Biography
Former Ohio appellate court judge Ray Headen is a trusted advisor, counsellor, and advocate to public and private clients and communities throughout Ohio. He solves client issues and problems with the meticulousness of an appellate judge and bond counsel.
In 2015, Ray served as special counsel to the Ohio Attorney General in the original publishing of the Ohio Economic Development Manual, a highly recognized go-to resource for public and private executives and professionals seeking guidance on using Ohio’s public and private finance and incentive laws to grow jobs, communities, and businesses. Former Judge Headen provides practical bond counsel to leaders of governments, including mayors, city councils, law directors, school executives, and finance and economic development officials in the following areas:
Bonds and Economic Development
Ray’s experience encompasses virtually all types of public finance and economic development for municipalities, schools, counties, special purposes entities, the State of Ohio and its related agencies, as well as for private developers seeking practical guidance on Ohio’s bond and economic development laws and tools, including general obligation bonds, water and sewer system revenue bonds, multifamily housing, healthcare financing, long-term care financing, industrial revenue bond financing, and tax increment financing. Ray has successfully counseled clients regarding establishing special improvement districts, community improvement corporations, JEDDs, PACE districts, Opportunity Zones and other economic development governance and finance structures. Ray has counseled clients on national and state tax credit programs such as LIHTC, Historic Tax Credits, and Energy Tax Credits. Ray has served as bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel, bank counsel, issuer counsel, disclosure counsel, and special counsel on a variety of tax-exempt and taxable financings aggregating in principal amount over $6 billion, including his service as general counsel to the Ohio Treasurer of State. Click on the Ohio Economic Development Manual link above and go to the table of contents to better understand what Former Judge Headen believes is the link between public finance, economic development and economic justice.
Ray is listed as nationally recognized bond counsel in The Bond Buyer’s Municipal Marketplace (the “Redbook”).