Jena Q. Watson represents private and public companies, as well as banks and other financial institutions, in a wide variety of commercial finance transactions. Ms. Watson has served as counsel to borrowers and lenders in private debt financings, including domestic and cross-border acquisition facilities, term and working capital facilities, leveraged and structured financings, project finance transactions, asset securitizations, mezzanine financings, workouts and restructurings, and debtor-in-possession financings.
Ms. Watson’s recent representations include—
- a leading bond insurer to the structured, asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities sectors in connection with the credit enhancement of over $8 billion of loans to developers of military housing privatization projects
- a joint venture between Dow Chemical and Mitsui & Co. in connection with the $677 million financing of a 816,000 mt/year chlorine production facility in Freeport, Texas
- a private equity fund in connection with its structured $65 million investment in a biodiesel production facility in Argentina
- the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of General Growth Properties in connection with its chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and emergence therefrom
- a Tier One automotive parts supplier in connection with the financing of general corporate needs, as well as acquisitions of automotive body and chassis operations and other operational assets
- a manufacturer of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in connection with the €82 million refinancing of a PET production facility in Schkopau, Germany
- a U.S. defense contractor in connection with refinancing of approximately $4.2 billion of bank credit facilities and letter of credit facilities and a synthetic lease
- a leader in both business-to-business and retail office products in connection with the issuance of $1.47 billion of Rule144A notes secured by credit enhanced installment notes
- leading timberlands companies in connection with the issuance of an aggregate of over $2 billion of Rule 144A/Regulations privately placed notes secured by credit enhanced installment notes.
Prior to joining Akin Gump, Ms. Watson practiced with another international law firm. Ms. Watson received her B.A. with distinction in 1994 and her J.D. in 1997 from the University of Virginia. She is a member of the New York State and District of Columbia bars.