Tactical Financial Consulting
Consulting for Business, Finance, Real Estate, and Restructuring Matters
Franklind Lea, MBA, MRE, CIRA
Finance and Litigation Consultant
Phone:
770-573-9366
Email:
A Bit About Me
I am a nationally recognized expert in the areas of financial restructuring, lending, and valuation. I have over thirty years of business experience and have held the roles of commercial lender, credit officer, commercial real estate appraiser, workout officer, and most recently as a financial and litigation consultant. I am designated as one of only approximately 1,000 individuals in the United States as a Certified Insolvency and Restructuring Advisor ("CIRA") by the Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors.
After completing my bachelor's degree in business management and my master's degree in business administration in 1987, I then began my career as a commercial banker ultimately becoming a commercial credit officer. A handful of years later, I returned to college and completed a master's degree in real estate valuation and became a commercial real estate appraiser. Soon after, in 1994, I took a senior lending role with a national lending company in its specialty lending group and later formed and led the company's workout group. Since 2005, I been an independent finance and litigation consultant.
I am also a member of the Turnaround Management Association, as well as the American Bankruptcy Institute where I sit on its Board of Directors and its Executive Committee.
WHAT I DO
I provide consulting, litigation support, and expert witness testimony for general business, finance, lending, real estate, restructuring, and valuation matters throughout the United States. I am often involved in Chapter 11 restructurings - particularly those issues surrounding plan confirmation such as Till interest rates and feasibility opinions. I am also often involved in state court issues surrounding lending and investment, including issues such as proper due diligence, interest rates, and damage claims.
Most of my experiences are with businesses, assets or debts valued between one million and $250 million. I'm fortunate that my real-life experiences give me an advantage in understanding and explaining issues many others don't have.
As a result of my experiences, I've become a trusted, senior-level advisor with extensive experience financing businesses and real estate ventures, and dealing with troubled and distressed situations.
Work Experience
2005 - Present
1994 - 2005
1992 - 1994
1987 - 1992
Independent Financial and Litigation Consultant (Tactical Financial Consulting). In late 2005, after 11 years with Textron, I formed Tactical Financial Corporation to serve the needs of creditors and debtors in the litigation, restructuring and workout environment as well as other businesses with traditional business and real estate consulting.
Specialty Lending and Workout Officer (Textron Financial Corporation). Not long after beginning my career as commercial real estate appraiser, I called upon Textron Financial Corporation to sell appraisal work to its specialty lending division which was primarily focused on golf course, marina and related residential subdivision lending.
After five years of underwriting, negotiating and closing hundreds of millions of dollars of commercial real estate loans one of his developer clients filed for bankruptcy to expedite litigation with an environmental group who had filed fraudulent affidavits.
One year and 110 court hearings later in what was to become the largest bankruptcy in southwest Florida, the case culminated with a successful reorganization of the developer and all funds repaid.
Shortly thereafter, Textron Financial asked Franklind to formalize its workout process by creating an internal workout group to work across all of its lending divisions.
Commercial Real Estate Appraiser (Kirkland & Company | Lampe, Roy & Associates). Four years later, after developing a passion for commercial real estate he left the bank and returned to college to earn another master's degree, this time in real estate valuation and urban analysis. After completing the degree in 1994 along with all the required coursework for the MAI designation and two internships appraising commercial real estate he settled into a career with a national real estate appraisal firm. These experiences allowed him to develop an appreciation for the differences in the economics of various property types and locations.
Commercial Loan Officer and Credit Officer (First Florida Bank). I had the fortune of beginning his career as a commercial banker with one of the top banks in Florida in 1987. I earned a bachelor degree in management and an MBA with an emphasis in finance. My natural curiosity of wanting to understand how things work and an inclination toward continual improvement helped me advance quickly within the bank from a commercial analyst to a commercial lender to running the bank's Panhandle Commercial Credit Department.
Education
Continuing Education
1994
University of Florida
1987
First Florida Bank, N.A.
1986
Florida State University
1986
Florida State University
I have completed over 2,000 hours of continuing education and am routinely asked to speak at professional seminars on topics related to finance, real estate and insolvency.
I have also completed the Florida Real Estate Associate License Course, the ASTM Phase I Environmental Assessment Course, and attended the Florida Environmental Permitting Summer School.
Master's Degree in Real Estate Valuation. In 1994 I was granted credit for completion of all course work required by The Appraisal Institute: for the MAI designation through a joint education program with the University of Florida and separately completed the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice and Report Writing and Valuation Analysis.
Commercial Credit Training. I completed formal credit training through the First Florida Bank Commercial Credit Training Program (a 120 hour training course focusing on commercial credit for commercial loans) achieving the bank’s highest score of record on the program’s exit exam. I also completed the First Florida Bank Commercial Loan Associate Program, a one-year training course focusing on all aspects of commercial credit and lending.
Master's Degree in Business Administration. I completed my graduate degree in business administration which included an emphasis in finance, my coursework included advanced coursework in accounting, finance, management, and marketing.
Bachelor Degree in Management. I completed my undergraduate degree in management which included coursework in accounting, business law, economics, finance, information systems, management, marketing, and organizational behavior.