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Rafael A. Santiago
Robert A. Feiner
Benjamin M. Wattenmaker
John M. Wolfson
RAFAEL A. SANTIAGO
Managing Member
(860) 547-1331
rsantiago@santiagolawgroup.com
Rafael A. Santiago maintains an
active legal practice in corporate, commercial and financing
transactions. He regularly represents both buyers and sellers
in structuring, negotiating, financing and documenting sophisticated
business acquisition transactions. He also represents institutional
lenders and business entities in structuring, negotiating and
documenting complex single and multiple lender corporate, commercial
and real estate financing transactions.
In addition to his transactional practice, Rafi
represents corporate entities on matters of governance, shareholder
relations, employee matters and general contracting issues.
He counsels and provides legal advice in connection
with the various day-to-day business requirements of his clients.
Practice Focus
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Asset Based
Lending |
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Business
Formation |
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Business
Workouts and Restructuring |
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Commercial Finance |
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Corporate |
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International |
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Mergers and
Acquisitions |
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Real Estate
Development, Financing and Leasing |
Representative Matters
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$26.5
million acquisition of a leather goods business with
manufacturing operations in China and India, financed
with a formula-based secured revolving credit facility
with a seasonal out-of-formula facility and a letter
of credit line for import letters of credit from national
bank, a secured subordinated debt obligation from mezzanine
lender and equity investment, including a debt subordination
agreement between the senior secured lender and the
subordinated debt lender. |
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$75.0
million formula-based secured revolving credit facility
from a syndicate of lenders to a regional supplier of
food and other products, guaranteed by subsidiaries
of the borrower. |
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$19.5
million secured credit facility from national bank to
regional distributor of pumps and pumps systems for
industrial and institutional applications to provide
working capital financing, support new equipment purchases
and consolidate existing equipment loans, including
a formula-based revolving loan, an equipment line of
credit and a term loan. |
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Acquisition
from a NYSE company of business engaged in the manufacturing,
distribution and sale of metal closures, financed with
a note to the seller and a secured credit facility from
asset-based lender, including a formula-based revolving
loan and an equipment loan. |
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Development
by a regional independent grocer and financing by a
syndicate of lenders of the construction of a 980,000
square foot wholesale food warehouse and distribution
center. |
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$48.5
million financing of distribution
center owned by a single-purpose bankruptcy-remote entity. |
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Asset
sale of division engaged in the business of selling
and servicing industrial weighing products with district
offices in eleven states. |
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Stock
acquisition of a national consulting and technology
services provider by international software services
organization based in Denmark. |
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U.S.
counsel to Spanish agricultural cooperative expanding
in the U.S. market. |
Presentations
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“Uniform
Commercial Code Update; Closing the Seams - A Practical
Approach” presented at the Hispanic National Bar
Association National Conference, panelist |
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“Legal
Considerations for Small Businesses” presented
at the Spanish American Merchants Association Conference |
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“Documenting
Secured Loan Transactions” presented at continuing
education seminar sponsored by the National Business
Institute, panelist |
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“Pigeon-Holed
or Jack-of-all-Trades, Master of None? To Specialize
or Not to Specialize: What Every Solo and Small Firm
Needs to Consider” presented at the American Bar
Association National Conference, panelist |
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“Commercial
Law Developments” presented at the American Bar
Association National Conference, panelist |
Professional and Trade Affiliations
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American
Bar Association (Member: Business Law and International
Law and Practice Sections); Served in the Advisory Council
on Diversity in the Profession and currently serves
in the Latin America Law Initiative Council and the
Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund Selection Committee |
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Connecticut
Bar Association (Member: Corporate, Commercial Law and
Bankruptcy Sections); Currently serves in the Standing
Committee on Long-Range Planning |
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Industry Experience
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Banking and
Investment |
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Distributors |
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Food and
Beverages |
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Healthcare
Providers |
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Insurance |
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Manufacturing |
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Media |
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Petroleum |
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Services |
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Technology
and e-commerce |
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Wholesaler |
Community Involvement
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Board Member, Connecticut Innovations, Inc. |
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Board Member, Secretary and President-Elect, University of Connecticut Law School Foundation, Inc. |
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James W. Cooper Fellow, Connecticut Bar Foundation |
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Member, State
of Connecticut Commission on Racial and Ethnic Disparity
in the Criminal Justice System |
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Former Board
Member, Co-Chair of Latino Advisory Board and Member
of Governance Committee, Old State House Association |
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Former Legal Counsel
and Board Member, Guakía, Inc. |
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Former Trustee,
Assistant Financial Secretary and member of Finance
Committee, Hardship Committee and Rental Committee,
Beth El Temple of West Hartford |
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Former Member,
State of Connecticut Advisory Commission on Multicultural
Health |
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Former Board
Member, Hispanic National Bar Foundation |
Recognitions and Awards
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Latino Citizen
of the Year Award for 2002 – State of Connecticut
Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission |
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One of the
100 Most Influential Hispanics in 2001 – Editorial
Board of Hispanic Business Magazine |
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Achievement
Award for 2000 – Connecticut Hispanic Bar Association |
Bar and Court Admissions
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Connecticut |
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U.S. District
Court, District of Connecticut |
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U.S. Supreme
Court |
Education
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J.D., University
of Connecticut School of Law 1983 |
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M.B.A., University
of Connecticut Business School 1983 |
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B.S.E.E.,
Tufts University 1973 |
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