Robert A. Willner is a Shareholder in the firm’s Commercial Finance Practice Group and Chair of the Leveraged ESOP Finance Practice Group. Robert provides practical, business oriented, legal advice to his clients on how to best structure, document, and manage their commercial lending transactions. Robert’s practice covers a broad spectrum of middle-market, senior and second lien lending, including asset-based lending, cash flow lending, leveraged ESOP finance, lender finance, fund finance (including capital call and subscription facilities, and NAV and hybrid loans), FCC License finance, unitranche finance, acquisition finance, dividend recaps, aircraft finance, tech finance, healthcare finance, cross-border transactions (Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia), equipment leasing, debtor-in-possession financing, trade finance, and factoring. In addition, Robert also handles problem loan workouts and restructurings, liquidations and foreclosures. His clients include commercial banks, alternative lenders, commercial finance companies, equipment leasing companies, factors, and other financial institutions.

He is recognized by Chambers USA as a leader in the field of Banking & Finance, and is a frequent lecturer on issues related to commercial finance. Mr. Willner was also named one of The Best Lawyers in America®, for Commercial Finance Law in 2025.

 

  • Represented senior lender in $14,000,000 lender finance line of credit.
  • Represented senior lender in $40,000,000 subscription line of credit to Cayman Islands debt fund, secured by an assignment of capital call rights from sole limited partner.
  • Represented senior lender in $50,000,000 subscription line of credit to debt fund, secured by an assignment of capital call rights
  • Represented the administrative agent and collateral agent in a $275,000,000 multi-lender, formula-based revolving credit and term loan facility to an investment bank/factor of investment grade receivables.
  • Represented senior lender in $90,000,000 leveraged ESOP facilities, with $20,000,000 accordion, consisting of non-formula revolver, term loan, and day loan, to multi-state petroleum distributor.
  • Represented agent bank in $80,000,000 subscription line of credit, secured by an assignment of capital call rights.
  • Represented senior lender in $80,000,000 unsecured revolving line of credit with $50,000,000 accordion to leading manufacturer of dry freight vans, refrigerated vans and flatbeds.
  • Represented senior lender in $38,000,000 commitments consisting of a formula line of credit and cash flow term loan for a manufacturer of power-driven hand tools.
  • Represented first out lender in private equity-backed, unitranche credit facilities consisting of $27,000,000 first out commitments (non-formula line of credit and capex facility) to the leading provider of essential HVAC services in the Southwest market.
  • Represented C&I lender in $25,000,000 non-formula line of credit with $5,000,000 accordion to ESOP-owned pallet rack and steel tube manufacturer.
  • Represented senior lender in $15,000,000 senior commitments consisting of a formula line of credit and acquisition term loan, for a company specializing in the sale and installation of high-end motorized and manual window coverings.
  • Represented asset-based lender in $10,000,000 formula line of credit with cross-border component (Mexico) to a trade services company.
  • Represented asset-based lender in $14,000,000 lender finance commitments, consisting of equipment lease vendor-prefunding and rediscount lines of credit.
  • Represented senior lender in $20,000,000 mortgage warehouse line of credit to mortgage originator.
  • Represented equipment lessor in negotiating its rediscount agreements with its multiple funding sources.
  • Represented lender in financing the purchase of a corporate aircraft, secured by the aircraft.

Mr. Willner earned his J.D. at Loyola Law School, where he was Order of the Coif. While in law school, he served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Justice Allen E. Broussard of the California Supreme Court. He was also an articles editor and a published author for the Loyola Law School Entertainment Law Journal. He earned his B.A. cum laude at the University of California, Los Angeles.

  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • Member, National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO)
  • Member, Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) Association
  • Past Chair, Commercial Law Committee of the Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association
  • Past Member of Board of Trustees, University Synagogue in Brentwood, California
  • Past Member of Board of Directors, Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation, a non-profit corporation charged with overseeing the operations of the landmark Santa Monica Pier.

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