Biography
Justin Riess is the managing partner of Haynes Boone’s Charlotte office. Justin’s practice focuses on leveraged finance, specialty finance, private credit finance and syndicated lending.
During his 21 years of practice, Justin has advised global financial institutions, corporate borrowers and private equity firms in syndicated lending transactions ranging from $50 million to $3 billion. He has experience in many industries including healthcare, franchise, defense and aerospace, food and beverage and financial services. In addition to corporate lending, Justin has represented banks and other lenders in loans to high-net-worth individuals. These individuals often have complex lending needs with collateral ranging from stock portfolios and real property to ownership interests in sports franchises, private planes and yachts.
Clients have stated that Justin is “extremely smart, responsive and helpful with complex structuring” (Chambers USA 2024). Other clients noted that he is “detail-oriented, objective and very knowledgeable” (Chambers USA 2024). More recently, Justin has added experience in digital currency loans secured by specific mining equipment and various digital currencies. In connection with this work, Justin often works with Haynes Boone’s multidisciplinary team of lawyers that represent clients in addressing a variety of legal issues within this growing area of commerce. Such issues include intellectual property matters relating to the ownership and protection of virtual currency and blockchain innovations, compliance with statutes and regulations to protect consumers, structures to fund investments, rules for trading virtual coins and tokens, and the application of blockchain’s distributed ledger technology to healthcare, and property records.
Chambers USA, Chambers and Partners, listed Justin as a leading attorney in Banking & Finance for the last several years including naming him as an Up and Coming Lawyer from 2015-2016. Justin was included in The Best Lawyers in America, Woodward/White, Inc., for Banking and Finance Law in 2021-2025. He was named a Rising Star in banking by Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, in 2014.
Justin Riess is the managing partner of Haynes Boone’s Charlotte office. Justin’s practice focuses on leveraged finance, specialty finance, private credit finance and syndicated lending.
During his 21 years of practice, Justin has advised global financial institutions, corporate borrowers and private equity firms in syndicated lending transactions ranging from $50 million to $3 billion. He has experience in many industries including healthcare, franchise, defense and aerospace, food and beverage and financial services. In addition to corporate lending, Justin has represented banks and other lenders in loans to high-net-worth individuals. These individuals often have complex lending needs with collateral ranging from stock portfolios and real property to ownership interests in sports franchises, private planes and yachts.
Clients have stated that Justin is “extremely smart, responsive and helpful with complex structuring” (Chambers USA 2024). Other clients noted that he is “detail-oriented, objective and very knowledgeable” (Chambers USA 2024). More recently, Justin has added experience in digital currency loans secured by specific mining equipment and various digital currencies. In connection with this work, Justin often works with Haynes Boone’s multidisciplinary team of lawyers that represent clients in addressing a variety of legal issues within this growing area of commerce. Such issues include intellectual property matters relating to the ownership and protection of virtual currency and blockchain innovations, compliance with statutes and regulations to protect consumers, structures to fund investments, rules for trading virtual coins and tokens, and the application of blockchain’s distributed ledger technology to healthcare, and property records.
Chambers USA, Chambers and Partners, listed Justin as a leading attorney in Banking & Finance for the last several years including naming him as an Up and Coming Lawyer from 2015-2016. Justin was included in The Best Lawyers in America, Woodward/White, Inc., for Banking and Finance Law in 2021-2025. He was named a Rising Star in banking by Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, in 2014.
- Advised lead arranger in connection with a senior secured credit facility for healthcare practice in South Florida.
- Advised primary lender in connection with the financing of a vegan beauty supply company.
- Advised lead arranger and administrative agent in connection with a senior secured credit facility to a portfolio company of a private equity sponsor in the insurance and brokerage business.
- Advised private equity sponsor in connection with its investment in a general industrial company with operations in the United States and Canada.
- Advised primary lender in connection with a financing used to develop the headquarters of a professional sports franchise.
- Advised AMN Healthcare, Inc. in connection with a senior secured financing for working capital and acquisitions.
- Advised lead arranger in connection with a credit facility for the acquisition of a water tower maintenance and inspection services company with operations in the United States and Canada by a private equity fund.
- Advised lead lender in secured loan transaction to a high net worth individual to purchase a ranch property in Texas.
- Vanderbilt Law School Board of Advisors
- Girls on the Run Charlotte, Advisory Board Member (2016-2020)
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America, Woodward/White, Inc., 2021-2025
- Recognized in Chambers USA, Chambers and Partners, in Banking & Finance, 2014-2024
- "EBITDA Adjustments in Loan Negotiations" co-author, Thomson Reuters Practical Law, October 2024.
- "EBITDA: Loan Agreement Negotiating Considerations" co-author, Thomson Reuters Practical Law, October 2024.
- "What’s Market: EBITDA Add-Backs (2023/2024)," contributor, Thomson Reuters Practical Law Finance, October 2024.
- "Limited Liability Companies," Vanderbilt Law School, 2020
Education
J.D., Vanderbilt University Law School, 2001
B.S., Vanderbilt University, 1996
Admissions
North Carolina
New York
