Gail Merel

Gail has extensive experience in a variety of corporate transactions with a particular emphasis on corporate finance. Gail's practice has included syndicated and single-lender loan and letter of credit facilities, debt restructures, project financings, leveraged and synthetic lease transactions, structured financings, asset securitizations, cross-border and multi-currency financings, taxable and tax-exempt public debt issuances, private placements, commercial paper programs, collateralized mortgage obligations, venture capital investments and lender liability counseling.

Gail has represented a wide range of participants in these matters, including national, state and foreign banking institutions, insurance companies, trustees, asset-based and other lending institutions, underwriters, venture capital investors, securities issuers, borrowers and other corporate clients. A significant portion of her practice has also been devoted to transactions related to the health care industry. Gail also has extensive experience in handling secured transactions, including under both Articles 8 and 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code.

Gail has been named one of the Best Lawyers in America for each year since 1995, as published by Woodward/White Publications. Among her professional honors, she has been elected a Fellow of The American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers.

• Representation of affiliated oil and gas production investment companies in secured, syndicated credit facilities aggregating $3 billion
• Representation of financial institution in $35 million syndicated acceptance facility
• Representation of litigation support services company in its senior credit facility, subordinated debt facilities, intercreditor arrangements and equity investments
• Representation of public hospital corporation in its receivables securitization facility and $65 million asset-based loan and letter of credit facility
• Representation of independent oil and gas producer in public offering of $150 million guaranteed senior subordinated notes and related exchange
• Representation of petrochemical producer in $475 million syndicated cogeneration project financing
• Representation of telecommunications provider in $300 million debtor-in-possession revolving credit facility
• Representation of trustee in $40 million Rule 144A convertible senior subordinated note issuance

• Fellow, The American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers
• Top Rated Lawyer in Banking & Finance Law, The American Lawyer & Corporate Counsel (2013)
• Texas' Women Best Lawyers, The Houston Chronicle 2013
• 2013 Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of AV Preeminent Women Lawyers
• The Best Lawyers in America by Woodward/White Publications (1995-2018)
• Recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer in Banking, Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters (published in Texas Monthly) (2003-2012, 2017-2019)
• Recipient, Certificate of Merit for Outstanding Service to the State Bar of Texas (June 2002)

Vice President and Director, Working Group on Legal Opinions Foundation

Regent and Fellow, The American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers

Director and Past Chair, Texas Business Law Foundation (Chair, 2011-2012)

Chair, Working Group on Legal Opinions Project on Commonly Excluded Laws

Past Steering Committee Member, DirectWomen (formed as an initiative of the American Bar Association and Catalyst, Inc.)

Past Chair, Business Law Section of the State Bar of Texas (approximately 3,500 members)

Member

• TriBar Legal Opinions Committee
• Joint Committee of the ABA Legal Opinions Committee and the Working Group on Legal Opinions Foundation on a Statement of Opinion Practices
• State Bar of Texas, Business Law Section
  • Current and Past Chair and member, Legal Opinions Committee
  • Past Member, Commercial Financial Services Committee
  • Past Member, Uniform Commercial Code Committee
• American Bar Association
  • Business Law Section, Legal Opinions Committee
  • Investment Securities Subcommittee of the Uniform Commercial Code Committee of the Business Law Section (1996-1997)
• Texas Business Law Foundation
  • Director (1995-present)
  • Past Member, Subcommittee on the Usury Reform Act Bill
• Houston Commercial Finance Lawyers Forum
• The Association of the Bar of the City of New York (1981-1987)
  • Committee on Federal Legislation (1981-1983)
  • Committee on Banking Law (1984-1987)