Bruce Bonjour

Bruce Bonjour is chair of the firm's Financial Transactions and Securitization practice.  He focuses his practice in the area of structured finance, with a special emphasis in the hospitality sector.  Over the past three years he has represented owners of business and luxury class hotels in financings in excess of three billion dollars.  Recent financings (2005 and 2006) include transactions involving the acquisition, financing or refinancing of Hotel del Coronado, Scottsdale Fairmont Princess, Nevis Four Seasons, The Homestead Resort, Barton Creek Spa & Resort, Pier 39 in San Francisco, the Miami and Chicago InterContinental Hotels, and the Four Seasons hotels in Mexico City and Punta Mita.

Bruce also serves as outside general counsel to the recipient of the largest aggregate New Markets Tax Credit allocations from the United States Treasury Department and is responsible for developing the legal structure, fund formation and related equity and debt transactions in connection with multiple clients who have received in excess of $750 million of such credits.

Earlier in his career, Bruce served as bond counsel or counsel for the underwriters for several high-profile projects, such as the multi-billion dollar expansion/renovation of McCormick Place and Navy Pier in Chicago, including the tax-exempt financing of the Hyatt Hotel at McCormick Place in 1996, the complete renovation of Soldier Field, the refinancing of (f/k/a) Comiskey Park, the securitization of master settlement agreement for tobacco receipts by a Midwestern state, and hundreds of other tax-exempt financings for health, higher education, museums, and other nonprofit facilities in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota, Kentucky, Indiana and Wisconsin.

Professional Recognition

• Listed in the Law Bulletin Publishing Company's Leading Lawyers Network as Illinois Leading Lawyer

Professional Leadership

• National Association Bond Attorneys, 1979 - Present

Related Employment

• Altheimer & Gray, Chicago, IL, Partner, Finance Practice Group Chair
• County of San Diego, California, Associate Legislative Representative