Holland & Knight Receives NAFOA "Deal of the Year" Award For Its Role in Successful River Rock Restructuring
NEW YORK – April 2, 2012 – The Native American Finance Officers Association (NAFOA) has honored Holland & Knight with its "Deal of the Year" Award for 2012. The award recognizes the firm's representation of a Native American tribe in one of the most successful workouts of tribal debt to date.
The deal involved restructuring $227.6 million of debt for clients the Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians and River Rock Entertainment Authority, a governmental instrumentality of the tribe and operator of the River Rock Casino in Sonoma County, Calif. It was completed by a multidisciplinary team of Holland & Knight lawyers, including those from the firm's Indian Law, Financial Services, and Public Companies and Securities practice groups.
"This award attests to the strength of Holland & Knight's Native American finance practice. We are proud of our work for and close relationship with the American Indian community over the years," said attorney Randolph A. DelFranco, who accepted the award on behalf of the firm. "I would like to take this opportunity to thank not only the members of NAFOA for this award, but also my Holland & Knight colleagues who played such a crucial role in completing this groundbreaking deal."
Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Strong Hill Associates and Stuyvesant Square Advisors, which also worked on the transaction, shared the award with Holland & Knight and the Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians.
The award was presented at a ceremony held March 21 during NAFOA's annual conference in New Orleans. It seeks to distinguish tribal financing or investment transactions that are groundbreaking because of their innovative terms and benefits for the tribe involved and the Native American community as a whole. It is one of four Financial Leadership Awards bestowed each year, including "Finance Director/CFO of the Year," "Tribal Leader of the Year" and "Financial Literacy Program of the Year."