Pope Zeigler

A native of Greenwood, S.C., Margaret C. Pope is chair of the public finance department of Pope Zeigler, LLC.  She serves as bond counsel to approximately 70 state agencies, counties, municipalities, special purpose districts, universities, hospitals, commissions and authorities in South Carolina.  Mrs. Pope is the past president of the American College of Bond Counsel, which is a select group of leading public finance lawyers from around the country.  

She often lectures at continuing education events, both for those in the legal field and for those serving in the public sector. She has served on panels of the Bond Attorneys’ Workshop of the National Association of Bond Lawyers, and she is a frequent speaker at the annual conferences of the Municipal Association of South Carolina and the South Carolina Association of Counties.  During 2009, she gave a presentation entitled “Funding Alternatives for Municipalities: Assessing Your Options” at a conference of the MASC and provided a similar presentation at the conference for county leaders.

In her 32 years of practice in South Carolina, Mrs. Pope has been involved in transactions involving all types of public entities in South Carolina and practically every form of financing.  She has assisted clients in formulating financial strategies; identifying and securing funding sources; selecting and retaining underwriters, trustees and financial advisers; conducting referenda; adopting or proposing statutes; conducting test suits to resolve uncertainties about legal and constitutional provisions; negotiating utility service and other contracts; negotiating development agreements; creating joint action agencies; creating special tax districts; acquiring private and public utility systems; obtaining favorable ratings from rating agencies; identifying opportunities for savings through refinancings; securing and maintaining tax-exempt status of obligations; and managing the administration of obligations while they are outstanding.

Mrs. Pope also has decades of experience in developing legislative initiatives and in providing assistance, in a non-lobbying capacity, in drafting legislation and in presenting legislation to the General Assembly for the State of South Carolina. 

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

• At a former firm, served as bond counsel for the issuance of the Tobacco Settlement Revenue Management Authority’s $275 million Tobacco Settlement Asset-Backed Bonds, Series 2001A (Taxable) and the $275 million Tobacco Settlement Asset-Backed Bonds, Series 2001B (Tax-Exempt).  Selected in 2008 to serve as lead bond counsel while at Pope Zeigler, LLC in the restructuring of the 2001 debt in the issuance of the Tobacco Settlement Revenue Management Authority’s $275 million Tobacco Settlement Asset-Backed Refunding Bonds, Series 2008.
• Served as sole bond counsel to the Patriots Energy Group in the issuance of its $32,455,000 Gas System Refunding Revenue Bonds, Series 2008.
• Served as bond counsel in connection with the City of Cayce, S.C . Water and Sewer System Improvement Revenue Bond, Series 2009.  In connection with the closing of this bond issue, the firm was instrumental in the successful joint venture of the City of Cayce, the Town of Lexington, S.C., and the Joint Municipal Water and Sewer Commission, parties to a wastewater services agreement that was executed prior to closing of the bond issue.
• Senate Bill 304 of 2009. This bill, pending before a Conference Committee of the South Carolina House of Representatives, would provide statutory authority for a new form of revenue bonds. Secured by hospitality fees and accommodation fees, they would replace more expensive lease-purchase vehicles. Mrs. Pope identified the need for such legislation while working with local government clients several years ago, and Mr. Zeigler was the principal drafter. Mr. Zeigler and Mrs. Pope have appeared before relevant House and Senate committees and subcommittees to explain the purpose and provisions of this legislation.
• State General Obligation Economic Development Bond Act. This provided a vehicle for the State to defray the costs of infrastructure required to promote development for key segments of the state’s economy. Pope Zeigler drafted this legislation at the request of the South Carolina Department of Commerce.
• State School Facilities Bonds Act of 1999. Then-State Superintendent of Education Inez M. Tenenbaum and then-State Treasurer Grady L. Patterson, Jr. asked Mrs. Pope to draft this legislation, which led to a $750 million bond issue.  Mrs. Pope then served as bond counsel to the State of South Carolina for the general obligation bonds.

AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

• The Best Lawyers in America, 2003-2011
• Selected as one of the 2012 Women of Influence, Columbia Business Monthly
  
• Order of the Wig and Robe
• Business Manager, South Carolina Law Review
• AV Rating by Martindale Hubbell

CIVIC ACTIVITIES AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

• Member, Board of Directors South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities
• President and Founding Member, The Crescent Society, a group dedicated to "Recognizing and Inspiring Leadership Excellence in South Carolina Women"
  
• Past chair of the South Carolina Governor’s Commission on Women
• Former board member, Greenwood Genetic Center, Newberry College, the Drummond Center and Midlands Technical College