William A Starshak

Practice Areas

William A. Starshak is a Principal in the firm's Commercial Finance Group. He represents financial institutions in a variety of lending transactions, including cash-flow and asset-based loans, unitranche structures, mezzanine financings and leveraged buy-out transactions.

Bill has extensive experience working on international finance transactions for both U.S. and foreign financial institutions. Notably, he worked with the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) to draft its "Legislative Guide on Secured Transactions," which provides a comprehensive blueprint for countries wishing to modernize their secured transactions regimes.

Additionally, he has represented private equity funds and corporate clients in financing transactions as well as in domestic and international mergers and acquisitions.

Bill is a Lecturer in Law at The University of Chicago Law School, where he teaches cross-border lending. He speaks often on international lending issues throughout North America and Europe. He has been a regular presenter at various Meritas events, and is also a frequent panelist at the Secured Finance Network’s International Asset Based Lending Conference.

Career

Bill is a Member of Goldberg Kohn's Management Committee. He is also one of the firm's liaisons to Meritas, a global alliance of leading independent law firms. He served on the Meritas Board of Directors from 2013 to 2016 and was a member of its Global Strategy Committee from 2010 to 2011.

Prior to joining Goldberg Kohn in May 2003, he practiced law with an international law firm in Chicago. He has also practiced in Germany and London, and participated in the Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship Program in Germany in 1999-2000.

Professional Memberships

Meritas, Board of Directors Member (2013-2016); Global Strategy Committee Member (2010-2011)

University of Virginia Benefactors Society, Board Member

U.S. Soccer Development Council of the United States Soccer Federation, Founding Member

Chicago-Hamburg Sister Cities Committee, Member

The University of Chicago Law School, Lecturer in Law

Publications

- “Measure Twice, Cut Once: Five Key Issues That Should Be Evaluated Upfront When Assessing a Cross-Border Lending Transaction,” co-authored with Jonathan Cooper, The Secured Lender, July 2012.

- “The Next Phase of Secured Lending Reform in Mexico,” The Secured Lender, July 2012.

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Illinois

New York

Education