Joseph D. Zizzo

Joseph D. Zizzo is a Principal in the firm's Commercial Finance Group. He represents financial institutions in structuring, negotiating, documenting and closing lending transactions.

Mr. Zizzo regularly represents agents and lenders in syndicated and single lender senior cash-flow and asset-based secured loan transactions for acquisition financing, working capital financing, refinancings and recapitalizations, split collateral secured loan transactions, unitranche financing transactions, debtor-in-possession financings, and workouts and restructuring.  Joe is also experienced in representing junior capital providers in second lien, unsecured mezzanine and unitranche transactions.  

Mr. Zizzo's international lending experience includes transactions involving the laws of Australia, Canada, Ireland, Luxembourg, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. He has extensive experience representing agents and lenders in recurring-revenue based financing transactions to software and other technology businesses.

In 2021 Mr. Zizzo was chosen as a "40 Under 40 Award" recipient by The Secured Finance Network, which recognizes "the best and brightest rising stars in secured finance." In addition, he has been recognized as an Emerging Lawyer in Banking & Financial Institutions Law by Illinois Leading Lawyers.

Professional Background

Mr. Zizzo joined Goldberg Kohn in 2007 directly after graduating from law school, and is currently chair of the firm's Technology Committee.

At Stanford Law School, he was named the Nathan Abbott Scholar for graduating with the highest grade point average in his law school class. He also received the Urban A. Sontheimer First-Year Honor for having the highest grade point average in his class after the first year. In addition, he was an editor on the Stanford Law Review for two years, including one year as an articles selection editor, and was an editor on the Stanford Journal of Law, Business & Finance for two years, including one year as a lead article editor.

Mr. Zizzo received his B.A. and B.S. dual degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame in 2004, where he was a member of the University of Notre Dame Honors Program.

Representative Matters

• Represented senior administrative agent in providing $100 million cash flow credit facility to U.S. borrower with Canadian and Australian subsidiary guarantors.
• Represented administrative agent in providing $100 million recurring revenue based credit facility to a software and technology borrower.
• Represented second lien lender providing $30 million of closing date and delayed draw second lien notes.
• Represented administrative agent and term lender in providing a $145 million aggregate term credit facility in connection with a separate split-lien asset-based credit facility provided by another creditor to affiliated U.S. and Canadian borrowers.
• Represented administrative agent in providing $425 million asset-based credit facility to affiliated U.S. and Canadian borrowers with split lien and second lien notes.