes this Legal Forum. He is a partner in the Montreal office of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Canada’s largest law firm. His practice is centered around three fields of law: Debt Financing (including traditional bank loans, speciality loans (air, rail, marine, consumer) and others), Leasing and Inventory Financing, (securitization and alternative financing), Real Estate (traditional and non-traditional, such as infrastructure projects and mines) and Mergers and Acquisitions. He acts in local, cross-border and international deals and projects from inception (including structuring) to close. Benjamin is recognized by (i) Lexpert for his expertise in Asset Equipment Finance/Leasing (since 2015), Mining (since 2018) and Infrastructure (since 2018); and (ii) The Best Lawyers in Canada in Project Finance Law. Benjamin is an active member of multiple industry organizations, non-profit endeavours, community organisations, and is a proud husband and father.

Edward Gross

Shareholder
Vedder Price P.C.

Edward K. Gross is a Shareholder at Vedder Price and a member of the Global Transportation Finance team.

He established the firm’s Washington, DC office and has over 30 years of experience representing bank-affiliated and large, independent equipment financing companies in all aspects of equipment finance transactions, including documenting, structuring, negotiating, syndicating and enforcing these transactions. Mr. Gross handles all types of equipment finance matters and structures, including single-investor, leveraged financings, true/ tax motivated leases, synthetic leases, TRAC leases, “bundled” and other vendor-originated financings, and domestic and cross-border financings, primarily for transportation equipment, but also for other types of equipment, including: manufacturing and assembly line, construction and drilling, energy-related and other facilities, medical and health-related facilities, high-tech equipment (including “bundled” financings), trucks and trailers, modular units and vessel repair equipment.

Mr. Gross is considered an industry leader in business aircraft and helicopter finance. These transactions vary in structure and include tax and non-tax lease, operating lease and secured loan financing of managed and/or chartered aircraft, fleet aircraft and helicopters operated in various service capacities (e.g., air ambulances, oil and gas service, flight schools, etc.) and engine pools, aircraft operated under fractional and “pay card” arrangements and progress payment, completion and other multi-funding structures. Clients include market-leading aircraft and helicopter financing providers, investors or operating lessors, as well as large publicly or privately held businesses, governmental entities or high-net-worth individual users. Many of these transactions involve foreign registered aircraft.

Many clients rely on Mr. Gross in syndication transactions, including large portfolio purchases, “one-off” sales and assignments, discounting, back-leveraging and participation transactions. He has worked with Vedder Price’s Capital Markets team on securitizations of diverse asset classes. Mr. Gross has prepared lease, loan and syndication forms for many of the most active financing providers in the industry. Working with Vedder Price’s well-regarded bankruptcy and creditors’ rights practice, Mr. Gross has assisted financing providers, including various creditor groups, with workout, restructuring, bankruptcy and enforcement matters.

Mr. Gross has been selected for inclusion in numerous editions of Who's Who Legal’s The International Who's Who of Aviation Lawyers, including the 2014 edition in which Mr. Gross participated in a roundtable discussion. In the 2013 edition of that publication, Mr. Gross is named one of the top 500 aviation lawyers in the world, and is cited as “a go-to lawyer for finance, insolvency and restructuring…well-respected by commercial clients.” In 2016 through 2020, Mr. Gross was ranked Band 1 in Private Aircraft (Global-wide) in Chambers High Net Worth, which recognizes the world’s leading high net worth advisers. In addition, in 2013 Mr. Gross was ranked in Chambers USA in the Nationwide Banking & Finance: Equipment Finance & Leasing category. He was selected by his peers for inclusion in Washington DC Super Lawyers (2007–2020) and The Best Lawyers in America (2007–2021) in the field of Equipment Finance Law. Mr. Gross was elected as Fellow to the American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers in 2011, and elected as Regent to the College in 2012. He has been recognized by the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA), receiving the Distinguished Service Award in 2008 and ELFA’s Legal Committee Edward A. Groobert Excellence in Leasing Award in 2011.

A client respondent in Airfinance Journal’s 2011 Guide to Aviation Lawyers mentions, “Vedder Price can turn a deal in a day or two if necessary. Ed Gross is our go to person for time-sensitive matters.” He also recognized among the world’s leading aviation attorneys by in Euromoney’s Expert Guides “Aviation Guide” from 2013 to 2020.

Mr. Gross obtained his B.A. from the University of Maryland and his J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law.

Marc Hamroff

Partner
Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP

Andrew Hodhod

Partner
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

Andrew Hodhod is a partner in the Financial Services Group of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. His practice focuses on all aspects of lending, leveraged finance, secured transactions, restructuring and the regulation of financial institutions.

Andrew is licensed to practise in the provinces of Ontario and Québec. He regularly represents financial institutions, private lenders, lessors, inventory financiers and borrowers in connection with private and public financings, syndicated and cross-border loans, alternative financings, leasing, inventory and equipment finance transactions and vendor programs.

About Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

As the largest, truly full-service Canadian law firm, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) delivers practical legal advice for domestic and international clients across more practices and industries than any Canadian firm. With over 725 lawyers, intellectual property agents and other professionals, BLG serves the legal needs of businesses and institutions across Canada and beyond – from M&A and capital markets, to disputes, financing, and trademark & patent registration.

Robert Hornby

Member of the Firm
Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC

An experienced litigator, Robert Hornby represents national and regional banks and finance companies in all aspects of equipment leasing, asset based lending and civil litigation in New York and New Jersey state and federal courts. He regularly counsels clients on a wide range of matters unique to the equipment finance and leasing industry, from drafting master documentation to the enforcement of lessors’ and secured creditors’ rights.

In addition, Robert’s litigation practice extends to the areas of construction law, commercial contract, solar energy litigation, product liability/toxic tort, professional malpractice, trusts and estates and franchise law. He is directly responsible for managing numerous complex litigation matters, including, but not limited to, those involving construction defect, shareholder derivative, restrictive covenant, solar energy and governmental authority issues.

Robert received his law degree cum laude from Seton Hall University School of Law, and his undergraduate degree cum laude from the University of Arizona. He served as a Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable David S. Baime, PJAD (ret.) in the New Jersey Appellate Division.

Jason Huff

Partner
Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP

Wendy Hurwitz

Marketing
Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions

Adam Jackson

Partner
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Adam's practice focuses primarily on structured finance transactions and asset-based financings.

Adam advises sellers and purchasers on public and private securitization transactions involving various asset classes, including auto loans and leases, railcar leases, residential and commercial mortgage loans, credit cards and trade receivables, and on whole-business securitizations.

Adam regularly acts on cross-border asset-based financings, including cross-border securitizations, factoring arrangements and cross-border lending. He has advised purchasers, sellers and servicers in Canada, the United States and Europe on the Canadian aspects of such cross-border transactions.”

Max Jarvie

Senior Associate
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

Max Jarvie is a senior associate in the Privacy and Data Protection practice group at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. He provides assistance and strategic advice to organizations relating to privacy and data protection, the use of machine learning, blockchain and other technologies, information governance, data trusts, technology licensing, consumer protection, and corporate commercial matters. Max is sought after as a public speaker on privacy law and the legal implications of technology and publishes regularly on those subjects.

Scott Kearns

Senior Legal Director
Dell Financial Services

Melissa Kopit

Lorenza Langarica O'Hea

Partner
Mijares, Angoitia, Cortes y Fuentes, S.C.

Partner at Mijares, Angoitia, Cortes y Fuentes since 2008 and member since 1998. Lorenza Langarica O'Hea has participated in structured financings, corporate, mergers and acquisitions matters, real estate and energy matters, including joint ventures and corporate and asset acquisitions, as well as tourist developments, with broad experience in representing domestic and international clients, regularly advising buyers, sellers, and investors in complex cross-border merger and acquisition transactions, including the antitrust aspects of such transactions, as well as the purchase and sale of private companies, buyouts, joint ventures and divestitures in Mexican target companies. Ms. Langarica O'Hea has been an integral part in several sales of highly valuable assets owned or controlled by Mexican governmental agencies.

Foreign associate, Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton, New York 2001-2002 Master of Laws, Georgetown University Law Center, 2001; Admitted to practice in Mexico, 1994; Law Degree with honors, Universidad Iberoamericana, 1988-1992.

Dominic Liberatore CLFP

Deputy General Counsel
DLL

Dominic A. Liberatore is the Deputy General Counsel for DLL, a global provider of leasing and business finance solutions, including vendor finance.

Mr. Liberatore has been practicing law for 35 years focusing on leasing and asset based lending, and has served in a variety of senior in-house legal positions with DLL, IOS Capital, Inc. (the captive finance subsidiary of IKON Office Solutions, Inc.), Copelco Financial Services Group, Inc. and the FDIC. Prior to going in-house, Mr. Liberatore was an associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York City and Wolf Block in Philadelphia. Mr. Liberatore is a past chairman of the ELFA Legal Committee, current ELFA Subcommittee Coordinator and a past chairman of the Subcommittee on Leasing of the Uniform Commercial Code Committee of the ABA Business Law Section. Mr. Liberatore is also a member of the Editorial Review Board for the Journal of Equipment Lease Financing.

Mr. Liberatore holds a J.D. from Vanderbilt University and a B.A. from the University of Buffalo.

Sherry Lowe Johnson

Director, Senior Counsel
Volvo Financial Services

Bonnie Michael

Shareholder
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC

Bonnie Michael, a shareholder at Baker Donelson, has more than 20 years of legal experience representing equipment finance companies and the financial services industry. She guides banks, financial institutions, equipment and leasing companies, and other lenders in structuring and negotiating their complex finance transactions, as well as advising on commercial financing disclosure laws and other regulatory matters. She has extensive experience advising clients on motor vehicle fleet financing.

Prior to joining Baker Donelson, Ms. Michael served for more than a decade as the General Counsel and Vice President of Legal and Compliance (USA) for Volvo Financial Services. She served on the Board of Trustees for the Equipment Leasing & Financing Foundation from 2015 – 2021 and is a former member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) Legal Committee. From 2010 – 2016, Ms. Michael served as chair of the ELFA Motor Vehicle Subcommittee. She is a frequent presenter on industry topics and actively supports various ELFA legislative initiatives. Ms. Michael is the 2021 recipient of the ELFA's 2021 Edward A. Groobert Award for Legal Excellence.
Ms. Michael holds a J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law and is admitted to practice law in Illinois.

David Miele Esq.

Chief Administrative Officer
Citizens Asset Finance, a division of Citizens Bank, N.A.

David Miele is an SVP and Chief Administrative Officer of Citizens Asset Finance, Inc. (“CAF”)which operates as a division of Citizens Bank, N.A. David has responsibility for CAF’s Documentation Teams (in Warwick, RI and Chicago, IL), the Customer Support Team, Process Improvements and runs the CAF Legal Team of four other attorneys and a paralegal.

David is an active participant with ELFA currently serving on the following subcommittees of the Legal Committee: Capital Markets, Motor Vehicle, Amicus Curiae, Legal Award and Equipment Leasing & Finance Magazine. He previously chaired the Legal Committee in 2006, and served on the ELFA Financial Institutions Business Council Steering Committee from 2013 to 2017. David was the primary drafter of the ELFA Revised Code of Ethics promulgated in 2007. He has been a frequent lecturer at the ELFA Legal Forum and on web based seminars focusing on various aspects of equipment finance and documentation. He has also presented the ELFA Guest Lecture Program at local colleges and universities.

Lisa Moore

Sr. Counsel
PNC Equipment Finance

Andrea Nicotera

Assistant General Counsel
U.S. Bank

Andrea Nicotera is Vice President and Assistant General Counsel to U.S. Bank National Association in Portland, Oregon. Prior to joining U.S. Bank, Andrea worked for K&L Gates LLP in Portland and Ballard Spahr LLP in Philadelphia where she represented clients in asset-based lending, renewable energy project finance, acquisition finance and real estate transactions. Before becoming a lawyer, Andrea was a project manager for software development projects, first for a small software company and later for a global consulting firm. She served on the ELFA Legal Committee from 2019-2021 and holds a JD from Temple University and a BA from Swarthmore College.

Bradley Nielsen

Partner
Kutak Rock LLP

Brad Nielsen is an attorney in Kutak Rock LLP’s Omaha office practicing in the Finance and Restructuring Group. He has practiced in the finance area for 33 years.

Brad represents financial institutions in many types of complex financing transactions in a wide array of industries, ranging from middle market transactions to large multi-lender syndicated deals. His practice includes: equipment leasing and financing transactions; asset-based lending; revolving and term loan credit facilities; public finance; lease and loan portfolio purchase and sale transactions; participations; vendor program agreements; real estate finance; and restructurings and workouts.

Kutak Rock LLP is a national law firm of more than 500 lawyers with offices from coast to coast in 17 cities. Founded in finance, the firm's primary practice concentrations are business and corporate law, public finance, commercial finance, litigation and real estate law.

Douglas Nielson

SVP, Innovation Research and Development

Doug Nielson is Senior Vice President, Innovation Research and Development at U.S. Bank. Doug leads the Research & Development team which focuses on exploring emerging trends, technologies & business models; develops and conducts proofs of concepts and proofs of technology; incubates new businesses; manages the bank’s blockchain/cryptocurrency practice, and spearheaded the bank’s initial engagement in the open API/open banking ecosystem including membership in the Financial Data Exchange.

Prior to U.S. Bank, Doug held a variety of global product strategy, development and management roles for American Express in the U.S. and Europe. During his tenure at Amex, Doug was responsible for launching numerous innovative payment solutions.

Doug has a Masters of International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and a Bachelor of Arts from Washington State University.

Frank Peretore

Member of the Firm
Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC

Ralph Petta

Ann Pille

Partner
Reed Smith LLP

Ann is a partner in the Chicago office of Reed Smith's Financial Industry Group. Ann maintains a national practice through which she represents equipment lessors and lenders in connection with transaction originations, including analysis and structuring around risk issues, and restructurings, workouts, distressed debt litigation, foreclosures and insolvency proceedings. Her clients regularly include commercial finance and leasing companies, major banks and hedge funds. Ann’s practice includes a particular focus on the restructuring and workout of distressed fleet finance and franchise finance deals.

Moorari Shah

Partner
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLC

Moorari K. Shah is Partner in the Orange County and San Francisco offices of Sheppard Mullin. He represents banks, equipment finance companies, fintechs, mortgage companies, auto lenders, and other non-bank financial institutions in transactional, licensing, regulatory compliance, and government enforcement matters covering mergers and acquisitions, consumer and commercial lending and leasing, and supervisory examinations and enforcement actions involving state and federal agencies.

Mr. Shah received his J.D. from Boston University School of Law (cum laude) and his B.A. from Duke University. He is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP) and a certified Six Sigma Black Belt.

Samantha Skenandore

Attorney, Of Counsel
Quarles & Brady LLP

Samantha is Of Counsel at the law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP and works out of the Madison, Wisconsin office. Samantha focuses her practice on both federal Indian law and tribal law, advising tribal and corporate clients in tribal governance, governmental affairs, corporate transactions, real estate, labor issues, and litigation. Her extensive multijurisdictional experience with tribal law includes representation of corporate entities, both tribal and nontribal, in matters involving financing, minority or women-owned certification, labor relations, complex commercial real estate matters, and government relations.

Samantha also advises corporate clients on developing successful strategies to launch their businesses, seek and secure business certifications, build capacity, and prosper. Her experience extends to representing clients before members of Congress, congressional committees, and agencies through federal lobbying services.

Samantha obtained her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin - Madison and her J.D. from the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law. She practices in Wisconsin, Arizona and numerous tribal jurisdictions. Samantha is an enrolled member of the Ho-Chunk Nation.

Kris Snow

Kristine (Kris) A. Snow has more than two decades of commercial leasing and finance experience. In 2009, she joined Cisco Systems Capital Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cisco Systems, Inc. As President, she leads the company's global captive finance and certified remanufactured equipment businesses. Kris previously served as President of Global Vendor Finance at CIT Group.

Kris is currently serving as the Chairman of the Board at ELFA. During her tenure, Kris has been an active participant serving on the Board of Directors from 2008-2011 and returned to the Board in 2017. In addition to her current position on the Board, she is a member of ELFA's Executive, Nominating and Personnel Committees. Previously, she served as Chair of the Captive and Vendor Finance Business Council Steering Committee. She has also served as a participant in the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation's Industry Future Council and a contributor to previous “State of the Equipment Finance Industry” reports.

Outside of ELFA, Kris has been involved in numerous civic and community organizations. She serves on the Gonzaga University Board of Trustees and is Board Member Emeritus for St. Mary's College School of Economics and Business Administration. She was honored by the Computer Reseller News 2019 Women of the Channel list, received the Silicon Valley Business Journal's Women of Influence award, and the YWCA Tribute to Women Award for the Silicon Valley.

Kris holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Gonzaga University and a Master of Business Administration from St. Mary's College of California.

Richard Tannenbaum

Partner
Reed Smith LLP

Ryan Thompson Esq

Of Counsel
Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP

Angela Ulum

Partner
Mayer Brown LLP

Angela Ulum is a partner in Mayer Brown’s Chicago office and a member of the Structured Finance practice. She has extensive experience representing issuers, borrowers, and commercial and investment banks in a variety of securitization and other structured finance transactions, with an emphasis on market participants in the auto and equipment sectors. Angela’s experience has involved the issuance and sale of publicly registered, 144A/Reg S and privately placed asset-backed securities, revolving and amortizing syndicated and bilateral financing facilities, portfolio purchases and sales, equipment loan and lease syndications and third-party servicing arrangements. Her experience includes representing captive finance companies, banks, independent finance companies and investors in transactions involving a wide variety of assets, including auto leases, auto loans, dealer floorplan, fleet leases, equipment leases and loans, participations, and esoteric and new asset classes.

William Verhelle Jr

CEO
QuickFi

Bill is the Founder of Innovation Finance USA and First American Equipment Finance.

Innovation Finance® is the creator of QuickFi® a patented, self-service equipment financing platform incorporating A.I., blockchain, facial recognition, and the latest mobile and cloud technologies. 
QuickFi® facilitates business equipment financing transactions that previously took days or weeks in three-minutes, 24/7/365, from anywhere. Several of the world’s leading global business equipment manufacturers selected QuickFi® to enable faster more profitable equipment sales, combined with a better and more transparent buyer experience. 

Bill previously served as the cofounder and CEO of First American Equipment Finance (from its launch in 1996 until 2015). While a student at Cornell Law School in 1996, Bill founded First American with his long-time friend and business partner, Guy Klingler. They sold the business to City National Bank/Royal Bank of Canada in 2012. Bill agreed to remain CEO of the company until mid-2015. First American today serves as Royal Bank of Canada’s U.S. equipment finance business, with several Billion Dollars in assets. 

Bill has J.D. from Cornell Law School (’98), an MBA from the Anderson Business School at UCLA (’92) and a Bachelor of General Studies degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor (’88). Bill is a member of the New York bar and is admitted to the New York Court of Appeals and to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

In 2009 Bill served as the Chairman of the ELFA in Washington DC. 

Bill and Cyndee Verhelle reside with their four children in Naples, FL. 
 

Edward Wang

Partner
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

Edward Wang is a partner in the Financial Services Group of BLG as well as a member of its China Focus Group. He has acted for lenders (various financial institutions and private lenders) and borrowers in a variety of debt-financing and lending transactions, including leveraged buy-out financings, aircraft acquisition and financing, multi-jurisdictional lending transactions, syndicated loans transactions, asset-based lending, and within the context of business combinations, corporate mergers, acquisitions and reorganizations. Edward also regularly acts for creditors, insolvency professionals, and debtors in various insolvency and restructuring proceedings including those under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act.

Edward also has experience in China-related financing and insolvency matters that are based in Canada. Edward speaks both Mandarin Chinese and English. He was born in Beijing, China, where he lived for a number of years.

Kenneth Weinberg

Partner
CM Law PLLC

Ken Weinberg is a partner at Rimon P.C. and practices in the area of commercial finance, focusing on equipment leasing, equipment finance and energy finance. He represents bank-affiliated, captive, and independent finance companies in many transactional aspects of equipment leasing and finance, has experience with many types of equipment and facilities, and has been heavily involved in the creation of forms, policies and procedures for multiple bank-affiliated equipment leasing and finance companies. Ken has additional experience in the niche of energy financing, representing lenders, investors and developers in recourse and non-recourse financing transactions (debt and tax-driven sale-leasebacks) for energy facilities across the country and internationally, including biomass facilities, landfill-gas-to-energy projects, solar facilities, and natural-gas-fired plants. Ken contributes regularly to the equipment leasing and finance industry and, since 2002, has published approximately 100 editions of his regularly scheduled column, Dispatches from the Trenches, in the Monitor.

Stephen Whelan

Partner
Blank Rome LLP