Jena Watson*
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Jena is a member of the firm’s Infrastructure and Public Finance group. Jena advises financial institutions and private and public companies in a wide variety of commercial finance transactions, including borrowers and lenders in public-private partnership (P3) transactions, project finance transactions, construction finance, joint ventures, private debt financings, recapitalizations and acquisitions facilities, secured and unsecured credit facilities, leveraged and structured financings, credit and swap insurance policies, low-income housing tax credits, non-profit business investments, and distressed debt situations.
Jena has represented financial institutions and US corporations on project financings - including market-rate student, affordable, seniors and securitized multifamily housing, and agency loans. She has also negotiated and drafted documentation for U.S. and international infrastructure projects in the bank, bond, and private capital markets, distressed and bankruptcy-related debt transactions, acquisitions financings, and credit facilities, with a focus on energy projects.
For over a decade, she served as bond insurer’s and servicer’s counsel for permanent and construction loans, securitizations and loan restructurings of over $8 billion in military housing privatization transactions.
Her experiences as both outside counsel and in-house counsel for major financial institutions have given Jena a unique perspective on understanding and accomplishing her clients’ goals.
*Not admitted in CA. Admitted in DC and NY. Practicing under the supervision of CA Bar members.
Memberships and Boards
- City of Belvedere Parks and Open Spaces Committee, Chairperson (2020 – present)
- Belvedere Community Foundation, Advisory Trustee and Board Member (2020 - present)
- Bitwise Funds Trust, member Board of Trustees (2022 - present))
Prior Work
Jena joined the firm in 2023 after working at other large law firms in New York and Washington DC and a decade in-house at US financial institutions.
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Education
University of Virginia School of Law, JD, 1997University of Virginia, BA, 1994