QUALIFICATIONS
Robert D. Leavitt, J.D., L.L.B., is Of Counsel to Lowis & Gellen where he focuses his practice on general
commercial, corporate and financial transactions, banking, commercial lending, and real estate. His
clients range from small start-up businesses to large Fortune 500 enterprises.
Mr. Leavitt has been practicing law for over twenty years, much of it in senior law department roles
including as General Counsel, and has in-depth, practical experience in a broad range of complex
commercial, corporate and financial transactions including mergers and acquisitions, secured lending, equipment leasing,
commercial real estate matters (buy, sell, lease), corporate formation, governance and planning, as
well as banking operations, compliance, technology and services such as global cash management, trade and payment
services.
Recent matters include:
-
Negotiated, documented and closed a $9 million dollar acquisition and refinance for a railroad holding company, including the simultaneous purchase of two short line railroads in two separate states with cash, subordinated debt and bank financing.
- Developed and currently manage for one of the largest banks in the U.S. a new, efficient documentation process for its deposit account and lock box control agreements with other lenders, successfully reducing the bank's legal expenses to under $2,000 per agreement.
- Designed and implemented a new corporate structure for a major Chicago area food retailer and its affiliates that significantly enhanced their ability to protect their assets and reduce their tax liabilities.
Mr. Leavitt has lectured on a range of commercial and financial
topics and has conducted training programs relating to various
bank services. An active member of the Chicago Bar Association,
Mr. Leavitt is co-chair of the Pass-Through Entities Subcommittee of
the Corporation and Business Law Committee and is a past chairman of
the Financial and Commercial Transactions Committee. Mr. Leavitt is admitted to practice law
in the State of Illinois.
EDUCATION
Mr. Leavitt received his law degree from DePaul University in 1979 and an advanced international law degree from Cambridge University in 1980. He graduated from Colgate University (B.A.) in 1976.
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