Barry A. Staples

Barry has extensive experience in the areas of municipal and public finance and economic development. Additionally, Barry dedicates a significant portion of his practice to the representation of financial institutions in public and private transactions involving governmental entities and nonprofit organizations.

His experience has earned him recognition as a leader in the field of Public Finance Law by Chambers USA, and he is listed in The Best Lawyers in America© in the areas of Municipal Law and Public Finance Law. He received the Best Lawyers® 2018 "Lawyer of the Year" distinction for Municipal Law.

Public Finance

Barry advises governmental and non-profit organizations on taxable and tax-exempt financings, serving as bond counsel and disclosure counsel to cities, counties, boards of education, utility systems, public and private universities and 501(c)(3) corporations.

Financial Institutions

Serving as bank counsel and underwriter's counsel, Barry regularly represents regional and national financial institutions on the purchase and sale of taxable and tax-exempt debt throughout their respective footprints. Additionally, he advises banks and underwriters on compliance with state and federal laws regulating the municipal bond market.

Economic Development

Barry advises cities, counties and related public entities and private for-profit business organizations on economic development projects including the negotiation, structuring, and documentation of project development agreements, incentive packages and revenue sharing arrangements.

"He does phenomenal work. He is an expert, very good to work with, good at protecting our interests and finding loopholes. They work on anything that helps us and protects our interests."

"Barry's broad base of knowledge in the public finance space enables him to very effectively negotiate with opposing counsel and provide his clients with great representation."

Representative Transactions: Governmental

• $6,000,000 General Obligation Warrant, Series 2022, issued by the City of Mountain Brook, Alabama (Bond Counsel)
• $5,930,000 General Obligation Warrants, Series 2022, issued by Butler County, Alabama (Bond Counsel)
• $7,540,000 General Obligation Warrants, Series 2022, issued by the City of Anniston, Alabama (Bond Counsel)
• $9,075,000 Public School Warrants, Series 2022-A, and $6,415,000 Public School Warrants (Federally Taxable), Series 2022-B, issued by the Cullman County Board of Education (Bond Counsel)
• $8,660,000 City of Vicksburg, Mississippi Taxable (Convertible to Tax-Exempt) General Obligation Refunding Bonds, Series 2022 (Bank Counsel)
• $1,004,660,000 Gas Project Revenue Bonds (Project No. 7), 2021 Series C-1 (Fixed Rate) and 2021 Series C-2 (SIFMA Index Rate), issued by The Black Belt Energy Gas District (Trustee’s Counsel)
• $52,130,000 Refunding Sales Tax Appropriation Bonds (Gateway Arch Project), Series 2021B, issued by the Metropolitan Park and Recreation District (Missouri) d/b/a/ The Great Rivers Greenway District (Bank Counsel)
• $16,107,741 State Agencies Facilities Revenue Refunding Bonds (Division of Environmental Quality Project), Taxable Series 2021, issued by the Arkansas Development Finance Authority (Bank Counsel)
• $17,030,000 General Obligation Warrants, Series 2021-A, and $13,325,000 General Obligation Warrants (Federally Taxable), Series 2021-B, issued by the City of Fultondale, Alabama (Bond Counsel)
• $75,145,000 Water and Sewer Revenue Bonds (Federally Taxable), Series 2021, issued by The Water Works and Sanitary Sewer Board of the City of Montgomery (Bond Counsel)
• $21,400,000 General Receipts Refunding Bonds, 2021 Series A, issued by the University of Louisville (Bank Counsel)
• $6,850,000 General Obligation Warrants, Series 2021, issued by the City of Semmes, Alabama (Bond Counsel)
• $48,425,000 Water and Sewer Revenue Bonds (Federally Taxable), Series 2021, issued by Limestone County Water and Sewer Authority (Bond Counsel)
• $53,920,000 General Obligation Warrants, Series 2020-A, and $14,170,000 General Obligation Warrants (Federally Taxable), Series 2022-B, issued by the City of Tuscaloosa, Alabama (Bond Counsel)
• $6,185,000 School Tax Warrants, Series 2020-A, and $15,955,000 School Tax Warrants (Federally Taxable), Series 2020-B, issued by the County Board of Education of Walker County (Bond Counsel)
• $7,545,000 General Obligation Warrants, Series 2020-A, and $5,335,000 General Obligation Warrants (Federally Taxable), Series 2020-B, issued by Houston County, Alabama (Bond Counsel)
• $23,650,000 General Obligation Warrants, Series 2019-B, and $15,210,000 General Obligation Warrants, Series 2019-C, issued by Madison County, Alabama (Bond Counsel)

Representative Transactions: Non-Profit

• $13,000,000 principal amount Revenue Bond (The Indian Springs School Project), Series 2021, issued by the Shelby County Economic & Industrial Development Authority (Bond Counsel)
• $5,546,243.32 Revenue Bond (The Saint James School Project), Series 2020, issued by The Greater Montgomery Educational Building Authority (Bond Counsel)
• $19,554,623.10 Revenue Bonds (YMCA Project), Series 2019, issued by The Public Park and Recreation Board of Jefferson County (Bond and Bank Counsel)

Affiliations

• American Bar Association
• Alabama State Bar
• State Bar of Georgia
• National Association of Bond Lawyers

Civic Involvement

• The Mountain Brook City Schools Foundation
• Leadership Birmingham, Class of 2016
• Leadership Alabama - Alabama Leadership Initiative (2011)
• Dartmouth Club of Alabama, President (2013-2015)
• Cathedral Church of the Advent

• “Tax Concepts in Bank Direct Purchase and Bank Qualification” presented at The Bond Attorneys Workshop of The National Association of Bond Lawyers, Chicago, Illinois (October 13-15, 2021).
  
• “How to Create a Tax-Exempt Bonds Policy that Works for Your City” presented at the 2020 Alabama Municipal Clerks Spring Training Institute of the Alabama League of Municipalities (February 19, 2020).
• “Economic Development Incentives and Best Practices” presented at the 2019 Municipal Leadership Institute of the Alabama League of Municipalities (October 3, 2019).
• "Municipal Debt Financing" presented at the Alabama League of Municipalities Municipal Leadership Institute (December 4-5, 2017)
• "Pitfalls and Best Practices for Bond Issues" presented at the AAMA/AMJA Fall Municipal Conference (September 22, 2017)
• "Math for Municipalities (and Counties Too!)" presented at the Alabama City & County Governments Seminar (May 5, 2017)