Bio

Sean M. Carty, a partner in Plunkett Cooney’s Banking, Bankruptcy & Creditors’ Rights Practice Group, focuses his practice in the areas of commercial loan originations, commercial leasing and real estate transactions.

A member of the firm's Bloomfield Hills office, Mr. Carty represents various financial institutions in asset based, real estate and construction loan originations covering a variety of industries in the business world. He also represents landlords and tenants in large commercial leasing transactions.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Carty worked as an in-house attorney for over 12 years at The PrivateBank and Trust Company and at Bank of America (successor to Standard Federal Bank and LaSalle Bank), which gives him a unique understanding of what lenders want and expect from their outside counsel in commercial loan transactions.

Mr. Carty’s expansive experience includes the negotiation and documentation of secured and unsecured line of credit loans, acquisition term loans, equipment loans, letters of credit, real estate and construction loan facilities, as well as participation loans and syndicated facilities. Mr. Carty has also played a vital role in assisting his lenders in structuring their transactions so as to comply with the financial institution’s internal loan approval requirements.

Licensed to practice in the state and federal courts in Michigan, Mr. Carty is a member of the State Bar of Michigan.

Representative Client Work

  • Served as general counsel for a $1 billion Michigan-based bank. Oversaw all legal operations of the bank, including the following departments: Private Banking, Mortgage Company, Risk Management, Wealth Management, Finance/Accounting, Middle Market Lending, Commercial Real Estate Lending, Human Resources/Marketing, Public Funds, Workouts and Documentation.
  • Represented lender in structuring, drafting and negotiating real estate land development loans to related borrowers totaling approximately $30 million
  • Represented the interests of numerous high-end retail tenants in commercial lease negotiations for space in upscale regional shopping centers throughout the country
  • While in-house, developed and presented various loan documentation training seminars for the bank’s commercial lending department
  • While in private practice, was requested by a large, publicly traded, retail client of the law firm to head up the real estate division of the client’s legal department for six months, and, among other matters, to oversee the successful refinancing of $75 million in mortgage indebtedness
  • Wide array of experience in representing various financial institutions in multi-million dollar lending transactions

Professional Affiliations

  • State Bar of Michigan (Real Estate Law and Business Law sections)
  • American Bar Association

Community Involvement

  • University of Michigan Alumni Association
  • Independence Commons Homeowners Association (President, 2010-2014)
  • Farmington High School Baseball Backers (President, 2012-2014)
  • South Farmington Blues Travel Baseball Team (Head Coach, 2007-2011)

Publications/Articles and Lectures

  • “Introduction to Legal Documentation for Commercial Lending Transactions” seminar, 2004-2007
  • “Convenience at Quality's Expense:  Beware of the Form Lease!,”  Michigan Real Property Review, Vol. 20, No. 1, Page 33, Spring 1993
  • “Money for Nothing?  Have the New Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct Gone Too Far in Liberalizing the Rules Governing Attorneys' Referral Fees?,”  68 U. DET. LAW REV. 229 (1991)
  • “Validity of Arbitration Agreements - Section 14 of the Securities Act of 1933 does not Invalidate Arbitration as an Alternative Forum for Settling Disputes that Come Under the Act, Rodriguez De Quijas v. Shearson/American Express, Inc.,” 109 S.Ct. 1917 (1989), 67 U. DET. LAW REV. 465 (1990)

Credentials

Education

  • University of Detroit School of Law, summa cum laude, J.D., 1991
  • University of Michigan, B.A., with distinction, 1988

Admissions

  • Michigan, 1991
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 1991

Honors/Awards

Honors & Recognitions

  • Editorial Board, University of Detroit Law Review
  • Gold Standard Award for Outstanding Performance (2003)
  • Sengstock Award for Excellence in Legal Writing (1991)
  • Jerome P. Cavanagh Scholar (1988-1991)
  • Frank Murphy Honor Society (1991)
  • Irish American Lawyers - Thomas P. Thornton Award (1991)
  • American Jurisprudence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Professional Responsibility and Constitutional Law

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