Ryan  A. Mentzer harrisburg

Ryan A. Mentzer

Associate

Overview

Ryan assists municipalities, school districts, and municipality authorities in issuing tax-exempt bonds and notes to finance new projects and to refinance outstanding debt. He also assists other beneficiaries of tax-exempt financing including continuing care retirement communities, colleges, hospitals, and volunteer fire companies, and represents banking institutions in public finance transactions throughout Pennsylvania. He has experience as bond counsel for municipalities and municipality authorities in transactions with the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PennVest), as well as experience with tax increment financings (TIFs).

While studying at The Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law, Ryan worked in the Penn State Law Entrepreneur Assistance Clinic, where he helped entrepreneurs, start-ups and nonprofit organizations with common legal issues such as entity formation, founder and initial investor agreements, shareholder agreements, loan arrangements, operating agreements, and employee management.

Representative Matters

  • Represented boroughs, townships, and water and sewer authorities as bond counsel in Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PennVest) transactions totaling approximately $10 million of loan and grant money in 2017.
  • Represented a Pennsylvania continuing care retirement community issuing approximately $15 million in tax-exempt debt for the construction of a new skilled-nursing facility as bond counsel.
  • Served as bond counsel to a Pennsylvania liberal arts college in the approximately $25 million tax-exempt financing of a new educational building for its campus.
  • Represented a Pennsylvania public school district as bond counsel in securing approximately $10 million in tax-exempt financing for the construction of a new elementary school.
  • Represented a Pennsylvania public school district as bond counsel in securing approximately $10 million in tax-exempt financing for the renovation of a high school.
  • Served as bank counsel for a $90,000 tax-exempt loan to a Pennsylvania township for the purchase of new dump truck.

Professional Affiliations

  • National Association of Bond Lawyers
  • Pennsylvania Association of Bond Lawyers
  • Dauphin County Bar Association

News and Insights

Publications

Speaking Engagements

  • “Are You Ready for Some Financing Football,” co-presenter of CLE webinar, The Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, January 2024. 
  • “Township Banking and Accounts,” co-presented at the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors’ Regional Forum- Lehigh Valley, October 2023.
  • “A Playbook for a Public Finance Transaction,” co-presented at the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association (PMAA) annual conference and seminar, October 2023.
  • “Township Banking and Accounts,” co-presented at the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors’ Regional Forum- Lancaster, September 2023.
  • “The Public Finance Transaction Playbook,” a webinar presentation to the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, June 2023.
  • “A Public Finance Play Book,” presented to The Government Finance Officers Association of Pennsylvania’s (GFOA-PA) Annual Statewide Conference, April 2023.
  • “Structuring the Deal,” presented during Council of Development Finance Agencies “Intro to Bond Finance Course,” August 2022.
  • A Page from a Play Book of a Public Finance Transaction,” co-presented during the Pennsylvania Municipality Authorities Association’s Board Member Training program, March 2022.

Interests

In his free time, Ryan enjoys cooking, playing golf, and spending time with his family. He remains an avid Auburn and Penn State football fan.