Emilie Ninan

Emilie R. Ninan

Partner
Delaware
Washington, DC

Emilie R. Ninan is Co-Chair of the firm's Finance Department and a member of Ballard Spahr's Senior Leadership Team. She has extensive experience in a wide range of tax-exempt and taxable financing structures including fixed, variable and multimodal rate private placement and public debt offerings involving various forms of credit enhancement and liquidity support.

Emilie assists with obtaining lower-cost capital financing with an emphasis on the issuance of tax-exempt bonds. She serves as bond counsel, underwriter's counsel, borrower's counsel, issuer's counsel, or trustee's counsel on a variety of municipal bond financings, including general obligation, revenue, conduit, utility system, health care, affordable housing, manufacturing, bioenergy, solid waste, and educational facility bond transactions.

Experience 

Representative Matters

  • Served as bond counsel on P3 Student Housing and Dining Facility Revenue Bonds (CHF-Dover, L.L.C. - Delaware State University Project)
  • Served as bond counsel to the Delaware Economic Development Authority and special counsel to the borrower in connection with the issuance of $45 million in tax-exempt 501(c)(3) revenue bonds to finance the construction and equipping of a law school building and convocation center for Wilmington University
  • Served as bond counsel in connection with District of Columbia Revenue Bond Program for the benefit of various nonprofit organizations

Professional Highlights

Professional Activities

American College of Bond Counsel, Fellow

National Association of Bond Lawyers

Association of Public Finance Professionals (DC-MD-VA)

Delaware State Bar Association (DSBA): Executive Committee (2012-2013); Chair, Commercial Law Section (2008-2010), UCC Subcommittee and Multicultural Judges and Lawyers Section

Recognition & Accomplishments

The Best Lawyers in America, Banking and Finance Law, Commercial Transactions/UCC Law, Public Finance Law, 2023, 2024 (Wilmington)

Freda Johnson Award for Trailblazing Women in Public Finance (2022)

National Diversity Council Woman of the Year (2022)

Leonard W. Lindquist Pro Bono Award (2022)

Speaking Engagements

Emilie is a frequent speaker and presenter on topics focused on the financial services industry, municipal bond market, and professional development in the legal profession. Her speaking engagements include:

Panelist, “Breaking Barriers in CRE,” Commercial Real Estate Finance Council, February 28, 2024

Panelist, "Ask for What You're Worth," SABA-DC, Washington, D.C, February 28, 2024

Presenter, “The Effect of Carson v. Makin on Non-profit Schools and Other Organizations,” Bond Attorneys’ Winter Workshop, Palm Beach, FL, January 16, 2023

Panelist, “Stepping Into Your Leadership Potential with Confidence,” SABA Leadership Institute, February 11, 2023

Keynote Speaker, TMA NOW Luncheon Fireside Chat, Turnaround Management Association Annual Conference, Boston, MA, November 2, 2022

Board Memberships & Community Service

Delaware Leadership Foundation 

Delaware Commission on Indian Heritage and Culture

Publications

Author, "A Lower Cost Way of Financing Capital Projects," Delaware Business Magazine, May/June, 2023 

Co-author, "10 Characteristics of Inclusive Leadership, American Bar Association, Business Law Section," Business Law Today, April 21, 2020

Credentials 

Education

Georgetown University Law Center (J.D.)
Member, Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics

Georgetown University School of Business (M.B.A.)

Temple University (B.B.A., summa cum laude)

Admissions

Delaware

District of Columbia

U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware