Practice / Our Practice Areas
AIRPORT FACILITIES
Gilmore Bell attorneys have served as bond counsel for numerous airport financings throughout the Midwest. By developing customized transaction structures and tapping creative financing sources, our attorneys have assisted issuers large and small in accomplishing their air transportation financing and refinancing goals. Drawing on our depth of experience in the area, our attorneys have teamed with communities to complete a wide range of high-profile air transportation projects, including construction of the new “ACT 3” terminal at Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, renovations of Kansas City International Airport, and the development and construction of Branson Airport.
BROADBAND
Gilmore Bell attorneys assist communities throughout the nation to finance the acquisition of telecommunications networks. Our attorneys work closely with municipalities, joint action agencies, 501(c)(3) corporations, internet service providers (ISPs) and others to bring broadband projects to areas where access to high speed and cost-effective internet historically was limited. Our knowledge of federal tax and state law restrictions and unparalleled expertise with broadband projects allow us to create structures giving communities an opportunity to deliver cost effective high speed broadband service and provide an opportunity for their constituents to more fully participate in the modern economy.
CLEAN & RENEWABLE ENERGY
Gilmore Bell attorneys work closely with issuers, utilities, borrowers, developers, lenders, and others to structure and guide the financing team through clean and renewable energy project development in a cost-effective manner. Our attorneys’ experience includes structuring transactions with a wholistic focus on all aspects of the capital stack, including, tax-exempt and tax-advantaged financings, property assessment clean energy (PACE) funding, utilization of federal, state, and local incentives, including, federal direct pay or elective pay tax credits for renewable energy projects authorized by the federal government under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, and leverage of power purchase agreements. Our experience in clean and renewable energy project development includes: wind, solar, hydro, geothermal, biofuel, storage facilities, and energy efficiency improvements.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT / PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS
Gilmore Bell regularly serves as special economic development counsel for municipalities and nonprofit corporations in connection with development and redevelopment projects. The firm’s economic development attorneys represent cities and counties in the formation and administration of special taxing districts, such as community improvement districts and transportation development districts. Our attorneys have been involved with creative tax increment financing (TIF) plans to finance large and small economic development projects and the issuance of tax-exempt and taxable bonds to create new commercial facilities and new jobs. We help clients facilitate targeted tax abatement to incentivize new development and the expansion of existing businesses and facilities. Whether attracting private capital to fund public infrastructure or leveraging public investment to foster economic development, Gilmore Bell has decades of experience negotiating with private entities on P3 projects that combine private equity and debt with traditional tax-exempt or structured lease financing, property tax abatement, project sales tax exemptions, and state and federal tax credit equity.
GENERAL GOVERNMENTAL PURPOSE
We work with public entities of all sizes to develop a comprehensive strategy for their capital needs. From project identification and structuring, through marketing, due diligence, closings and post-issuance compliance, Gilmore Bell attorneys and staff possess the experience necessary for our clients to navigate the ever-changing landscape of municipal finance.
HEALTHCARE & LONG-TERM CARE
Gilmore Bell serves as bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel and purchaser’s counsel for healthcare and senior living financings throughout the United States. As bond counsel, Gilmore Bell attorneys have extensive experience with traditional and customized tax-exempt and taxable financings for a wide range of healthcare and senior living providers. These providers include nonprofit and governmental health systems, hospitals, academic medical centers, ambulance providers, medical air transport providers, continuing care retirement communities, and nursing homes.
• 501(c)(3) Presentation (Basics)
• Tax-Exempt Financings for 501(c)(3) Organizations – Quick Sheet
• Frequently Asked Questions – Nonprofit/501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Bonds
HIGHER EDUCATION
Gilmore Bell attorneys have extensive experience working on transactions that benefit public and private colleges and universities of higher education located throughout the United States. Financings include academic, administrative, housing, recreational, stadium, and other campus buildings and improvements, as well as working capital and student loan program financings. Whether serving in the capacity of bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel, or purchaser’s counsel, our attorneys work closely with other members of the financing team to provide flexible solutions for higher education institutions.
• 501(c)(3) Presentation (Basics)
• Tax-Exempt Financings for 501(c)(3) Organizations – Quick Sheet
• Frequently Asked Questions – Nonprofit/501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Bonds
HOUSING
Since its formation, Gilmore Bell has been a leader in both multifamily housing revenue bonds and single family mortgage revenue bond transactions, issuing opinions relating to billions of dollars of housing bonds.
Our attorneys work closely with issuers, borrowers, developers, tax credit partners and others to structure low-income and market-rate multifamily housing project financings in a cost-effective manner. Gilmore Bell attorneys help guide the financing team through the intricate federal tax rules applicable to multifamily housing bonds.
Gilmore Bell has helped structure hundreds of single-family bond issues, including pass-through mortgage-backed tax-exempt securities and bonds secured by securities backed by GNMA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The firm has also assisted housing agencies in establishing and operating home mortgage programs financed through the sale of securities in the TBA market.
INFRASTRUCTURE / MUNICIPAL FACILITIES
Gilmore Bell attorneys collaborate on transactions that help finance and construct infrastructure for entities providing services to the public. These infrastructure projects include facilities for local and regional providers of services for water, cable, telecommunications, internet, sewer, electric, and gas. Other infrastructure projects include stadiums, arenas, museums/historical construction and renovation, entertainment or recreation venues or centers, fire stations, police stations, municipal buildings and halls, hospitals and nursing facilities, schools and related educational facilities. These projects have been financed with taxes, service fees or charges and pledges or contributions, and are owned and operated by cities, counties, school districts, water districts, sewer districts and other special purpose governmental entities.
K-12 EDUCATION
Gilmore Bell attorneys have substantial experience serving as bond counsel for kindergarten through twelfth-grade (K-12) educational projects. These projects provide facilities and programs that support the development of educational services for children in local communities. As part of our bond counsel practice in this area, our attorneys assist public school districts and organizations, charter schools, parochial schools, and other private school entities with meeting their financing goals. Gilmore Bell regularly serves as bond counsel and special tax counsel on transactions of every scope and size – from small financing leases of school computers and equipment to large-scale, multi-facility construction projects.
MANUFACTURING FACILITIES
Gilmore Bell attorneys assist borrowers that wish to utilize state and federal tax incentives available for qualifying manufacturing projects. Through the issuance of industrial development revenue bonds, eligible companies may construct and permanently finance their projects on a tax-exempt basis. Our attorneys work with local governmental entities that issue industrial development revenue bonds to ensure all state and federal demands are satisfied. We are familiar with the various requirements imposed on these borrowers and projects by the Internal Revenue Code and work with other financing parties to navigate them successfully.
OTHER NONPROFIT FACILITIES
Gilmore Bell serves as bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel, and purchaser’s counsel on financing transactions for various nonprofit facilities, such as museums, performing arts centers, research institutions, zoos, charities and other cultural and nonprofit facilities. Representative projects include construction of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the expansion of and renovation to the St. Louis Art Museum.
• 501(c)(3) Presentation (Basics)
• Tax-Exempt Financings for 501(c)(3) Organizations – Quick Sheet
• Frequently Asked Questions – Nonprofit/501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Bonds
PUBLIC POWER
Gilmore Bell has served as bond counsel for numerous public power financings and refinancings. Our attorneys provide critical legal and business advice and analysis to our public utility clients to assist with achieving their financing objectives, accessing both the public markets and private capital. We have played a critical role in financings for large- and small-scale projects, and everything in between, guiding our clients throughout the financing process and beyond. Our attorneys have served traditional public utilities, joint power agencies, and others on a multitude of high-profile projects, including the development and construction of a 56 MW natural gas power plant for Coffeyville Municipal Light and Power, as well as acquisitions of ownership interests in several power plants, including the Plum Point Energy Station, a 670 MW coal-fired power plant in Osceola, Arkansas, and the Iatan Power Station – Unit 2, an 850 MW (net) coal-fired generating unit in Weston, Missouri.
TRANSPORTATION
The United States and all of its cities, towns, and local communities are connected by an intricate network of highways, streets, bridges, and railways. Through the use of taxable and tax-exempt financings, communities are able to fund their desired transportation projects in the most cost-effective manner. Gilmore Bell has served as bond counsel and disclosure counsel on countless transportation projects that include street repairs, toll roads and bridges, bus and light rail transit systems, street cars, and other mass transportation facilities.
WATER, SEWER & GAS UTILITIES
Our firm works on a wide range of tax-exempt financings for the purpose of constructing and improving water filtration systems, wastewater treatment facilities, and natural gas utility systems, as well as providing the infrastructure necessary to support these systems and bring services to homes and communities. As part of our practice, Gilmore Bell attorneys have worked with states and local governments, special districts, revolving loan programs, and investor-owned utility projects to achieve their utility infrastructure needs.
TERMS OF USE
Gilmore Bell makes available the materials on this website for informational purposes only. These materials are general in nature, not intended as legal advice for any specific transaction and should not be relied upon or used without consulting a lawyer to consider specific circumstances or changes to the law. Read more about our website and our Terms of Use here.