Jonathan Ballan, Senate Appointee
 

Jonathan Ballan

Jon Ballan's practice involves municipal and infrastructure finance, public authority finance, stadium finance, economic development, housing finance, project finance, government relations, and privatization and securitization of public assets. He is the head of the New York Public Finance group.

Jon has broad experience developing innovative legal structures for numerous state and local bond issuers and investment bankers. He has served as bond counsel, disclosure counsel, underwriter’s counsel, borrower’s counsel, developer’s counsel, and trustee counsel for tax-exempt and taxable transactions in various areas, including economic development, housing, transportation, education, sports facilities, nonprofit, pilot bond, loan securitization, solid waste, water and wastewater. Jon was named a Law360 MVP of the Year for Project Finance in 2016. He has also been named one of New York’s leading lawyers in Bonds/Government Finance by New York Super Lawyers for each of the past seven years.

Since the early 1990s, Jon has served in numerous high level governmental capacities in New York State and New York City, including as Chairman of two state entities and over five years as a Board Member for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. This experience provides Jon with a unique perspective on financing governmental projects.

From 2001 to 2013, Jon led and developed the New York municipal bond practice at another well-known firm. He also has worked as an investment banker in the public finance department of a major investment bank.

Experience

  • New York Yankees: Special bond counsel to the New York Yankees in connection with the financing by the New York City Industrial Development Agency of the new Yankee Stadium, which was honored in 2006 by The Bond Buyer as its “Deal of the Year.” Federal tax law revisions were required to undertake the financing. This transaction, and two subsequent related deals, involved the issuance of more than $1.2 billion of tax-exempt PILOT Revenue Bonds and $125 million of federally taxable Rental Revenue Bonds.
     
    • Retained as special bond counsel for refunding transactions.
  • Empire State Development Corporation: Special counsel to the Empire State Development Corporation. Led legal team that created the New York Liberty Development Corporation (NYLDC) for the primary purpose of issuing New York Liberty Bonds for commercial projects to assist New York City following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
  • New York Transportation Development Corporation: Lead disclosure counsel for $2.4 billion of special facilities bonds for the LaGuardia Airport Terminal B Reconstruction Project. The transaction was the 2016 Bond Buyer Deal of the Year for the Northeast Region.
  • New York Liberty Development Corporation (NYLDC): Led bond counsel team on NYLDC’s issuance of $1.9 billion of revenue bonds to finance the construction of the new world headquarters of Goldman Sachs near Ground Zero.
  • Barclays Arena, Brooklyn, NY: Led bond counsel team for the Empire State Development Corporation on the financing of a new arena for the New Jersey Nets to be constructed in the Atlantic Yards area of downtown Brooklyn. Numerous novel legal issues relating to the finance structure, securities, and real estate and tax laws needed to be solved prior to the closing.
  • City of Buffalo and Nassau County, New York: Bond counsel or underwriter’s counsel for state fiscal oversight boards in the City of Buffalo and Nassau County, New York.
  • New York State Thruway Authority and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority: Served as underwriters’ counsel on many significant financings to major New York public authorities.
  • Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY): Served as underwriter's counsel or bond counsel on numerous financings of educational facilities through DASNY and a number of industrial development agencies.
  • Northwell Health Systems: Served as underwriter’s counsel on nearly $1 billion of financings and refinancings of DASNY debt on behalf of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System.
  • New York State Tobacco Settlement Financing Corporation: Served as underwriter’s counsel on more than $2 billion New York State Tobacco Settlement Financing Corporation Asset-Backed Revenue Bonds.
  • New York State Housing Finance Agency and New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation: Served as bond counsel for the New York State Housing Finance Agency and New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation.
  • National Development Council: Special Counsel for this nationally renowned not-for-profit corporation in connection with innovative P3 transactions for parking, water, wastewater and other governmental functions.
  • Served as bond counsel, borrower’s counsel and underwriter's counsel on innovative governmental infrastructure finance transactions for urban redevelopments, libraries, water systems, solid waste facilities, and cultural centers for various cities and counties.
    Activities and Affiliations

Memberships

  • National Association of Bond Lawyers, Member
  • New York Municipal Forum, Chairman of Audit Committee
  • Panelist - 2017 P3 Summit Puerto Rico in San Juan, PR
    Career Governmental Appointments:
  • Director of the State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA), 2018 - Present. Appointed by NYS Senate; Member of Mortgage Insurance Fund and Corporate Governance Committees.
  • Board Member of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York (MTA) and member of the Finance, Metro North, Long Island Railroad, NYC Transit, Bridges & Tunnels, Audit and Corporate Governance Committees, 2011—2016. Extensive participation in oversight of financial transactions and procurements. Appointed by Westchester County Executive; Approved by Governor of NYS and Confirmed by NYS Senate.
  • Chairman of the Municipal Assistance Corporation for the City of New York, 2001—2008. Appointed by Governor of NYS; Confirmed by NYS Senate.
  • Chairman of the NYS Public Asset Fund, 2005—2008. Appointed by NYS Governor; Confirmed by NYS Senate.
  • Board Member of the NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation, 1996—1997. Appointed by Mayor of NYC; Confirmed by NYC Council.
  • Member of the NYS Watershed Protection and Partnership Council, 2000—2007. Appointed by NYS Governor.
  • Board Member of the NYC Environmental Control Board, 1992—2003. Appointed by Mayor of NYC; Confirmed by NYC Council.

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