Levi J. Smith

Levi is an experienced finance and corporate lawyer and represents clients in a variety of complex transactional matters. Levi has particular expertise working with commercial lenders, private equity sponsors, cooperatives, and agribusinesses.

Levi advises commercial lenders in all aspects of debt finance transactions. Levi also represents borrowers in debt finance transactions, including private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies. Levi has experience with a wide range of financings and has documented and negotiated acquisition financings, real estate loans, senior and mezzanine debt, and secured and unsecured loans.

Levi also represents cooperatives and agribusinesses, drawing on his background in agriculture to contribute perspective and business knowledge. Levi has significant experience with governance, financing, and operational issues relevant to cooperatives and agribusinesses, including the structuring, formation, and operation of joint ventures involving cooperatives. Levi is an active member of the Legal, Tax and Accounting Committee (LTA) of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives and chairs the LTA Subcommittee on Disputes Involving Cooperatives and Their Members.

• Represents local and national banks and other lending institutions in a variety of loan transactions.
• Represented a joint venture in the agriculture sector through a complex restructuring transaction involving governance, financing, and operational issues, and continues to represent the joint venture in an outside general counsel role.
• Represents private equity sponsors and corporate borrowers in loans ranging in size from several million dollars to over $500 million.
• Represented multiple cooperatives on governance-related and “general counsel”
• Represents private equity sponsors in corporate transactions and general corporate matters.
• Represented bank in connection with $19 million construction
• Represented administrative agent in large syndicated revolving credit
• Represented national bank in significant operating and real estate credit facilities, including the structuring and negotiation of intercreditor issues relating to subordinated debt facility.
• Represented large agribusiness in connection with over $800 million of financing.
• Represented two cooperatives during and after a dispute with minority members of a jointly owned entity.
• Represented multiple issues in capital markets transactions.

Education

• University of Michigan Law School, J.D., 2014, magna cum laude
• University of Wisconsin-Madison, B.S., 2011, with distinction

Admissions

• Minnesota, 2014

• Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, Banking and Finance Law, 2021-2025
• North Star Lawyer, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2015
• Certificates of Merit in Land Use Planning and Control and Environmental Law and Policy, University of Michigan Law School

Professional Activities

• Michigan Journal of Law Reform, Contributing Editor, 2013-2014; Associate Editor 2012-2013