Doneene Keemer Damon

Doneene Keemer Damon focuses primarily on formation and operational issues relating to Delaware statutory and common law trusts in all types of commercial and business transactions, including securitizations, structured finance, investment funds, real estate financings and trust preferred securities transactions.  A director in the Trust and Agency Services Group of the firm's Business Department, Doneene represents issuers, underwriters and investors.  She also represents banks and trust companies in connection with their trust and agency services in various commercial transactions, including their roles as trustee, collateral agent, depository agent and exchange agent.  In addition, Doneene represents health-care clients in all types of commercial and transactional matters, including the purchase and servicing of health-care receivables and the issuance of tax-exempt bonds.

Very active in numerous professional and community organizations, Doneene is a frequent lecturer and has written many articles on the advantages of using Delaware statutory trusts in financing transactions and the role of trustees.  In law school, she was a member of the Moot Court.

Representative Experience

• Asset-backed securities, including auto loans and leases, credit cards, student loans, residential mortgages, home equity loans, equipment leases, litigation settlements, insurance policies and intellectual property
• Capital securities
• Hybrid capital securities
• Collateralized loan obligations
• Cross-border leasing transactions
• Mutual funds and exchange traded funds
• Health care receivables
• Liquidation trusts
• Voting trusts
• Independent director and independent manager
• Private equity funds
• Defeasance transactions

Professional and Community Activities

• Chair, Richards, Layton & Finger Diversity Committee
• Member, American Bar Association, Business Law Section Council
• Member and Immediate Past Chair, American Bar Association Committee on Trust Indentures and Indenture Trustees
• Member and Immediate Past Co-Chair, Committee on Corporate Director Diversity
• Member, American Bar Association, Banking Law Committee
• Member, American Bar Association, Diversity Committee
• Member, American Bar Association, Securitization and Structured Finance Committee
• Member, American Bar Association, UCC Committee
• Member, Committee on Partnerships and Unincorporated Business Organizations
• Member, Delaware State Bar Association, Executive Committee
• Member, Delaware State Bar Association, Commercial Law Section
• Member, Delaware State Bar Association, Multicultural Judges and Lawyers Section
• Member, American Securitization Forum Outside Counsel Subforum
• Member, Board of Directors, Christiana Care Health System, Inc. and Health Services, Inc.
• Member, Board of Trustees, Wilmington Friends School
• Member, Board of Trustees, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
• Member, Board of Directors, Meals on Wheels Delaware, Inc.
• Member, Board of Editors, The Delaware Lawyer
• Former Member, Board of Directors, Delaware Art Museum

Professional Recognition

• Chambers USA
• The International Who’s Who of Women Lawyers
• The International Women’s Review Board for Excellence in Law
• YWCA Trailblazer Award, 2009