Paul A. Braden
Head of Public Finance, United States
Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP
Related services and key industries
Biography
Paul Braden is the Head of the firm's US Public Finance practice and has been practicing law for 32 years. He regularly represents various State agencies, local government entities and key underwriting firms in all matters related to the issuance of municipal debt. He has acted as bond counsel, disclosure counsel, underwriters counsel and issuer's counsel in a variety of debt issuance matters, including traditional tax backed financings, revenue financings, pass-through toll and other transportation revenue financing, venue project financings, pension bonds and tax credit bonds. Serving as bond counsel, disclosure counsel, underwriters' counsel or issuer counsel, he has represented clients in financings involving billions of dollars of debt securities.
From 2017-2022, Paul served on the governing board of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs following an appointment by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. From 2004-2015, Paul was a member of the governing board of the Texas Pension Review Board, and served as its Chair from 2013 to 2015. Prior to joining Norton Rose Fulbright, he was a founding partner of what became (at one time) the largest Hispanic-owned law firm in Texas.
Professional experience
Collapse allJD, with honors, The University of Texas School of Law, 1989
BA, cum laude, University of Dallas, 1986
- Texas State Bar
In addition to numerous traditional financings, Paul acted as bond counsel:
- to a State agency in its issuance of multi-modal put bonds to match certain external cash flow concerns;
- to a municipality in its issuance of general obligation pension bonds to partially fund the city's unfunded actuarial accrued liability;
- to a municipality in the first issuance of Recovery Zone Economic Development Bonds ("Super BABs") in Texas;
- to a school district in the first offering of Qualified School Construction Bonds (0% Tax Credit Bonds) in Texas;
- to a Texas regional mobility authority in its issuance of pass-through toll revenue bonds for financing an urgently needed State highway, which involved multiple public entities and a private developer and was the first such financing in the U.S., and was recognized as a Regional Deal of the Year by The Bond Buyer;
- to a municipality in its issuance of combination pass-through toll and limited revenue bonds to assist with State highway construction within the municipality's city limits;
- to a State university system in its assumption of outstanding debt associated with the addition of a new participant from another university system; and
- to a municipality in a private placement of Build America Bonds with the North American Development Bank.
- Chambers USA, Texas, Banking and Finance: Public Finance, Chambers and Partners, 2024
- The Best Lawyers in America, Public Finance Law, Best Lawyers, 2019 - 2025
- The Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers, 2019 - 2021
- Best Lawyers in Dallas, D Magazine, 2018
- Co Author, "Texas Public Finance Legislative Review - 84th Session", Norton Rose Fulbright - Public Finance, September 2015
- Co-Author, "Should issuers self-report under the SEC's MCDC Initiative?" Norton Rose Fulbright, Whitepaper, October 2014
- "What Outside Bond Counsel Wishes Every City Attorney Knew," Texas City Attorneys Association Fall Meeting, Grapevine, Texas, November 15, 2012
- Texas Bar Foundation, Life Fellow
- State Bar of Texas
- Dallas Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- Hispanic National Bar Association
- National Association of Bond Lawyers
- American College of Bond Counsel
Paul is a graduate of the Leadership Dallas Class of 2011, a leadership program sponsored by the Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce. He has previously volunteered with the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas as a Grant Review panelist (Child Care/After School) and as a youth soccer coach and league commissioner with the Lake Highlands Soccer Association.
While residing in El Paso, Paul served on the Board of Directors for the United Way of El Paso County and as an advisory director of the American SIDS Institute. Paul is the former Executive Vice President and Director of the Texas Society to Prevent Blindness, El Paso Chapter. Paul was also actively involved in various other El Paso civic groups, including the City of El Paso Charter Review Committee and the Paso Del Norte Group.
- Spanish