Chris Molen and Chad Werner have joined McGuireWoods' Atlanta office as partners, bringing deep knowledge of the leveraged finance and asset-based lending markets to the firm's nationally respected Debt Finance Department.

Molen and Werner, both highly regarded in the Atlanta bar, come to McGuireWoods from King & Spalding.

Molen has more than 40 years of experience representing national banks, hedge funds, private equity funds and international financial institutions in transactions around the world. He leads secured and unsecured lending deals, with significant experience in the healthcare and communications sectors. He also advises on debt restructurings, workouts and bankruptcy matters.

Molen has held a Chambers USA Band 1 ranking — the highest possible — in banking and finance law for Georgia for 14 years in a row. He is a past president of the Atlanta Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth and is a member of the Commercial Finance Association and the Turnaround Management Association. 

Werner represents financial institutions, direct lenders, equity sponsors and corporate borrowers on a wide range of secured and unsecured financial transactions, including leveraged-based and investment-grade syndicated credit facilities, asset-based lending subordinated debt transactions, dividend recapitalizations and acquisition financing deals. He is a board member of the Atlanta Bar Association Section of Business and Finance and was named a "Rising Star" by IFLR 1000. 

"Chris and Chad are highly regarded for their debt finance experience and are prominent members of the Atlanta bar," said Chris Greene, debt finance lawyer and managing partner of McGuireWoods' Atlanta office. "Their experience will be invaluable to clients across the country. We are excited to welcome them to the firm."

Raj Natarajan, chair of McGuireWoods' Debt Finance Department, added, "Chris and Chad are major additions to our national practice. Their arrival further enhances our formidable capabilities to deliver for clients in a variety of financing matters." 

McGuireWoods' finance practice is one of the largest in the United States, with more than 90 debt finance lawyers in the U.S. and London. The firm represents each of the top 10 U.S. banks ranked by assets and has handled domestic and cross-border commitments exceeding $100 billion in each of the past eight years.  

"McGuireWoods has a well-deserved reputation nationally as a powerhouse firm in the banking and financial services industry," Molen said. "Chad and I look forward to introducing our clients to this impressive platform."

"McGuireWoods excels at delivering comprehensive, integrated services to its financial industry clients. I'm excited to be a part of this talented team," Werner added. 

McGuireWoods has developed nationwide programs to bring together investors and companies seeking financing, including its annual healthcare-focused private equity, lending and finance conference. The firm earned a nationwide ranking in Chambers USA for its experience in healthcare transactional matters – as well as its regulatory, litigation and privacy work – and for its skill advising private equity firms and companies on investments and sales.

McGuireWoods was named 2019's "Law Firm of the Year" for banking and finance law in U.S. News-Best Lawyers' "Best Law Firms." In addition, The Best Lawyers in America recognized 25 McGuireWoods lawyers for banking and finance law, the most of any firm in the United States. For seven consecutive years, McGuireWoods has ranked among the top 10 U.S. law firms for deal count and dollar volume in Thomson Reuters' league tables, and has ranked among the top five firms for deal count six times during that period.