M. Scott Helbing
Biography
Scott Helbing represents financial institutions, private capital providers, corporate borrowers and private equity firms in finance transactions, including workout and restructuring matters. His work is concentrated in corporate leveraged finance, private credit finance and oil and gas transactions.
Over more than 25 years of practice, Scott has advised global financial institutions, corporate borrowers and private equity firms on syndicated and bilateral credit facilities, second lien and subordinated debt financings, and loan restructures and workouts involving complex energy, C&I and real estate finance matters. His matters include financing transactions ranging from $5 million to $2.6 billion.
Scott has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for banking and finance Law from 2021 through 2026, after prior recognition for bank lending. In past years, he also was recognized as a Texas Super Lawyers Rising Star and as a D Magazine Best Lawyer. He is a member of the Dallas Bar Association, the Texas Association of Bank Counsel, ADAM Energy Forum and the Federalist Society. He previously served on the board of directors of the Suicide & Crisis Center of North Texas, on the City of University Park’s Zoning Ordinance Advisory Committee, and on the board of directors and as legal counsel for the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce.
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Corporate and Real Estate Finance
- Represented a financial institution as administrative agent, in a $162.4 million real estate secured term loan facility to large Texas based beverage distributor.
- Represented a financial institution as administrative agent, in a $40 million revolving credit facility to manufacturing company to support working capital and tuck in acquisitions.
- Represented a financial institution as administrative agent and co-lead arranger, in a $90 million term loan and $10 million revolver to finance a leveraged acquisition of a valve manufacturing company.
- Represented a financial institution as joint lead arranger and administrative agent, in a $50 million revolving credit facility and a $80 million term facility for a provider of bundled voice and data communications services to educational institutions.
- Represented a financial institution, as lender, in a $5 million revolving credit facility to a Delaware media corporation.
- Represented a financial institution as joint lead arranger, joint bookrunner and administrative agent, in a $500 million revolving credit and $984.375 million term loan facility to a premier mountain resort company.
- US $2.6 billion equivalent global credit facility to publicly traded REIT involving U.S., Canada, Euro, Japan, Korea, and China tranches.
- Real estate development, sale-leaseback, subleasing, acquisition and disposition of income producing properties and corporate headquarters.
- $1.5 billion revolving credit and letter of credit facilities to publicly traded national homebuilder.
- $1.21 billion revolving credit facility to publicly traded national homebuilder.
- $1.1 billion credit facility to publicly traded resort management company.
- Structuring and negotiating, on behalf of individual lenders and multi-jurisdictional bank syndicates, credit facilities to private equity funds, real estate development companies, and real estate investment trusts (REITs), and advising on related issues.
- $450 million revolving credit facility to publicly traded national homebuilder.
- $400 million multi-year revolving credit facility and $100 million 364-day multicurrency revolving credit facility to publicly traded real estate investment trust.
- $320 million advancing term loan facility to facilitate acquisition financing and refinancing of publicly traded senior notes secured by multiple hotel properties.
- Representation of borrowers and lenders in dozens of commercial and industrial middle market revolving and term loan facilities ranging from $3 million to $100 million.
- Representation of real estate partnership in the acquisition of multiple commercial properties and the assumption of multiple conduit loans secured thereby.
Energy Finance
- Represented a financial institution as administrative bank, issuing bank and lead arranger in a $250 million senior revolving credit facility secured by oil and gas reserves.
- Represented a financial institution as administrative bank, issuing bank and lead arranger in a $65 million senior revolving credit facility secured by oil and gas reserves.
- Represented a financial institution as administrative agent, in a $15 million revolving credit facility and a $42.5 million term facility to provide acquisition financing for private equity sponsor to acquire a majority interest in a leading manufacturer of pressure control connection products for the downstream, natural gas distribution, LNG, upstream, and general industrial market.
- Represented a financial institution as administrative agent and joint lead arranger, in a revolving secured reserve-based oil and gas credit facility to a privately held oil and natural gas company with borrowing base of $400 million; maximum credit amount of $500 million.
- Representation of administrative agent in $250 million facility secured by producing properties in Kansas, Oklahoma, North Dakota and Texas.
- Representation of energy lenders in bank facilities ($5 million to $150 million) in connection with secured reserve based oil and gas production loans.
- Represented a financial institution in connection with the bankruptcy exit financing of an oil and gas company operating in the Eagle Ford.
- Representation of agent in revolving credit and term facility for the roll up of multiple Texas based oil field service companies.
- Representation of lender in multiple reserve based credit facilities to independent producers of oil and gas properties in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, New York, and North Dakota.
- Representation of corporation engaged in the drilling and completion of offshore oil and gas wells in connection with its $150 million senior credit facility.
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- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America, Woodward/White, Inc., for Banking and Finance Law, 2021-2026
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Education
- J.D., South Texas College of Law Houston, 1998, cum laude, Phi Delta Phi, Order of the Lytae
- B.B.A., University of Oklahoma, 1995
Admissions
- Texas
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What kinds of finance matters do you handle?
I handle a range of finance transactions, including workout and restructuring matters. My work includes syndicated and bilateral credit facilities, second lien and subordinated debt financings, and restructures and workouts involving complex energy, C&I and real estate finance matters.
Who do you represent in these transactions?
I represent financial institutions, private capital providers, corporate borrowers and private equity firms. The source materials also show that my clients are principally involved in corporate leveraged finance, private credit finance and oil and gas transactions.
What is the typical size and scope of your financings?
My matters range from $5 million to $2.6 billion. The selected representations on the profile include real estate-secured, revolving, term-loan and leveraged acquisition financings for clients in distribution, manufacturing, communications, resort, homebuilder and REIT contexts.
Do you handle workouts and restructurings as well as new financings?
Yes. My practice expressly includes workout and restructuring matters, and the profile materials also describe loan restructures and workouts involving complex energy, C&I and real estate finance issues.