Michael A. Karpen

Michael Karpen is a finance attorney in Holland & Knight's New York office. Mr. Karpen represents banks, financial institutions, captive finance companies, equipment lessors, hedge funds, debt issuers, lessees and borrowers in a wide range of financing and equipment leasing transactions.

Mr. Karpen focuses his practice on representing funding sources, banks, equipment lessors and lessees, and issuers in all aspects of equipment financing. These matters include structuring, preparing and negotiating documentation in connection with credit facilities, warehouse lines of credit, sale and purchase of leases, lease receivables, lease portfolios and other financial assets, vendor program agreements, securitization transactions, syndicated loans, participations, project finance, merger and acquisition (M&A) financings, and preparation and advice regarding lease forms.

In particular, Mr. Karpen often provides advice to clients in connection with "solution financing" – complex transactions involving the financing of equipment projects, various types of services, software and other soft costs. Transactions in which Mr. Karpen has participated involve the financing of all asset classes, including aircraft, vessel, railcars, vehicles (gas and electric), containers, software, computers, energy-related and various other types of small, middle and large ticket equipment. Mr. Karpen also represents clients in connection with the purchase, sale and establishment of independent, subsidiary and captive leasing companies. He has also represented issuers in connection with securitization transactions involving the financing of various types of financial assets. Mr. Karpen's practice also includes the financing of renewable energy, cannabis and cryptocurrency related assets.

Mr. Karpen's representative engagements include:

• representation of various equipment manufacturers in establishing captive financing companies, and bank and finance company equipment leasing and finance subsidiaries, including analysis of corporate structures, preparation of lease and loan documentation, state licensure issues, including obtaining required lender licenses, state usury and state sales tax analysis
• representation of lender in issuance of $250 million asset-backed receivables securitization transaction
• representation of a bank in $50 million warehouse line of credit
• representation of a fund in financing of $100 million cryptocurrency mining computers
• representation of a bank in connection with a $250 million container financing
• representation of a fund in $50 million equipment lease of cannabis-related equipment
• representation of a fund in the purchase of $75 million of energy saving equipment receivables
• representation of a bank lender in a $27.5 million discretionary line of credit to a manufacturer of consumer goods sold in the U.S. and Mexico
• representation of lessee in a synthetic lease of a manufacturing facility in Mexico
• representation of privately owned companies in general corporate matters, acquisitions and employment, shareholder and other agreements

Mr. Karpen has authored several articles that have been published in major finance publications. He also is the editor of the Commercial Finance Guide and the Commercial Loan Documentation Guide published by LexisNexis. In addition, Mr. Karpen is a frequent lecturer on various topics relating to loan and lease transactions and documentation.

Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Karpen was a financial attorney for a national law firm in its New York office.