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Leah Sanzari

Partner

New York

Leah Sanzari serves as co-leader of Orrick’s Structured Finance practice, including leading the firm’s esoteric ABS practice in both the Private Placement and 144A markets. She is a trailblazer in novel deal structures which have brought many new asset classes and structures to market. Leah is a member of Orrick’s Board of Directors, a former member of the firm’s Management Committee and was a longtime leader of Orrick’s Women’s Initiative.

Having long represented issuers of asset backed securities and drawing on that experience, today, in addition to issuer representation, Leah’s practice includes a significant focus on investor-side representation. Leah represents both issuers and investors in complex deals of first impression and brings a unique, creative approach to securitization transactions, with deal execution as top priority.

Leah and her team have pioneered proved developed producing (PDP) oil & gas wellbore securitizations, acting as investor counsel on substantially all of the transactions that have been executed in the market to date. Also a pioneer of the C-PACE market, Leah regularly advises the top C-PACE issuers in both 144A and 4(a)(2) transactions, including Greenwork Lending’s first Rule 144A Commercial PACE securitization which was recognized as the 2022 Esoteric ABS Deal of the Year by GlobalCapital. Leah also advises on novel IP securitizations related to musical composition, sound recording copyrights, television and other royalties. Most recently, Leah represented the investors in the groundbreaking securitization by Syco Entertainment of intellectual property in the “Got Talent” franchise.

Leah’s experience further extends to a wide variety of other esoteric assets, including tax liens, diamond receivables, participations, tax credits, solar and wind ground leases and whole business operating company securitizations.

Recognized in Band 1 of Chambers USA Nationwide Securitization: PACE, Leah is described by clients as “one of the best lawyers that I have worked with” and someone who “fights tooth and nail for her clients.” Resources for the Legal 500 USA directory have called Leah “the best there is in esoteric financing products and bonds,” and note they are “incredibly impressed with the gender diversity on the team. Extremely ethical – name carries a lot of weight with investors.”

  • Oil & Gas and Renewables Securitizations

    • Advised the investors in the first rated securitization of PDP oil and gas wellbore interests, achieving an investment-grade rating and establishing a distinct, new asset class for securitization transactions – and advised on every oil and gas securitization since then.
    • Advised the investors on the first rated joint 144A / 4(a)(2) oil and gas wellbore securitization by PureWest Energy.
    • Advised the investors in the first rated securitization of oil and gas mineral only securitizations.
    • Advised the investors in multiple rated securitization involving ground leases for land below renewable energy solar farms.

    Music and TV IP Rights

    • Advised the investors on the groundbreaking $125 million securitization by Syco Entertainment (owned by Simon Cowell) of Intellectual Property in the "Got Talent" Franchise.
    • Advised the investors on the securitization of musical catalogs for the Beach Boys, Linda Ronstadt, David Crosby, Nat King Cole, and Tony Bennet among others, all encompassing musical compositions, sound recordings, trademarks, copyrights, and other income streams.

    Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)

    • Advised Greenworks Lending, as sponsor, on its first Rule 144A Commercial PACE securitization through an issuance by its affiliate, PACEWell 5 LLC. The offering, valued at $173.2 million, was named the 2022 Esoteric ABS Deal of the Year by GlobalCapital.
    • Advised numerous issuers in C-PACE financings.

    Other Asset Classes, including Whole Business

    • Advised Harley Marine on its $455 million whole business securitization transaction, issuing bonds to capital markets backed by marine transport collateral.
    • Advised the investors in several rated diamond receivable securitizations.
    • Advised the investors in a deal of first impression of a securitization backed by low-income housing tax credits in Georgia, South Carolina, and Missouri.

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