Mark Knowles chairs Condon Thornton Sladek’s Banking and Finance practice. Mark regularly represents lenders and borrowers in complex domestic and international financings. He has extensive experience in connection with syndicated credit facilities, leveraged finance, acquisition finance, asset-based financings, first/second lien financings, complex intercreditor arrangements, project financings, debt restructurings and workouts, derivatives, and structured trade finance transactions. His clients include financial institutions, private equity firms, funds, and public and private companies.
Mark has significant experience advising clients on general corporate matters, including project development contracts, equipment purchase and other commercial contracts, corporate governance, regulatory matters, and risk management.
Mark was previously a partner at two international law firms. He also previously served as associate general counsel and senior vice president in the legal department at NationsBank Corporation (now Bank of America Corporation), where he managed the legal affairs of domestic and foreign lending groups in the global finance division.
Mark has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America in Banking and Finance (2008–2023), as a “Texas Super Lawyer,” Banking, by Texas Monthly (2011-2014, 2017-2022), and as one of the “Best Lawyers in Dallas,” Banking & Finance, D Magazine (2012).
University of Kansas School of Law
Managing Editor
Kansas Law Review
Duke University, magna cum laude
2011-2014 and 2017-2023 Texas Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters
2008-2024 Best Lawyers in America – Banking and Finance Law
2012 Best Lawyers in Dallas, D Magazine
Texas and New York
State Bar of Texas, Business Law Section – Legal Opinions Committee
President, Secured Finance Network – Southwest Chapter
Private Equity Finance
Administrative agent in a $20 million ABL financing provided to the members of a corporate group as co-borrowers
Administrative agent in a $53 million senior, secured financing for the acquisition of a national internet broadband network.
Administrative agent in a $32 million senior, secured financing to refinance indebtedness of a portfolio company of a private equity firm.
Administrative agent in a $52 million senior, secured credit facility to finance a management buyout of pizza restaurant chain.
Administrative Agent in a $125 million syndicated, revolving credit and term loan financing for a $500 million leveraged recapitalization of a manufacturer of lighting products.
Administrative agent in a $45 million senior, secured financing for the acquisition of a credit card embossing company.
Administrative agent in a $37 million senior, secured financing for the acquisition of a consulting company.
Administrative agent in a $25 million senior secured acquisition financing.
A financial sponsor in a $68 million secured, multi-facility financing for the acquisition of a manufacturing company with operations in the United States and Canada.
A portfolio company of a financial sponsor in connection with an $8 million senior secured refinancing of mezzanine debt.
Energy Finance
A public oil and gas company in a $500 million secured, syndicated revolving credit facility.
A public oil and gas company in a $400 million secured, syndicated revolving credit facility.
An oil and gas company in connection with a $250 million senior secured syndicated revolving credit facility which closed concurrently with a $110 million equity investment in the company.
An oil and gas company in connection with a $250 million senior secured revolving credit facility that was used in part to finance an acquisition of oil and gas properties.
An oil and gas company in connection with first and second lien credit facilities in the aggregate principal amount of $200 million.
An oil and gas company in connection with syndicated, secured term loans in the aggregate amount of $42 million provided by a group of domestic and offshore funds to finance the acquisition of oil and gas properties in Appalachia.
A lender in restructuring first lien and second lien credit facilities totaling $55 million of an oil field services company owned by a foreign private equity firm.
A public oil and gas company in negotiating ISDA Master Agreements and related schedules with multiple swap providers in connection with the hedging of its oil and gas production.
A major financial institution in providing a secured oil and gas hedging facility to an oil and gas company in connection with its $130 million high yield bond bankruptcy exit financing and in connection with its subsequent bankruptcy.
An oil and gas company in connection with a secured gas hedging facility and a related intercreditor agreement with the company’s senior, secured lender.
Administrative agent in a secured $14 million financing for the acquisition and completion of construction of an ethanol plant.
Administrative agent in a syndicated, secured $125 million credit facility to an oil and gas company.
Major financial institution, as sponsor and placement agent, in an $88 million structured monetization of a gas supply contract.
Administrative agent in a $30 million landfill gas project financing.
First lien administrative agent and second lien administrative agent in $35 million coal gasification financing.
Second lien administrative agent in a $20 million second lien, subordinated term loan facility secured by oil and gas properties and an intercreditor agreement with the first lien administrative agent under a senior, secured $40 million credit facility.
A fund in making numerous senior secured loans to energy companies.
Health Care Finance
Administrative agent in a $31 million senior, secured financing to a health care company in connection with its going public transaction.
Administrative agent in a $100 million syndicated, revolving credit and term loan financing to a not-for-profit health system.
Major financial institution, as letter of credit fronting bank, in the issuance of a syndicated $95 million direct pay letter of credit to support tax exempt variable rate demand bonds issued by a not-for profit health system.
Administrative agent in a $45 million senior, secured financing to a hospital.
Administrative agent in a $35 million senior, secured financing to a hospital.
Administrative Agent in connection with credit facilities totaling $16 million to a hospital.
Administrative agent in a $177 million syndicated, revolving credit and term loan financing to a public physician practice management company.
Administrative agent in a $37 million senior, secured financing for the acquisition of a physician practice management company by a financial sponsor.
A lender in a $10 million revolving credit facility to a hospital.
Syndicated Finance and Corporate Finance
Administrative agent in a $650 million credit facility to a public company.
Administrative agent in a $500 million credit facility to a public company.
Administrative agent in a $750 million debtor-in-possession financing to a leasing company.
A fund in a $40 million senior, secured multiple draw term loan to a telecommunications company for constructing a wireless network.
Administrative agent in a secured $71 million financing to a real estate development company.
A major financial institution in a $120 million Ex-Im Bank insured trade finance loan to a foreign subsidiary of a major beverage company.
A major financial institution in a $40 million Ex-Im Bank insured trade finance loan to a foreign subsidiary of a major consumer products company.
A multinational beverage company in connection with seven bilateral credit facilities totaling $1.2 billion, the proceeds of which were used to acquire a wine company.
A major financial institution in connection with secured construction, revolving credit and term loans to a group of affiliated manufacturing companies in the aggregate amount of $27 million.
A French issuer in a cross-border private placement of Euro 100 million senior unsecured notes to a major U.S. insurance company.
A French issuer in a cross-border private placement of Euro 50 million senior unsecured notes to a major U.S. insurance company.
A public audio equipment manufacturer in a $135 million syndicated, multi-currency revolving credit facility.
A public audio equipment manufacturer, as lessee, in a $75 million synthetic equipment lease of manufacturing equipment with equipment takedowns in the United States and a number of European countries.
A food company in connection with a $10 million secured credit facility governed by a borrowing base and a $14 million multiple draw term loan secured by equipment.
A joint venture comprised of a dairy cooperative and a multinational food company in connection with the project contracting and financing for the development and construction of a specialty milk ingredients production facility.
A major defense contractor and its related entities in connection with their syndicated debtor-in-possession financing.
A public telecommunications company in its pre-bankruptcy, bankruptcy, and post-bankruptcy financings involving debt in excess of $5 billion.
