Biography

Linda Donhauser represents lenders and other business creditors in a full range of commercial and real estate financing transactions, as well as in corporate and finance restructurings, out of court workouts, insolvency proceedings and related litigation.

Linda has more than 30 years of experience representing lenders and other creditors in all phases of the restructuring process and in formulating creative workout strategies, both in and out of bankruptcy cases. She represents diverse clients – including secured creditors, unsecured creditors, trade creditors, commercial lenders and lender groups, equity investors, creditors' committees, indenture trustees, real estate and equipment lessors, buyers of assets and other interested parties – in bankruptcy cases and insolvency proceedings in Maryland, Washington, D.C. and throughout the United States. She has extensive experience in counseling lender clients on loan structure, fraudulent conveyance and lender liability issues, and corporate clients on complex business law matters and commercial transactions involving financially distressed suppliers and customers.

In more recent years, a significant portion of Linda’s practice has been comprised of affordable housing and community development finance and commercial loan transactions.  These transactions include all aspects of financings involving multiple funding sources, including local, state and federal loans, subsidies and grants, HUD loan programs, new market tax credits, federal low-income housing tax credits, and a variety of other public and private loans, subsidies and grants.

Her clients in affordable housing and community development have included national banks, financial institutions, and public and private lenders on a wide range of multifaceted transactions related to neighborhood revitalization, economic development, and community retirement and health centers, among other projects.

Linda regularly speaks on topics involving secured lending, bankruptcy, workouts, lender liability, enforcement proceedings and diversity. Linda is the immediate past co-chair of the firm's Creditors' Rights and Bankruptcy Practice group and is a former member of the firm’s Board of Directors.

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Education

  • University of Baltimore School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 1989)
    • Heuisler Honor Society
  • University of Baltimore (B.A., cum laude, 1987)

Bar Admissions

  • Maryland, 1989

Professional Affiliations

  • American Bankruptcy Institute, Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop Advisory Board (2006-present); Co-Chair 6th Annual Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop (2010); Co-Chair 7th Annual Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop (2011); Co-Chair 8th Annual Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop (2012); Co-Chair 9th Annual Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop (2013); Co-Chair 10th Annual Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop (2014)
  • Court of Appeals of Maryland for the Sixth Appellate Circuit: Character Committee (2001-2004)
  • Greater Baltimore Committee's Leadership Program: Class of 2004
  • International Women's Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation: Co-Chair, Greater Maryland Network (2012-2014); Immediate Past Chair (2014); Board Member (2012-2019); Member (2004-present)
  • Lawyers' Campaign Against Hunger: Chair, Executive Committee (2001-2002); Member, Executive Committee (1991-2006)
  • Maryland Bankruptcy Bar Association
  • National Registry of Who's Who: Life Member (2000)
  • Turnaround Management Association: Member (2002-present)

Special Honors

  • Best Lawyers in America®: Named "Lawyer of the Year" in the areas of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Baltimore (2021); Litigation - Bankruptcy, Baltimore (2022)
  • Best Lawyers in America®: Selected for inclusion in the areas of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law (2009-2026); Litigation - Bankruptcy (2009-2026); Bet-the-Company Litigation (2014-2026)
  • Best Lawyers in America® Women in the Law: Selected for inclusion in the areas of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Bet-the-Company Litigation, Maryland (Spring 2017)
  • Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business - Listed in the area of Bankruptcy/Restructuring-Maryland (2010-2025) (achieving the highest “first band” ranking for Maryland)
  • Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating: AV Preeminent Rated
  • Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Woman Lawyers (2011-2013)
  • Maryland Super Lawyers®: Selected for inclusion in the area of Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights, Banking, Business Litigation (2012); Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights (2013-2014); Creditor/Debtor Rights (2015-2021, 2024-2025); Named among the Top 50 Women Maryland Super Lawyers (2012-2014)
  • Recognized by The Washington Post in its selection of "Baltimore and Washington D.C.'s Top Attorneys" (October 2010)
  • Villa Julie College: Distinguished Alumni Award (2006)  

Court Admissions

  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
  • United States District Court for the District of Columbia
  • United States District Court for the District of Maryland

Speaking Engagements

  • Tenth Annual IWIRC at the Shore: Panel Discussion, "Putting Your Best Case Forward: Best Practices for Evidentiary Hearings and Bankruptcy Trials" (2022)

Recent Matters

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Commercial Lending in Connection with Renovation of Public Market

Represented lender in connection with a $7 million source loan to a leveraged lender in a new market tax credit transaction involving the renovation and construction of a public market...