For Mayer Brown structured finance partner Chris Gavin, it was one of the toughest cross-border deals that he’s ever handled. At first the job seemed fairly straightforwardarrange a syndicated credit facility for the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC). The nonprofit microfinance and development organization, based in Bangladesh, was interested in expanding its operations into Africa. As part of a growing track record in the microfinance sector, Mayer Brown 
had advised on the creation of BRAC’s U.S. arm. It was a logical step to reach out again to the firm to organize the new credit facility.
Gavin, who is based in Chicago, and his team of Mayer Brown attorneys started by organizing conference calls across Bangladesh, Africa, Europe and the United States. That was when things got toughtone of the lawyers, who was based in Juba, southern Sudan, only had electricity for two hours a day.
Last October the successful completion of the deal was announced, with more than $62 million committed to the new credit facility. The Overseas Private Investment Corporation is the anchor investor.
Gavin, who admits that as a mortgage securitization expert he’s seen busier times, estimates that the firm’s work on arranging the facility is worth about $1 to $1.5 million in fees. As he points out, a transactional lawyer’s pro bono options are pretty limited beyond pretending they’re a litigator. “There are not a lot of opportunities for young corporate and finance lawyers to do pro bono work” that is similar to the kind of work they do for profit, he says.
