Peter H Carson

Practice Areas

Peter Carson is a partner in the Finance & Bankruptcy Practice Group in Sheppard Mullin's San Francisco office and heads the firm’s Legal Opinions Committee, and is a Core Member of the firm's ESG and Sustainability Team.

Peter's practice is focused on representing U.S. and foreign banks, commercial finance lenders, debt funds, and other institutional lenders. Peter represents these clients in all aspects of complex secured and unsecured debt financings, including acquisition, senior syndicated, asset-based, mezzanine, second lien, bridge, debtor-in possession, credit enhancement, private placement, leveraged lease and other financings, recapitalizations, and restructurings across a range of industries, such as healthcare, technology, retail, transportation and distribution, media and telecommunications, ski resorts, sport franchises, renewable energy and related infrastructure, food and beverage (including wineries), and agriculture.

In addition, Peter devotes a substantial portion of his practice to representing buyers, sellers and private equity deal sponsors in various types of merger and acquisition transactions (including mergers involving nonprofits) and to advising institutional lenders, private equity and company clients on Uniform Commercial Code, letters of credit, and other commercial law issues.

Since March 2020, Peter has also led the firm’s Emergency Relief Task Force, advising clients and colleagues regarding the various federal and state government direct loan programs (including the Paycheck Protection Program and the Main Street Lending Program) and financial systems support programs in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Professional Memberships

Elected Member, American Law Institute

Past President and Member of Board of Regents, American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers

Life Fellow, American Bar Foundation

Opinions Committee of the California Lawyers Association

Member and Past Chair, Board of Trustees, Earthjustice

Past Chair, Secured Transactions Subcommittee of the Uniform Commercial Code Committee of the Business Law Section, American Bar Association

Past Chair, Letter of Credit Subcommittee of the Uniform Commercial Code Committee of the Business Law Section, American Bar Association

Past Chair, Uniform Commercial Code Committee; Past member, Executive Committee of the Business Law Section, State Bar of California

Past Co-Chair, California Legal Services Trust Fund (IOLTA) Commission

Past Member, Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service, American Bar Association; Past Chair Pro Bono Committee of the Business Law Section, American Bar Association

Member, Board of Directors, East Bay Community Law Center

Member, Board of Directors, California Rural Legal Assistance

Past member, Board of Directors, California Bar Foundation, Bar Association of San Francisco Foundation; Bay Area Legal Aid; China U.S. Energy Efficiency Alliance; British American Business Counsel of the Bay Area; Mid-Peninsula Media Center