Leah Sandbank

Leah Sandbank concentrates her practice in the areas of Real Estate Finance and Development, Tax Credits and Incentives, Public Finance Law and Tax.

Her practice focuses on complex commercial real estate transactions for development projects throughout the State; financings utilizing State or local government lending programs and incentives; federal tax credit programs; representation of the State of New Jersey and its agencies and authorities; and issues involving Federal income taxation of municipal bonds and related tax areas.

Leah has acted as developer’s counsel representing private entities and not-for-profit entities in connection with capital financings for redevelopment projects throughout the State and has acted as equity and lender’s counsel representing banks, community development lenders and other financial institutions in connection with commercial lending for projects and throughout and outside the State.

Her expertise includes: conventional lending, senior and subordinate lending, government lending, mezzanine lending, equity investment and corporate structuring, New Markets Tax Credits, Historic Tax Credits, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Opportunity Zones, redevelopment area bonds and state programs such as the Economic Opportunity Act. Leah focuses on charter school development and financing.

She has also acted as bond counsel and tax counsel in numerous transactions (public finance and structured finance) involving State and local issuers, including the State of New Jersey, the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, the New Jersey Health Care Facilities Financing Agency, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the New Jersey Building Authority and the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund Authority.

In addition, Leah has represented numerous school, municipal and county entities in connection with their bond financings including, current and advance refundings, general obligation and revenue bond financings, conduit or pool loan financings, lease purchase transactions and investment contracts.

Leah became a partner of McManimon, Scotland & Baumann, LLC., in 2010. She graduated from the University of Chicago in 1998 and from Fordham University School of Law in 2002. While at Fordham University School of Law, Leah was Senior Articles Editor of the Fordham Environmental Law Journal and authored the article entitled: Dirty Laundry: Why International Measures to Save the Global Clean Water Supply Have Failed.