Overview
Katherine Bell is a partner in the Paul Hastings Global Finance practice. Ms. Bell is based in the firm’s Orange County office.
Ms. Bell focuses her practice on commercial and corporate finance transactions. She regularly represents banks, investment banks, finance companies, private debt lenders, other lenders, and borrowers in working capital facilities (cash flow and asset-based), acquisition financings, structured financings, and restructurings and recapitalizations—both cross-border and U.S. focused. She has industry experience in a variety of business sectors including technology and software, healthcare, transportation and logistics, energy, retail, food and beverage, and manufacturing and industrials.
Ms. Bell has significant experience negotiating intercreditor relationships, including 1st lien/2nd lien transactions, split collateral arrangements, and unitranche transactions. She represents clients in all parts of the capital structure—senior, junior, first lien, second lien, first out, last out, super-senior, and preferred equity.
Ms. Bell is the co-author of Asset-Based Lending: A Practical Guide to Secured Financing (Practising Law Institute, 8th ed. 2015), which is generally considered to be the definitive treatise on asset-based lending.
Accolades
- Banking and Finance, Chambers USA (2016-19)
- Clients commend her “full understanding of what's on the table” and describe her as “a highly effective and efficient advocate for her clients”, Chambers USA (2016)
- “Up and Coming”, Chambers USA (2014-15)
- “Associate to Watch”, Chambers USA, (2011-13)
- “Up and Coming Finance Lawyer of the Year” shortlist, Chambers USA (2012)
- Commercial Lending, The Legal 500 USA (2021-22)
Education
- J.D., from Cornell Law School in 2001
- B.A., from University of California at Irvine in 1998
Engagement & Publications
Past Engagements
- "Strategies for Growth", Southern California Women's Business Connection (April 2018)
- “The Convergence Between Large Cap and Middle Markets”, Debtwire Middle Market Private Credit Forum in Los Angeles (July 2017)
- “Southern California Women’s Business Connection: Bringing Together Financial Professionals and Entrepreneurs” (March 2017)
- “Enforceability of Intercreditor Agreements”, American Bankruptcy Institute Webinar (February 2017)
- “Evaluating Key Intercreditor Arrangements: First Lien/Second Lien, Split Collateral, Senior/Mezzanine, and Unitranche Structures”, Strafford Webinar
- “Intercreditor Issues Panel”, CFA 71st Annual Convention (November 2015)
- “Intercreditor Arrangements – Reading Between the Liens”, LSTA Webinar (Jan 2015)
- Regular speaking engagements and training programs for clients on a variety of topics, including:
- Restructurings
- Debtor-in-Possession Financing
- Structuring a Deal
- Intercreditor Agreements
- Split Collateral Intercreditor Arrangements
- Trends in commercial loan documentation
- Interplay between the Uniform Commercial Code and Bankruptcy law
- Unitranche facilities
- Credit Agreements
- Due Diligence
- Confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements
Publications
- “Drafting Standstills in Intercreditor Agreements: Balancing Rights and Remedies of Junior and Senior Lienholders”, Stafford (August 2021)
- “Asset-Based Lending – A Practical Guide to Secured Financing,” Practising Law Institute, Co-author (8th Ed. 2015)
- "RadioShack – Bankruptcy Court Implicitly Recognizes Enforceability of Agreement Among Lenders But Limits Coverage of First Out Contingent Indemnification Claims", Paul Hastings Client Alert (May 2015)
- "Comparing Intercreditor Arrangements", LSTA Loan Market Chronicle (2015)
- “Predictions for Intercreditor Arrangements in 2015 and Beyond – The Devil Really is in the Details”, The Secured Lender (April 2015)
- “LexisPSL Banking Finance Cross-Border Guide (California)”, LexisNexis
- “Women in Commercial Finance: Growing Our Ranks”, The Secured Lender
Involvement
- Board Member – Forum for Corporate Directors
- Fellow – American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers
- Director – Secured Finance Network (formerly the Commercial Finance Association)
- Vice President of Board, Inclusion Matters by Shane’s Inspiration – Inclusive Playgrounds and Programs for Children
- Member – State Bar of California and the Orange County Bar Association
- Member and former President – Financial Lawyers Conference
- Former Chair – Women in Commercial Finance Committee of the Secured Finance Network (formerly the Commercial Finance Association)