Katy J. Ottensmeyer

Katy is a Shareholder in the Firm's Public Finance Practice. She also works closely with her colleagues in the Health Care and Economic Development practice groups.

In her nearly 30 years of practice, Katy has served as bond counsel, underwriter's counsel, borrower's counsel, bank counsel, trustee's counsel, and special tax counsel in governmental, 501(c)(3), and exempt facility financings throughout the state of Alabama and beyond. She specializes in federal tax matters in the structuring and original issuance of tax-exempt bonds and the growing needs of issuers and borrowers with post issuance compliance and audit concerns. Her skill set in the 501(c)(3) arena stems from her focus on health care and secondary and higher education financings, and has led to client work in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi and Massachusetts. During her career, Katy has worked with larger issuers including the State of Alabama and many of the state’s major hospitals and universities.

Beyond her professional career, Katy currently serves as President of the Opera Birmingham Board of Directors. She is a certified Guardian Ad Litem, an active CASA volunteer, and a founding member of Emma's Circle, a project of the Alabama CASA network, which works to raise money and awareness for CASA volunteers who advocate for abused, neglected, and abandoned children in Alabama.

Community & Professional

• National Association of Bond Lawyers, BAW Steering Committee, Tax and Securities Law Institute and Fundamentals Faculty Member
• Alabama State Bar
• Birmingham Bar Association
• Opera Birmingham, Board of Directors, President
• Alabama CASA Volunteer
• Emma's Circle, a project of the Alabama CASA network, Founder and Executive Committee

• Governmental Issues - recent transactions include financings as bond counsel for Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center Authority; served in working group for $300 million issue to construct a new downtown stadium and renovate existing civic center facilities (2018); City of Birmingham GO: served in working group for $77 million new money and refunding issue (2018); and Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo: served in working group for $27 million Public Finance Authority issue to construct a replacement facility for the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo (2018)
• Healthcare Finance – recent transactions include financings for UAB Medicine Finance Authority: served in working group as bond counsel for $237 million debt restructuring in connection with formation of obligated group (2016 and 2017); Cape Cod Healthcare: borrower’s counsel and post-issuance compliance matters in public offering and direct lending transactions (2013-present); East Alabama Health Care Authority: bond counsel in cash defeasance and $35 million public offering (2017-2018); Infirmary Health System Series A-D Bonds: bond counsel in $252 million public offering and direct lending transaction (2016); Huntsville Hospital: bond counsel in tax-exempt commercial paper financing (2017); and The Marshfield Clinic: served in working group as counsel for purchaser Bank of America Merrill Lynch in taxable financing related to acquisition of Clinic from nonprofit owner (2017)
• Medical Center Assets Transfers - The Vanderbilt University: served in working group to provide special tax counsel to Vanderbilt University in the transfer of its medical center to newly formed Vanderbilt University Medical Center (2015-2016); The Health Care Authority of the City of Greenville - L.V. Stabler Memorial Hospital: served in working group as special counsel to the Authority in connection with acquisition of hospital from for-profit owner (2017)
• New Hospital Construction Financings: served in working group to finance construction of new 30-bed hospital in Chilton County, Alabama (2015), and 40-bed St. Vincent's Clair hospital in Pell City, Alabama (2016)
• University and Private School Financings: served as bond counsel in financings and refinancings for campus improvement bond issues for Auburn University, The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Troy University, Randolph School and Indian Springs School (2010-2017)
• Solid Waste Disposal Facility Financing - Zilkha Biomass Selma Project: served as tax counsel in $40 million exempt facility bond issue for a black wood pellet manufacturing facility in Selma, Alabama (2015)
• Debt Restructuring after bankruptcy - Jefferson County, Alabama: served in working group to provide tax counsel for Jefferson County in debt restructuring as it emerged from bankruptcy in 2014. This involved tax documentation for the County's $1.78 billion Sewer Revenue Warrants Series A-F (2013)
• Post Issuance Compliance: provide special tax counsel including, IRS audit readiness, audit counsel, and arbitrage rebate compliance opinions for over 15 issuers, including hospitals, universities, secondary schools and governmental issuers (1995-present)

Recognition

• The Best Lawyers in America© for Public Finance Law (2009-present)
• The Best Lawyers in America© "Women in the Law" Top Peer-Nominated Lawyers (2016)
• B-Metro Magazine "Top Lawyer" (2017 and 2020)
• B-Metro Magazine "Top Women Attorneys" (2017)