Profile
Matt Nichols is an infrastructure finance attorney focusing on municipal bond offerings. He advises lenders, underwriters, issuers, and sponsors on infrastructure financings for the utilities, energy, health care, transportation, and higher education sectors. He also represents both public and private sector participants in public-private infrastructure projects.
Matt’s practice is largely concentrated on the municipal market, where his clients include colleges and universities, hospital systems, state agencies, and large local governments. He counsels these entities in connection with a range of financing tools, including taxable and tax-exempt loans, publicly offered bond issues, derivatives, and other market products. He also advises on compliance, representing issuers before the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Internal Revenue Service.
Matt actively represents commercial and investment banks in their underwriting and lending activities for nonprofit health care providers, public power agencies, cooperative electric power companies, and large local governments. He also works with private sector clients in public-private partnerships and joint ventures, as well as other transactions involving government-owned, privately financed and operated infrastructure, and development projects such as student housing, stadiums, and hotels.
Concentrations
- Health care finance
- Taxable and tax-exempt public offerings
- Infrastructure project finance
- Bank direct tax-exempt lending
- Convention centers, hotels, stadiums
Capabilities
Experience
- Advised state university system in connection with privatization of an on-campus student housing portfolio valued at $550 million.°
- Bond Counsel to the Georgia World Congress Center Authority on a $500 million tax-exempt project financing for a new upscale convention center headquarters hotel adjacent to the World Congress Center and Mercedes Benz Stadium.°
- Represented the Cobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall Authority in its negotiation of the ownership and financing agreements for SunTrust Park.°
- Advised an academic medical center in connection with a $600 million public offering of taxable debt.°
- Bond Counsel to the State Road and Tollway Authority on its offering of $367 million in Managed Lane System Guaranteed Revenue Bonds, which consolidated several separately financed managed lane projects under a single financing structure.°
- Represented a multi-hospital nonprofit community health system in a $1 Billion taxable financing to acquire six additional hospitals from a for-profit provider.°
- Represented the underwriters in a $427 million offering of tax-exempt bonds for the Georgia Ports Authority.°
- Advised Gwinnett County, Georgia on disclosure and securities matters relating to financings for the county’s Urban Redevelopment Agency, its Water and Sewerage Authority and its Development Authority aggregating in excess of $350 million.°
- Represented the underwriters in a $300 million public offering for a public power provider.°
- Represented the agent and lenders in a $1.2 billion syndicated credit facility for an electric cooperative power provider.°
°The above representations were handled by Mr. Nichols prior to his joining Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, Woodward/White, “The Best Lawyers in America in Public Finance Law,” 2013-2020, 2023
- Selected, “Lawyer of the Year in Atlanta for Public Finance Law,” 2018
- Listed, Georgia Trend, “Legal Elite - Public Finance/Bonds,” 2016
- Listed, Super Lawyers magazine, Georgia Super Lawyers, 2008-2013, 2020-2021
- Listed, “Rising Stars,” 2005-2007
- Fellow, American College of Bond Counsel, 2006-Present
- Member, Membership Committee, 2019-Present
- Member, National Association of Bond Lawyers, 1996-Present
- University of Georgia Law School Association Council, 2020-Present
- Board of Directors, Georgia Wildlife Federation
- Board Member, 2006-2015
- Chairman of the Board of Directors, 2011-2013
- Emeritus Member, 2015-Present
Credentials
- B.B.A., magna cum laude with honors, University of Georgia
- J.D., cum laude, University of Georgia School of Law, 1993
- Georgia