TSL Feature Articles

The author discusses the potential perils of improper use of “incorporation by reference” in commercial lending transactions, as well as potential strategies for reducing potential incorporation by reference hazards.

Refinitiv’s director of analytics shares with readers the latest data surrounding the syndicated market.

Hamid Namazie is managing partner of McGuireWoods’ Los Angeles - Downtown office. He concentrates his practice on representing a wide range of clients, including banks, institutional lenders and commercial finance companies, providing asset-based loans.

FTC Commercial Corporation was launched in 2002 with a strong focus on small and medium-size enterprise. Co-founder Ken Wengrod tapped into his experience, having worked in factoring and retail to create a company that understands the entire trade cycle of manufacturing and importing.

Q3 2019 results generally demonstrate the continuation of trends observed throughout 2019.  Year to date, we continue to have growth in the industry as a whole and credit quality remains solid.  There are a few notable deviations from trends observed throughout the year as we will see.

General economic conditions continue to be top of mind for the secured finance community, but it is interesting to note that we continue to see a divergence between Bank and Non-Bank Lenders with respect to the SFNet Confidence Index. As a reminder, starting in 2019, we have chosen to divide the ABL lender universe along Bank and Non-Bank lines, as opposed to our previous methodology of splitting up the ABL lender universe by portfolio size.

Joseph Nemia looks back at 2019 and discusses what the secured finance industry can expect to see in 2020.

A Demica senior director explains how trade receivable securitization programs can be used as a valuable alternative to other funding solutions, especially in cross-border or challenging credit environments.

At 33 years old, Shauna was diagnosed with breast cancer - a head-spinning diagnosis for anyone, but especially a new mother at 33 who considered herself fairly healthy. Then came the draining, life-sapping chemo that would save her life, but leave her feeling weak and malnourished

The time and cost of liquidating collateral can often be prohibitive and is always a nuisance. Of course, this problem is exacerbated when the asset value is less than the balance owed to the secured creditor(s), leaving no value for unsecured creditors. Lenders often step up and carve out an amount to be distributed to unsecured creditors to enable a Chapter 11 to proceed to effect a sale of the debtor’s assets free and clear of liens. Some consider this to be a price to be paid by secured creditors for the privilege of utilizing the bankruptcy court to sell their collateral. Thus, the cost of a bankruptcy can be very expensive not only to the debtor, but also to the secured lender. As a result, small and middle-market companies and their lenders have grown receptive to non-bankruptcy vehicles for the disposition of assets.

The transformation of retail is creating new and significant challenges for traditional retailers. Antony Karabus, CEO of HRC Advisory, explores those obstacles and offers solutions to help retailers survive – and even thrive — during these tumultuous times.

Michael D. Sharkey is the president of Fifth Third Business Capital. He oversees a nationwide market with regional offices across the United States and Canada. Sharkey is past president and chairman of Secured Finance Network.  He is also past president of the American Brain Tumor Association. Sharkey is a graduate of Rutgers University and J. L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. Here he discusses his long career, the outlook for the industry and Fifth Third’s acquisition of MB.

As with any industry, lending to the business aviation sector comes with its own set of risks. Shelley Svoren of First Republic Bank gives readers the insider’s tips on this industry.

Tim Anderson of Hilco Valuation Services discusses Omnichannel appraisals, which are now more common than traditional brick-and-mortar appraisals.  

Capital One executives discuss how innovation in the food & beverage sector are making it an industry lenders don’t want to ignore.

A Conway MacKenzie executive provides an overview of the construction industry, including its unique cycles. Lending into the construction sector can prove to be a lucrative decision if extensive due diligence is conducted deep into a company’s financials. There are a wide range of factors and potential pitfalls to consider, understand and navigate properly.

Rosenthal & Rosenthal’s recourse factoring division, launched earlier this year, allows the company to look beyond the traditional industries served by non-recourse factoring. Here, Rosenthal’s chief lending officer, Paul Schuldiner, and director of Recourse Factoring, Leigh Lones, discuss the recourse factoring division and what they’re seeing in the industry.

The Secured Finance Foundation has joined forces with NYU Stern Executive Education to bring a multi-faceted learning experience taught by NYU Professor, Nathan Pettit (pictured) coupled with real-world secured finance applications.

This two-day course, held in person at NYU Stern June 20-21, will introduce attendees to a variety of analytical frameworks while simultaneously modelling tactical approaches – all with the focus on developing leadership skills.

As VC markets cool, more cash-starved companies are turning to venture lending to tide them over until a new equity round is possible. Lenders are taking note—but it may not be the lenders one would expect.  

In this Q&A with Jennifer Post, managing partner of Thompson Coburn LLP’s Los Angeles office, she discusses if recession fears are slowing down equity markets, if start-ups are depending more on risky “uncommon players” for venture capital and other critical challenges startups face. 

Infinity ABL Services, LLC
1121 Mason Ave.
Drexel Hill, PA 19026-2509
https://www.infinityabl.com

Infinity ABL provides field exam services for banks and other commercial finance institutions. Infinity ABL, created in February 2021, has three partners with extensive ABL knowledge.

The Women in Secured Finance e-newsletter's feature interview for this issue is with Melissa Mok, director of asset-based lending for Truist Securities. Mok joined Truist Securities in 2014.  Located in Texas, she is responsible for ABL originations of mid- and large-cap companies and is currently focused on the Financial Services, Energy and Industrial Services. TMT and TME industry verticals.