Commercial Lending Academy

O'Brien Law's one of a kind Commercial Lending Academy is a 10-course training program for lending professionals.  The Academy covers all aspects of loan documentation, lien perfection, title insurance and much more. 

The Commercial Lending Academy is designed specifically for commercial lenders, underwriters, loan administration and other commercial lending professionals.  The Commercial Lending Academy consists of 10 courses designed to enhance your knowledge of the commercial lending field.  All seminars are presented by Attorney Michelle O’Brien who has been practicing in the field of commercial lending for over 15 years.  

The Commercial Lending Academy consists of the following courses:

Course 1: An Overview of Commercial Loan Documentation

This seminar will cover the purpose and legal effect of the essential loan documents used when documenting a commercial loan.  We will discuss the essential terms included in these documents, various types of collateral and how to perfect your security interest, and many other issues and questions that arise in structuring, documenting, and closing a commercial loan.

Course 2: The Uniform Commercial Code – Article 9

This seminar will discuss each type of property defined in Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code, how to obtain a pledge of that property and how to properly perfect your security interest in that collateral.  We will discuss recent amendments to Article 9 and how they affect you - particularly the new UCC-1 filing form and name requirements.

Course 3: Title Insurance

This seminar is designed to walk you through every aspect of title insurance from the intent and purpose behind the title policy to the meaning of each section of the title insurance policy.  What happens if there is a claim against the title policy, do you know?  Following this seminar, you will be confident in reviewing title insurance commitments and how they affect your institution. 

Course 4: Commitment Letters

This seminar will address the ever confusing commitment letter.  Why is there no standard form for this very important document?  We will discuss this question as well as the difference between a commitment letter and a term sheet, the binding nature of a commitment letter, essential provisions of the commitment, strategies for minimizing disputes and enforcing commitments and amending the commitment

Course 5: The Loan Guaranty

This seminar will help you to understand the commercial loan guaranty, when you can request a personal guaranty, and what consideration is required to obtain and amend a guaranty.  We will review the different types of loan guarantees, key provisions to include in your documentation, and common guaranty enforcement issues.

Course 6: Representations, Warranties, and Loan Covenants

Representations, warranties and covenants are among the most important and most heavily negotiated provisions in loan documents.  This seminar will review the most common representations, warranties and covenants and strategies for negotiating these important loan document terms.

Course 7: Due Diligence Review

This seminar will review the most common types of due diligence documents and what you should look for in each document.  We will review the requirements of all entity formation documents, title documents, lease agreements, and other required documents and information.

Course 8: Pennsylvania Mechanic’s Lien Law

After attending this seminar, you will better understand the current Pennsylvania Mechanics’ Lien Law and what it means for construction loans and real estate construction loans.  We will also discuss protecting the bank’s interest against mechanics’ liens using endorsements to title insurance.  

Course 9: Environmental Law for Bankers

This seminar will cover a topic rarely addressed with commercial lending professionals – environmental liability of the bank for real property collateral.  We will discuss environmental law in general, potential liability risks to the bank for environmental contamination of collateral property, and the safe harbor provision banks can rely on in the federal environmental laws.

Course 10: Defaults, Troubled Loans & Loan Workouts

This seminar will review signs of a troubled loan, steps to take at the first sign of trouble, and strategies to work out loans while still protecting the bank’s interest.

Contact our office for dates of upcoming seminars or to schedule in-house training at your location.

Testimonials From Seminar Attendees

"Michelle was an Excellent Presenter. The Commercial Loan Documentation seminar was full of a lot of knowledge and very informative. Michelle was an excellent presenter."

"Very Knowledgeable! Michelle is very knowledgeable and provides great insight!"

"Great Opportunity. The seminar was a great opportunity to consider thoughts and details outside our organization. I was glad to have an opportunity to ask specific questions from someone knowledgeable and who knows how details are handled in various banks."

"Attorney O'Brien was well versed on the subject matter. As a seasoned banker I would recommend her seminar as a refresher to subject matters."

"Presentation was Great! The Commercial Loan Documentation seminar was great for new lenders and document preparation personnel as well as a refresher for more experienced bank employees."