Overview
Bill Libit is a partner and member of Chapman’s National Public Finance Group. Bill served as the firm’s Chief Operating Partner from 2014-2022. He maintains an active practice in the areas of public finance, project finance, and corporate and securities. His public finance practice includes acting as bond counsel, issuer’s counsel, underwriter’s counsel, and credit enhancer’s counsel in publicly offered governmental use and private activity bond financings. He also represents governmental entities, equity investors, and lenders in public private partnership transactions.
With respect to project finance, Bill represents municipal, investor-owned utilities, non-regulated energy services companies and investors in connection with the development and financing of electric generation facilities and cogeneration facilities. He has structured, negotiated, and financed numerous public-private ventures for all types of infrastructure, representing governmental agencies, developers, and investors.
Bill’s corporate and securities practice includes representation of issuers and investment banks in connection with public offerings and private placements of debt and equity securities. He also represents issuers in other aspects of their business involving compliance with federal securities regulation, including preparation and review of required periodic filings including 10‑Ks, 10‑Qs and proxy statements and press releases and communications with institutional investors and shareholders as well as compliance with securities exchange listing requirements, corporate compliance and corporate governance counseling and strategy matters. Bill’s corporate governance practice includes advising public company boards, including audit, compensation and governance committees as well as investigative committees.
Bill was honored as one of the Crain’s Chicago Business 2019 Notable LGBTQ Executives, which recognizes business and not-for-profit leaders who use their positions to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Bill also leads Chapman’s Social Impact and Sustainability Task Force, which oversees and guides the firm’s internal practices and holds the firm accountable to United Nations Global Compact Sustainable Development Goals commitments.
Representative Matters
- Counsel to Fortune 500 public companies in connection with corporate governance and securities laws matters and corporate compliance
- Counsel to compensation committee of NYSE listed company in connection with executive compensation matters
- Counsel to corporate governance committee in connection with compliance matters
- Counsel to NYSE listed company in connection with syndicated credit agreement
- Counsel to investor-owned utility in connection with Rule 144A medium term note program
Practice Focus
- Corporate Counseling
- Corporate Finance and Securities
- Disclosure Counsel
- ESG Counsel and Sustainable Finance
- Investor-Owned Utilities
- Lease Finance
- Private Investment in Public Entities (PIPEs)
- Project Finance
- Public-Private Partnerships
- Rule 144A and Other Exempt Offerings
- Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance
- SEC and Stock Exchange Compliance
- SEC Registered Offerings (Debt and Equity)
- Underwriter's Counsel
- Utility Finance
Memberships
Edison Electric Institute (EEI)
Garrett Corporate and Securities Law Institute
Society of Corporate Secretaries & Governance Professionals
- Corporate Practices Committee
- Securities Law Committee
Admitted
Illinois
New York
Education
University of Chicago Booth Graduate School of Business, M.B.A., 2001
Northwestern University School of Law, J.D., 1985
- Notes and Comments Editor, Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business
Emory University, B.A., Political Science, magna cum laude, 1982
- Phi Beta Kappa
Insights
Publications
- February 2017
- January 2017
- September 2016
- July 27, 2016 (Originally Published June 24, 2016)
- May 3, 2016, QuotedExperts Talk on Boosting Hotline Effectiveness
- April 1, 2016 (Originally Published March 18, 2016)
- March 23, 2016, Quoted
Presentations
- "Transformative Measures: Mastering Firmwide ESG Strategy," Thomson Reuters Institute's 21st Annual Law Firm COO & CFO Forum, October 2022