Sandra Z. Zayac

Partner

Direct: 404.873.8124
Fax: 404.873.8125
Atlanta
171 17th Street NW
Suite 2100
Atlanta, Georgia 30363

Biography

Sandy is a partner in the Corporate & Finance practice and member of the Economic Development & Public Finance team. She has handled sophisticated public finance transactions as issuer’s counsel, company counsel, bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel, and purchaser’s counsel. She serves as general counsel to several governmental authorities in Fulton County, which includes work on bond financing matters. Her clients are leaders in financing for higher education, healthcare, and nonprofit entities, With a reputation for being thorough and effective, Sandy helps local issuers of general obligation bonds, revenue bonds, bank-qualified bonds, 501(c)(3) bonds, and tax anticipation notes. She has a passion for economic development and has deep experience with the economic incentives in the State of Georgia.

As an active member of the community, Sandy has provided pro bono services to a range of organizations. Her support has included general corporate advice to the DeKalb Library Foundation, representing a minor child before the Fulton County Juvenile Court for early intervention and education issues, preparing wills and qualified income trusts for low-income individuals, and she worked to secure a Tax Allocation District grant for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

Experience

  • Represents private businesses in negotiating tax incentive bond transactions.

  • Serves as general counsel to the Development Authority of Fulton County and has represented the Authority in numerous taxable and tax-exempt bond issues for manufacturing facilities, private companies and 501(c)(3) entities including numerous hospital and educational institutions.

  • Serves as general counsel to The Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority and has served as bond and issuer’s counsel for taxable and tax-exempt bond issues for the Authority.

  • Serves as general counsel to the Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly Authority of Fulton County.

  • Closed a $46 million bond-for-title tax incentives transaction for an office equipment supplier, a Japanese-owned company based in Gwinnett County.

  • Advised the Development Authority of Fulton County regarding approval of over $2.1 billion in new taxable and tax-exempt bond financings for projects to be located in Fulton County

  • Involved in representation of large commercial banks as letter of credit, underwriter, purchaser, and trustee’s counsel for various taxable and tax-exempt variable rate bond issues.

  • Represented a company as issuer’s counsel for various taxable bond issues for medical facilities.

  • Served as bond and company counsel for nonprofits for their tax-exempt financings.

  • Served as bond counsel for large Georgia municipality in new money and refunding transactions.

  • Served as bond counsel for new money and refunding revenue anticipation certificates for a large non-profit hospital.

  • Served as bond counsel for several private companies seeking economic development incentives.

  • Served as underwriter’s counsel for several major commercial banks for the issuance of tax exempt bonds and commercial paper notes.

  • Served as underwriter’s counsel to several investment banking firms for the refunding of taxable and tax-exempt general obligation bonds for a large Georgia municipality.

Credentials

  • Emory University School of Law, Juris Doctor
  • Tulane University,
    magna cum laude
  • State of Georgia 2004
    • Georgia Hispanic Bar Association
    • Hispanic National Bar Association Corporate Counsel Conference CLE Committee Member, 2014
    • DeKalb Medical Foundation, Board of Trustees, 2014-20
    • DeKalb Library Foundation, Board of Directors, 2008-14
    • Leadership DeKalb, Class of 2015 (Board of Directors, 2017-present; Program Chair, 2017-18)
    • National Association of Bond Lawyers

Recognition

  • Best Lawyers in America®, Economic Development Law, Public Finance Law, 2020-24
    • “Lawyer of the Year,” Economic Development Law, 2024
  • IFLR1000, Corporate Law, Banking and Finance Law, 2020-23
  • “Legal Elite,” Georgia Trend, 2021
  • Recipient of CREW Network Impact Award for Economic and Community Improvement, 2016-17
  • Leadership DeKalb, Class of 2015
  • “Rising Star,” Georgia Super Lawyers, 2013-14

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