Paul Hespel

Paul W. Hespel is a partner with Alston & Bird in New York and focuses on leveraged acquisition financings and transactional finance matters in distressed settings. He represents corporate borrowers, financial sponsors, portfolio companies, financial institutions and alternative capital sources in both domestic and cross-border engagements. Mr. Hespel has experience in structuring and negotiating secured and investment-grade credit facilities; first-lien, second-lien, mezzanine and multi tranche financings; liquidity lines; and high-yield debt offerings. He also counsels clients on forbearance arrangements, out-of-court restructurings, and debtor-in-possession and exit financings. Mr. Hespel routinely represents private-equity funds and alternative capital sources, including business-development companies(BDCs), small business investment companies (SBICs), mezzanine funds, and private debt funds in the structuring and documentation of private credit transactions. During his more than 20 years of practice, he has developed sector experience in education, financial services (including asset management), RE-ITs, health care, life sciences, manufacturing and TMT (technology, media, and telecommunications).Mr. Hespel is admitted to practice in New York and North Carolina. He received his M.B.A. from IN-SEAD, Fontainebleau and LL.M.s from Duke University and Catholic University Leuven.