Service Areas
- Business
- Finance
- Real Estate
- Climate Change
- Governments + Nonprofits
- Real Estate
- Climate Change
Education
- University of Michigan Law School, J.D.
- Gustavus Adolphus College, B.A.
Bar Admissions
- Indiana
- Michigan
Trent J. Taylor represents financial institutions in real estate, construction, working capital and equipment financing, including syndicated transactions, letter of credit-backed bond financings and asset-based lending. For corporate and real estate clients, Trent focuses on conventional transactions while leveraging the resources of the entire firm as specialized needs arise.
“While commercial lending is a form-based practice, it cannot be done in a vacuum or with a cookie-cutter approach. Communication – with the borrower, the other creditors, the title company and most of all, the bank – is critical to a successful loan transaction. Communication allows for early identification of the deal's most challenging or time-consuming issues so that those issues receive the necessary attention early in the deal and do not jeopardize or postpone the closing. Ultimately, the bank's attorney is the deal participant responsible for ensuring an informed, efficient and uneventful transaction and closing.”
Trent J. Taylor
While Trent's primary area of expertise is commercial lending transactions, he began his career as a real estate attorney, followed by stints as a commercial litigator and mergers and acquisitions attorney. These experiences have equipped him to handle “bread and butter” business matters such as entity formation, business succession planning, stock and asset purchases, and real estate acquisitions, leasings and financings. In addition, Trent’s background has given him a breadth of experience which has proven useful in his commercial lending practice as well as in identifying when a client requires services outside of his individual expertise.
Experience
Trent represented a national bank in its first lending transaction with a prominent West Michigan real estate developer. Proceeding without its own counsel, the developer informed the bank that its principals/guarantors would not sign the bank’s form of environmental indemnity agreement. This refusal loomed as a deal breaker for the bank. Unable to change the developer's mind, the bank asked Trent to phone the developer in a last-ditch effort to save the deal. Trent explained to the developer that, by requiring the indemnity agreement of the guarantors, the bank was seeking directly no more than its competitors required indirectly when requiring guaranties of loan agreement and mortgage obligations. As a result of this conversation, the developer reviewed loan documents from prior transactions with other banks and concluded that Trent's position was valid and that the guarantors should sign the indemnity agreements without revision.
“Like many borrowers, the developer was not looking to nitpick the documents. Rather, he simply wanted some assurance that the bank's documentation requirements were not substantively different from those of other banks with whom he had previously dealt. Upon receiving that assurance, the developer moved quickly to close the loan. Equally as important, the developer sent our bank client a second deal a few months later.”
Representative Matters
- Automotive Supplier Real Estate Acquisition
Represented automotive suppliers on acquisition of real estate and tax-exempt bond financing for construction of manufacturing facility.
- Fiber Optic Cable Company Equity Financing
Represented fiber-optic cable operator on two rounds of equity financing.
- Financial Institution Construction Loan
Represented national bank on $22,750,000 construction loan for medical complex in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan.
- Financial Institution Revolving Credit Facility
Represented bank on $25,000,000 purchase/participation in revolving credit facilities.
- Financial Institution Syndicated Acquisition
Represented national bank as lead bank on $50,000,000 syndicated acquisition loan for beer distributor.
- Financial Institution Syndicated Financing
Represented regional bank as lead bank on $97,000,000 U.S. and $20,000,000 CDN syndicated financing of American and Canadian automotive suppliers.
- National Bank Construction Loan
Represented national bank on $29,000,000 retail project construction loan in Florida.
- National Bank Land Acquisition and Construction Financing
Represented national bank on $31,200,000 land acquisition and construction financing for off-campus apartments serving students of Grand Valley State University.
- National Bank Revolving Credit Facility
Represented national bank on $21,600,000 participation in revolving credit facility.
- National Bank Revolving Loan
Represented national bank on $65,000,000 revolving loan to automotive supplier.
- National Bank Term Loan
Represented national bank regarding $24,000,000 term loan for international vacuum manufacturerer's Illinois distribution facility.
- Office Furniture Manufacturer Sale of Business
Represented owners of office furniture manufacturer/supplier on $33,000,000 sale of business.
- Real Estate Developer Lease Negotiations
Represented real estate developers on negotiation of leases with national retailers.
- Truck Parts Distributor Acquisition of Real Estate
Represented truck parts distributor with acquisition of real estate in Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Missouri, Idaho, Alabama, Florida, Nevada, Minnesota, and Texas.
- Utility Company Equity Financing
Represented competitive (telephone) local exchange carrier on three rounds of equity financing and one round of debt financing.
Reported + Published Decisions
Piers v. American United Life Ins. Co. 714 N.E.2d 1289 (Ind. App. 1999)
Professional Activities
- American Bar Association
- State Bar of Michigan
- Grand Rapids Bar Association
Civic, Cultural + Social Activities
- University of Michigan Alumni Association
- Association of Corporate Growth--West Michigan Chapter
- Economic Club of Grand Rapids
Religious Activities
- First United Methodist Church, Grand Rapids, Pastor-Parish Relations Committee (2002, 2003 2004; Nominations Committee (2005, 2006, 2007)