Stuart D. Ames

Overview

Terrific experience, insight and advice on all corporate and financing matters… Excellent practitioner… A great banking and finance attorney.

- Chambers USA 2018-2020

Stuart D. Ames, who heads the Firm’s Commercial Lending & Asset-Based Finance practice, is of counsel in the Corporate Department. His practice focuses on commercial and asset-based lending, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate and securities matters. Stuart is a frequent lecturer on business entities and corporate and secured financing law, and regularly serves as an expert witness on business entity and commercial finance matters.

Representative Experience

$75 million syndicated working capital and partner investment financing to international law firm.
$33 million revolving credit facilities for Austrian-based international bank.
$22,750,000 credit facilities to partner-employees of private equity firm for limited partner capital investment financing.
$22 million acquisition financing for major money-center bank.
Represents major commercial banks and other financial institutions in leveraged buyout and acquisition financing, private equity investor financing, development bond and tax credit project financing, aircraft and vessel financing, syndicated financings, international finance, credit enhancement transactions, debt restructurings, and workouts.
Recent transactions for commercial banks included over $200 million in aircraft acquisition financing.
Represented a major money-center bank as Agent in a $700 million syndicated financing for a twenty-bank syndicate to a national home builder.
Represented major commercial banks in connection with two $15 million unsecured lines of credit, $15 million secured letter of credit for cruise line, $50 million unsecured letter of credit and banker’s acceptance facility to holding company of Central American automobile dealerships, $235 million of secured revolving lines of credit and term loans to various law firms throughout the United States, $5.6 million private jet aircraft term loan.
Represented REITs in $181 million secured acquisition lines of credit.
Loan counsel in $50 million syndicated Fixed Rate Senior Note offering.
Experienced expert witness in cases involving corporate, partnership, LLC and commercial financing disputes.

Professional & Community Involvement

American Bar Association, Section of Business Law, Special Consultant for State Liaisons to Corporate Laws Committee, 2006-2017
American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers
- Fellow, 2008-Present
- Board of Regents, 2012-2016
The Florida Bar Business Law Section
- Executive Council, 1987-Present
- Secretary - Treasurer, 1990-1991
- Section Chair, 1992-1993
The Florida Bar Business Law Section's Corporate Law Revision Committee, Former Co-Chair, responsible for drafting the Florida Business Corporation Act (1989) and subsequent amendments
The Florida Bar Business Law Section's Entity Legislation Revision Committees, participated in drafting extensive revisions to the Florida Business Corporation Act, the Florida Revised Limited Liability Company Act, and the Florida Revised Limited Partnership Act
The Florida Bar Business Law Section's Corporations and Securities Committee, Chair, 1987-1990
Key Biscayne Yacht Club, Past Commodore
Village of Key Biscayne Charter Revision Commission, 2002 and 2007

Recognition

Chambers USA, Banking and Finance: Transactional (Florida), Band 1, 2005-Present
The Best Lawyers in America®, 2005-Present
- Miami Corporate Law Lawyer of the Year, 2014, 2021
- Miami Banking & Finance Law Lawyer of the Year, 2011, 2019
Florida Super Lawyers, 2006-Present
International Financial Law Review 1000 (IFLR1000), Highly Regarded – Florida, Banking, 2018-Present
South Florida Legal Guide, Top Lawyers in South Florida - Corporate and Business; Commercial Finance, 2008-2017
Florida Trend's Florida Legal Elite, 2008, 2010 - 2011, 2017
Business Law Section of The Florida Bar, Outstanding Member of the Year Award, 2014
American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers, Fellow and Member of the Board of Regents
AV Preeminent® Top Rated Lawyer, Martindale-Hubbell