Hamberger, Mark W.

Ms. Ruiz's practice is concentrated in real estate, finance, general corporate law and municipal law. 

Illustrations of Ms. Ruiz's experience include:

Real Estate and Finance

Serves as outside counsel to a publicly traded gaming company which is developing casino and mixed use projects in St. Louis County and the City of St. Louis, Missouri for an aggregate investment in excess of $1 billion.  Participated on a team of lawyers, sometimes as lead, on the following related projects, among others.

• Responses to requests for proposal made by St. Louis County and St. Louis City for gaming and mixed use projects.
• Negotiated and drafted redevelopment agreement and the lease and development agreement and related amendments for the projects.
• Drafted plans for the use of minority and women owned businesses in both projects.
• Negotiated and drafted intergovernmental agreements among five governmental entities for an access road to the St. Louis County project.
• Negotiated and drafted agreements with the City of St. Louis, MODOT, the St. Louis Rams, the Regional Convention and Visitor's Commission and the Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority for an underground pedestrian link from Baer Plaza to the casino complex in downtown St. Louis.
• Vacated five streets.
• Acquired properties through negotiated purchases, options, back up options, eminent domain and leases.

Counsel to Borrower with respect to a HUD-insured loan for an assisted living and skilled nursing facility.

Counsel to seller of a 4-star hotel in downtown St. Louis, including a loan assumption.

Counsel to developer in connection with a Management Agreement and License Agreement for a hotel to be located in Clayton, Missouri.

Counsel to buyer of a building in the heart of the Bottle District which included numerous title issues.

Counsel to buyer of commercial office building in the Route 40 corridor.

Serve as Missouri counsel to a publicly traded REIT in connection with acquisitions, dispositions and lending activities.

Served as counsel to nationally recognized financial institution in Missouri branch acquisition enabling the bank to conduct business in Missouri.

Represents national bank in forbearance agreements and loan restructurings with troubled loans and with respect to real estate loans.

Represent both lenders and borrowers in traditional bank financings.

Corporate

Represent a nationally recognized local artist in connection with corporate governance matters.

Managed projects for a privately owned client in the steel industry with annual sales of $200 million.  The projects included the structuring of its debt, corporate governance issues, acquisitions and dispositions, employee benefit matters, contract issues, employment and consulting agreements.  Responsible for overseeing all work product generated for client with up to 50 projects at any given time over a seven year period.

Participated in the negotiation, document structuring and due diligence of a management-leveraged buyout of a steel company.  Led the negotiation and structuring for the same company in the acquisitions of two subsidiaries and disposition of four divisions.  Aggregate transaction values exceeded $190 million.

Managed the due diligence review process of the sale of stock of an International Fortune 500 company having a transaction value of $300 million in the railroad industry.

Managed the due diligence review process in connection with the merger of two public pharmaceutical companies.  As a result of the findings, the merger was aborted.

Co-led the negotiation and structuring of the acquisition of a minority interest in a managed care company in the mental health and substance abuse area by a nationally recognized health insurance plan.

Led the negotiation and sale of a St. Louis company in the railroad track supply business.

Led the negotiation and sale of a rental car company to a nationally recognized company for $40 million.

Municipal

Served as counsel to The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District, which has more than 960 employees and an annual budget in excess of $250 million in connection with Missouri Sunshine matters, parliamentary procedures, attendance at meetings of the Board of Trustees, personnel matters, selection of financial advisors, issues related to space limitations, health care contracts, diversity matters, contract issues, project labor agreements, environmental matters, charter amendments and television public service messages.