Thomas C. Mellor represents clients in structuring and negotiating a broad variety of finance transactions in the United States and globally. Tom possesses a broad range of experience as an advisor for financings with structural, intercreditor, cross-border, or other sorts of complexity. Tom’s experience includes all matters of corporate finance (including private credit, bank lending, acquisition financings, project financings, securitization transactions, and restructuring transactions). Tom is a leading practitioner in the global litigation funding market, representing both litigation funders and funded parties in a variety of novel structures.
In 2023, Tom was elected as a fellow to the American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers. In partnership with the Loan Syndications and Trading Association (LSTA), the Loan Market Association (LMA), and the Asia Pacific Loan Market Association (APLMA), Tom serves as the contributing editor of The International Comparative Legal Guide to Lending and Secured Finance, published by Global Legal Group (2012–2024).
Tom serves as co-chair of the firm’s Latin America practice.
Corporate Finance and Private Credit. Tom and his team represent banks and private credit providers in complex leveraged financings, including acquisition financings, recapitalizations, complex asset-based financings, and special situation financings. Tom and his team have experience in first lien, second lien, mezzanine and first-out/last-out financings, and related intercreditor arrangements, working with clients in many cases to develop innovative structures and solutions.
Litigation Funding. Tom represents leading litigation funders and funded parties in structuring and negotiating innovative financing solutions for the litigation funding market, both in the United States and globally. Tom has structured and negotiated more than 150 litigation funding transactions (traditional litigation funding transactions, insurance-wrapped transactions, purchases of receivables, securitizations, fund formation and abs-structures, intellectual property financings, and fundings in bankruptcy). Given his breadth of experience in this sector, Tom has a unique perspective on the benefits and risks of litigation funding for investors and funded parties, the issues that commonly arise in negotiation of these transactions (including economics) and what types of opportunities may be the most attractive to investors.
Latin American Finance. Tom has represented lenders in a wide variety of finance transactions in Latin America, from unsecured bilateral lending transactions to more complex secured acquisition financings, securitizations, project financings, and capital markets transactions. Tom serves as co-chair of the firm’s Latin America practice.
Restructuring Transactions. Tom and his team are deeply familiar with financial restructurings in the United States and globally (and Latin America in particular). Tom and the team are adept problem solvers, particularly in challenging situations that require creative solutions and outcomes.
Japanese Syndicated Lending. Working closely with the Morgan Lewis Tokyo office, Tom represents a number of Japanese banks that have arranged Yen-denominated cross-border syndicated loans (so-called “Samurai loans”) for non-Japanese borrowers.
Project Finance, Structured Finance, and Hybrid Transactions. Tom has represented lenders on a variety of project financings, especially those in the telecoms, renewables, and natural resources areas in the United States and Latin America. Tom works closely with the market-leading Morgan Lewis structured finance team on structured finance and securitization-hybrid transactions in Latin America.
Venture Debt. Tom and his team represent a number of venture debt providers, are well-versed in the issues that arise in venture debt transactions, and have developed template venture debt documentation for a number of venture debt clients.
Nonprofit Financings. Tom works closely with the firm’s leading tax-exempt organizations practice and has negotiated credit facilities for a number of the world’s leading foundations and cultural institutions.
Corporate Finance (including Private Credit)
Latin American Finance
Litigation Funding
Venture Debt
Restructuring Transactions
Project Finance, Structured Finance and Hybrid Transactions
Japanese Syndicated Lending
Nonprofit Financings
Community Service and Pro Bono
Band 1, Litigation Finance Deal Counsel, Chambers Litigation Support Guide (2024)
Fellow, American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers
Recognized, International Trade and Finance Law, New York, The Best Lawyers in America (2023)
Ranked, Banking & Finance, Latin America, Chambers Global (2012–2024)
Ranked, Banking & Finance, USA, Chambers Global (2024)
Ranked, Chambers USA (2011–2012, 2014–2019)
Ranked, Chambers Latin America (2014–2021)
Recommended, The Legal 500 US (2016, 2019, 2020)
Recommended, Focus on Mexico, The Legal 500 Private Practice Powerlist: US-Mexico (2017–2022)
Recommended, City Focus – Houston, Latin America: International Firms, The Legal 500 Latin America (2024)
Recommended, Corporate and M&A, Latin America: International Firms, The Legal 500 Latin America (2023, 2024)
Recommended, Projects and Energy, Latin America: International Firms, The Legal 500 Latin America (2023, 2024)
Recommended, Banking and Finance, Latin America: International Firms, The Legal 500 Latin America (2013–2024)
Recommended, Capital Markets, Latin America: International Firms, The Legal 500 Latin America (2019)
Notable Practitioner, IFLR1000 Financial and Corporate (2022, 2023)
Rising Star, Banking and Finance, IFLR1000 (2014–2021)
Ranked, Latinvex, Latin America’s Top 100 Lawyers (2014–2022)
Deal of the Year: North American Renewables Deal of the Year, Regulus Project, Infrastructure Journal and Project Finance Magazine (2015)
Deal of the Year: Restructuring Deal of the Year, Petrozuata Project, Latin Lawyer (2008)