Sandra D. Dawson

Sandra D. Dawson practices in the area of public finance and has an established reputation in the practice of bond law. She also practices in the area of corporate trust, representing trustees and collateral, escrow and custody agents. In public finance, Sandra represents municipalities, state agencies, special taxing and special service districts, underwriters, banks, trustees, and liquidity and credit enhancement providers in tax-exempt and taxable bond financing transactions. She provides integration of bond law, tax law, and securities law, which is critical in bringing a bond financing to a timely and successful conclusion.

Sandra serves and has served as bond counsel to several municipalities and as bond and tax counsel to the State of Connecticut in connection with its transportation infrastructure financing program. She represents issuers of general obligation bonds, revenue bonds, tax credit bonds (including Build America Bonds, Qualified Zone Academy Bonds, Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds, Qualified School Construction Bonds, Clean Renewable Energy Bonds and Recovery Zone Development Bonds), lease purchase financings, lease/lease-back transactions, commercial paper, tax-increment obligations, and conduit financings under various programs (including the Connecticut City and Town Development Act).

Sandra was recently elected by her peers as a Fellow of the American College of Bond Counsel.

Prior to her legal career, Sandra worked for 18 years in the forest products industry in manufacturing management and engineering. She served as General Manager for SCA Tissue (successor to Georgia-Pacific Corporation) for one of its commercial tissue mills, and as an in-house consultant where she was responsible for developing and implementing highly successful productivity improvement and cost reduction programs at Georgia-Pacific Corporation’s pulp and paper manufacturing operations throughout the southeastern United States.

Office

Professional Affiliations

American College of Bond Counsel, Fellow

National Association of Bond Lawyers

Government Finance Officers Association

Connecticut Association of Municipal Attorneys

Connecticut Bar Association

New York State Bar Association

Community Involvement

IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program, volunteer

Connecticut Leukemia and Lymphoma Society - 2012 Woman of the Year

New England Women in Public Finance, mentor

Honors & Recognitions

American College of Bond Counsel, elected a Fellow in 2018

Received the highest peer review rating by Martindale-Hubbell (AV)

• Bond counsel to a municipality in connection with the first use in the State of Connecticut of a crossover refunding for the refunding of Build America Bonds
• Bond counsel to a municipality in connection with the creation of a tax-exempt commercial paper program
• Bond counsel to several municipalities in connection with the issuance of tax credit bonds
• Bond counsel to a municipality in connection with the issuance of conduit revenue bonds pursuant to the Connecticut City and Town Development Act
• Bond counsel to an out of state conduit issuer for a charter school financing
• Bond counsel to municipalities and districts in connection with the lease financing of equipment and structures
• Purchaser’s counsel to commercial banks in connection with numerous direct purchases of tax-exempt obligations
• Trustee counsel in several bond issues by housing authorities
• Counsel in connection with the establishment of a municipal resource recovery authority
• Bond counsel to an Indian Tribal Government in connection with the issuance of bonds for infrastructure construction

Publications