Biography
Sarah has nearly 20 years of experience in commercial financing, real estate, and corporate acquisition transactions. In a commercial development or transaction, Sarah can be found in a variety of roles, including the architect of the deal, lender’s counsel, title insurance agent, and borrower’s counsel. From major government buildings, energy production, and manufacturing facilities to local franchises, there aren’t many project types that Sarah has not participated in.
Additionally, Sarah is the leader of Steptoe & Johnson’s Bankruptcy and Workouts Team. The core of Sarah’s bankruptcy and collection experience focuses on creditors’ rights including representation of an Unsecured Creditors’ Committee. Her experience also extends to debtors, trade vendors, and purchasers of bankruptcy assets.
Click here to read: I Said, “Stop!” … Or At Least I Thought I Did: Borrower Complaint Letters That Trigger A Duty To Respond, WV Bankers Magazine, Pub. 13 2022 Issue 2
Representative Experience
- Acted as lender’s counsel in a transaction for the purchase of long-term care facility, as an interim measure to secure HUD financing
- Acted as lender’s counsel for the financing of GSA leased facilities
- Acted as borrower’s counsel for a long-term care provider in obtaining a HUD loan for the term financing of additional facilities
- Served as borrower’s counsel in obtaining eight-figure West Virginia economic development high impact loans
- Represented a lending institution in a transaction involving the financing of cell towers in multiple states, including property title due diligence and reviewing cell tower licensing agreements with telecommunications vendors
- Represented coal companies, in the purchase of assets out of bankruptcy, including stalking horse bidding, credit bidding, evaluation of assumed liabilities, and assignment of leases
- Led a team of multi-disciplined lawyers and professionals in a transaction to finance the purchase of traditional oil and gas wells in numerous West Virginia counties. The project, completed for a multi-state bank, involved the due diligence and perfection of security interests for over 640 wells and over 1000 mineral and surface leases
- Assisted a lending institution in strategically structuring a credit facility, specifically the collateral package, for borrower’s purchase of a high wall coal mine
- Negotiated new easements and shared services agreements between adjoining major international manufacturing facilities to allow for access to necessary services
- Provided survey review, environmental survey review, title insurance, and loan structure advice to an international manufacturing company for credit facilities in excess of over $600 million
- Assisted lenders in negotiation and documentation of conventional and derivative financing totaling in excess of $6 billion
- Conducted due diligence to ensure proper collateralization and documentation of credit facilities by assisting in the evaluation of real and personal property liens, appraisals, surveys, environmental surveys, taxes, mineral rights, corporate structure, leases, and other related items
- Represented creditors by guiding them through the intricacies of bankruptcy, foreclosure, and collection methods to maximize recovery of secured and unsecured debt
Education
- J.D. The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law
- M.B.A. Ohio University
- B.B.A. Ohio University
Memberships
- Secretary of the Board of Trustees; Executive Committee, The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation
- Board Member, Bible Center School
- Education Task Force, The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation
- Distributions Committee, The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation
- Community Bankers Association of West Virginia
- Leadership Kanawha Valley (2007-2008)
- WV Bankers
- Masthead Editor, I/S: A Journal of Law and Policy for the Information Society
Achievements
- The Best Lawyers in America®, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law (2024-Present), Corporate Law (2020-Present), Real Estate Law (2020-Present)
- Super Lawyers Rising Star® Banking Law, Real Estate Law, Business & Corporate Law, Charleston, WV (2007)
- Nancy H. Rogers Prize in Dispute Resolution, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law (2006)
- College of Business Outstanding Graduate in Management, Ohio University (2001)
Publications
- Co-Author, “Avoiding CCPA Debt Collection Traps – A Periodic Reminder,” WV Bankers Magazine (Winter 2020)
- Co-Author, “I Said, ‘Stop!’ … Or At Least I Thought I Did: Borrower Complaint Letters That Trigger A Duty To Respond,” WV Bankers Magazine (Summer 2022)
Press Release
Announcement