Emilie R. Ninan is Co-Chair of the firm's Finance Department and a member of Ballard Spahr's Senior Leadership Team. She has extensive experience in a wide range of tax-exempt and taxable financing structures including fixed, variable and multimodal rate private placement and public debt offerings involving various forms of credit enhancement and liquidity support.
Emilie assists with obtaining lower-cost capital financing with an emphasis on the issuance of tax-exempt bonds. She serves as bond counsel, underwriter's counsel, borrower's counsel, issuer's counsel, or trustee's counsel on a variety of municipal bond financings, including general obligation, revenue, conduit, utility system, health care, affordable housing, manufacturing, bioenergy, solid waste, and educational facility bond transactions.
Services
- Finance
- Public Finance
- Energy
- Real Estate Finance
- Health Care Finance
- Education
- Infrastructure
- Commercial Finance
- Project Finance
- Bioenergy and Biomanufacturing
- Bridge Lending
- Corporate Trust Services
- Independent, Parochial and Charter School Financings
- Distressed Assets and Opportunities
- Banking and Financial Services
- Sports
- Health Care
Experience
Representative Matters
- Served as bond counsel, borrower counsel, or bank counsel on direct purchase bonds issued for the benefit of nonprofit organizations such as Academy of Dover, YMCA of Delaware, Exceptional Care for Children, and Delaware Bay and River Cooperative
- Served as bond counsel on P3 Student Housing and Dining Facility Revenue Bonds (CHF-Dover, L.L.C. - Delaware State University Project)
- Served as bond counsel to the Delaware Economic Development Authority and special counsel to the borrower in connection with the issuance of $45 million in tax-exempt 501(c)(3) revenue bonds to finance the construction and equipping of a law school building and convocation center for Wilmington University
Professional Highlights
Professional Activities
American College of Bond Counsel, Fellow
National Association of Bond Lawyers
Association of Public Finance Professionals (DC-MD-VA)
Delaware State Bar Association (DSBA): Executive Committee (2012-2013); Chair, Commercial Law Section (2008-2010), UCC Subcommittee and Multicultural Judges and Lawyers Section
Recognition & Accomplishments
The Best Lawyers in America, Banking and Finance Law, Commercial Transactions/UCC Law, Public Finance Law (Wilmington), 2023-2025
Freda Johnson Award for Trailblazing Women in Public Finance (2022)
National Diversity Council Woman of the Year (2022)
Leonard W. Lindquist Pro Bono Award (2022)
Speaking Engagements
Emilie is a frequent speaker and presenter on topics focused on the financial services industry, municipal bond market, and professional development in the legal profession. Her speaking engagements include:
Moderator, "The Rise of Private Credit and Public Resources," Commercial Real Estate Finance Council (CREFC), Washington, D.C., November 14, 2024
Panelist, "Resilience and Reinvention: Navigating Your Practice and Business Development in Uncertain Times," July 10, 2024
Presenter, “The Effect of Carson v. Makin on Non-profit Schools and Other Organizations,” Bond Attorneys’ Winter Workshop, Palm Beach, FL, January 16, 2023
Panelist, “Stepping Into Your Leadership Potential with Confidence,” SABA Leadership Institute, February 11, 2023
Keynote Speaker, TMA NOW Luncheon Fireside Chat, Turnaround Management Association Annual Conference, Boston, MA, November 2, 2022
Board Memberships & Community Service
Easterseals Advisory Board
Delaware Leadership Foundation
Delaware Commission on Indian Heritage and Culture
Publications
Author, "A Lower Cost Way of Financing Capital Projects," Delaware Business Magazine, May/June, 2023
Co-author, "10 Characteristics of Inclusive Leadership, American Bar Association, Business Law Section," Business Law Today, April 21, 2020
Credentials
Education
Georgetown University Law Center (J.D.)
Member, Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics
Georgetown University School of Business (M.B.A.)
Temple University (B.B.A., summa cum laude)
Admissions
Delaware
District of Columbia
U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware