Catherine "Cat" E. Woltering focuses on affordable multifamily rental housing transactions. With over 15 years of experience, she's a trusted advisor to clients navigating the complexities of public finance, leveraging a unique background in litigation, securities, and bankruptcy to provide comprehensive legal and business counsel.
Cat's practice centers on the structuring and closing a wide variety of debt financings in the affordable and social housing investment banking industries. She represents institutional lenders, bond underwriters, placement agents, and developers. Her representations cover both private placements and the public offerings of bonds, including transactions credit-enhanced by agencies such as FHA, USDA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac.
Working with her underwriter clients, Cat has carved out a unique expertise in structuring transactions leveraging investment-grade ratings obtained by housing authorities and non-profits to reduce the cost of capital in issuing tax-exempt bonds to fund construction and rehabilitation projects. Her expertise in structuring tax-exempt debt transactions is crucial for creating viable projects that directly address the nationwide affordable housing crisis. She is known for her exceptional ability to manage and resolve complex legal issues, applying her analytical and negotiation skills to help her clients overcome impasses and get to the closing table.
Her current practice is informed by her distinguished career in high-stakes legal matters. Cat was a key member of the legal team representing the Securities Investor Protection Act (SIPA) trustee in the liquidation of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC (BLMIS). She spent nearly a decade on this historic case, helping to lead the global investigation and asset recovery efforts for Madoff's victims. This experience honed her skills in managing large-scale, high-pressure, multi-jurisdictional matters, a proficiency she now applies to her transactional work.
Her diverse legal background also includes representing financial services providers, a leading global timeshare company, and the Official Committee of Tort Claimants in Pacific Gas & Electric’s $59 billion bankruptcy reorganization. This background in securities, bankruptcy, and litigation, enables Cat to understand her clients’ business and legal needs, and provide strategic guidance on every aspect of a matter.
Cat has been recognized for her professional pursuits, named as a Super Lawyers® Rising Star from 2014 to 2022. This distinction is awarded to no more than 2.5 percent of attorneys in each state. Cat is also passionate about advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession. Her commitment has earned her several honors, including inclusion on the “Most Powerful and Influential Women” list by the Ohio Diversity Council, “Top Lawyers” by Columbus CEO Magazine, and “Rising Stars” by Deloitte WISE Women.
