Jonathan M. Cooper

Jonathan Cooper is a Principal in the firm’s Commercial Finance Group. He represents both institutional lenders and borrowers in all facets of commercial finance transactions, including senior secured asset-based and cash-flow transactions, first lien, second lien, unitranche, and mezzanine positions, as well as in workouts and restructurings. He has significant experience with making loans to borrowers in a broad range of businesses, including borrowers in the healthcare, technology, manufacturing, financial industries, retail and service space. 

Mr. Cooper is regularly engaged in international commercial finance transactions for a wide range of clients, primarily focusing on Europe and the Americas. A past Chair of the American Bar Association's Subcommittee on Cross Border and Trade Finance, he frequently gives presentations regarding international finance and has written several articles on the subject. In addition, Mr. Cooper has worked with the United Nations Commission On International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), the trade division of the United Nations, in connection with its work to develop a Secured Transaction Guide, which provides a comprehensive blueprint for countries wishing to modernize their secured transactions regimes. In this role, he assisted in drafting significant portions of the Guide, made presentations at the UN, and attended several UN working group meetings. 

Mr. Cooper has been individually ranked in Chambers USA for his work in Banking & Finance every year since 2009. He has been recognized annually as a Leading Lawyer in Corporate Finance Law and International Business Law by Illinois Leading Lawyers since 2021.

Publications and Presentations
Mr. Cooper's published articles include:

• "Opportunity for Increased Foreign Subsidiary Report: New IRS Proposed Tax Regulation Limiting '956 Deemed Dividend' Tax Impact," co-authored with Stephen Legatzke, The Secured Lender, Jan./Feb. 2019.
• "Measure Twice, Cut Once: Five Key Issues That Should Be Evaluated Upfront When Assessing a Cross-Border Lending Transaction," co-authored with William Starshak, The Secured Lender, July 2012.
• "What Area of the World Will Be the Next Growth Area for ABL?," The Secured Lender, July/Aug. 2010.
• "Shoring Up Distressed Cross-Border Loans," The Secured Lender, July/Aug. 2009.
• "Asset-Based Lending in Mexico: An Overview of Key Considerations," The Secured Lender, July/Aug. 2008.

Mr. Cooper's presentations have included:

• Moderator: "Arc of the Covenants: Who's in Charge Here?" at the Secured Finance Network's International Lending Conference, London, May 2019.
• Moderator, "Chicago Bank CEOs" at the Middle Market Capital Symposium presented by the Midwest Chapter of the Secured Finance Network, Chicago, Oct.  2016.
• Presenter, "Subordination Agreements: Protections, Pitfalls and Recent Developments" at the American Bar Association's Business Law Section's annual meeting, Chicago, Sept. 2015.
• Presenter, "UCC Security Interests" at the Practising Law Institute's Commercial Real Estate Financing Seminar, Chicago, April 2015.
• Moderator, "Cross-Border ABL: WHY You Should Care and WHAT You Need to Know" at the Secured Finance Network's Annual Convention, Washington, D.C., Nov. 2014.
• Presenter, “Shoring Up Distressed Cross-Border Loans” at the American Bar Association's Business Law Section's Spring meeting, Denver, April 2010.

Professional Background
Mr. Cooper joined Goldberg Kohn in October 1998. Previously he was an in-house lawyer at a multinational telecommunications manufacturer, where he handled international finance transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate and intellectual property matters. Prior to pursuing his legal career, he was an auditor at a major accounting firm. He is a certified public accountant.

Mr. Cooper received his law degree, cum laude, from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law in 1994, and his B.B.A. in Accounting/Finance, with high distinction, from the University of Michigan in 1990.