David L. Dranoff

David Dranoff is a principal in the firm’s Commercial Finance Group, with more than 34 years of experience representing lenders in negotiating, documenting and closing financing transactions. His experience covers a broad range of commercial finance transactions, including traditional asset-based secured loans; complicated leveraged buy-out and cash-flow transactions; senior, mezzanine and equity investments; and one-stop and unitranche financing matters. His practice encompasses the representation of lenders to many manufacturing, wholesale, service and agricultural sectors, as well as to various retail concerns. In addition, he has worked frequently in cross-border lending transactions in North and South America, in Europe and in Asia. Mr. Dranoff is also knowledgeable in working with troubled loans, both in structuring and documenting workouts and in assisting in bankruptcy proceedings. 

He is a member of the governing board of Commercial Finance Association's Education Foundation and a Fellow of the American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers. Mr. Dranoff has been selected for inclusion in Who's Who Legal Top Rated Lawyers in Banking and Finance Law, Best Lawyers of America, Super Lawyers, Expert Guides: World’s Leading Banking Lawyers, and the Leading Lawyers Network. He has also been ranked by his peers as AV Preeminent©, the highest rating from Martindale-Hubbell. Mr. Dranoff has been named by Chambers USA as a leading lawyer in the United States in Banking & Finance every year since 2009.

Mr. Dranoff is admitted to practice in Illinois. He received his law degree, cum laude, from Northwestern University in 1983, and his B.A. in history and government, magna cum laude, from Wesleyan University in 1977. At Northwestern, he was a member of the Order of the Coif and of the Northwestern Law Review, serving as Note & Comment editor in 1982. Mr. Dranoff authored “Dealing With the Bad Apples,” Bar Leader (May-June 1984), and “Attorney Professional Responsibility: Competence Through Malpractice Liability,” Northwestern Law Review (1982).