Stephen D. Browning
Practice Areas
Industries
Education
- Boston College Law School, J.D., 1993, cum laude
- Boston College Law Review, Executive Editor, 1992-1993
- Williams College, B.A., 1987
Bar & Court Admissions
Steve is the managing partner of the Vorys Houston office and previously served as chair of the firm's finance, energy and real estate group. Steve transitioned his practice from the firm's Columbus office in 2011.
Steve practices primarily in the areas of finance, derivatives and real estate. He has extensive experience in the representation of commercial banks and borrowers, both publicly and privately held, in a wide range of financing transactions, including syndicated loans, asset based loans, mezzanine and second tier financings, multicurrency transactions, structured finance, acquisition finance, general secured transactions, supply chain finance, loan restructurings, and intercreditor and subordination agreements. His practice also includes the purchase and sale of commercial real estate, defeasance transactions, beverage and food related contracts, real estate finance, asset acquisitions and sales. Steve regularly represents public and private companies in the drafting and negotiation of various types of complex commercial agreements. On the borrower side, he has worked extensively on retail and restaurant industry transactions.
Steve represents numerous financial institutions and public and private companies in derivatives activities, including advising on Dodd-Frank regulatory requirements and has a broad range of experience in the negotiation of derivative transactions and structured financial products, including transactions under the ISDA Master Agreement and related schedules and annexes, including credit support documentation.
Steve also advises clients in general business transactions, including acquisitions, sales and documentary and standby letters of credit.
Career highlights include:
- Negotiation of multiple billion dollar syndicated multicurrency credit facilities, both secured and unsecured, for publicly held borrowers
- Advising clients in the negotiation of foreign exchange, commodity and interest rate derivatives transactions
- Before joining Vorys, Steve was a corporate loan officer for Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company in New York
Steve is a frequent speaker on Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code.
Steve received his J.D., cum laude, from Boston College Law School, where he was executive editor of the Boston College Law Review. He received his B.A. from Williams College.
Professional and Community Activities
- Houston Livestock Show And Rodeo, Wine Competition Committee, Commiteeman, 2014-2017
- Williams College Alumni Association of Central Ohio, President, 2003-2012
- The Columbus Academy, Board of Trustees, 2008-2014
- Friends of the Columbus Metropolitan Library, Board of Trustees, 2002-2004
- Columbus Bar Association, Chair, Real Property Committee, 2003-2005
Honors & Awards
- Columbus CEO, Top Lawyers in Columbus, 2010-2012
- The Best Lawyers in America, Real Estate Law, 2007-2021
- Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Stars, Business/Corporate, 2005-2006
- The Columbus Bar Association’s President’s Award, 2005
- Fellow of the Columbus Bar Foundation since 2000
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rated
News
- 8/20/2020One hundred and twelve lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America® 2021 edition. In addition, 26 Vorys attorneys were named to the inaugural Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” list.
- 8/3/2020Vorys recently advised Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and its wholly-owned indirect subsidiary Abercrombie & Fitch Management Co. in connection with the Rule 144A/Regulation S offering.
- 9/4/2019Vorys recently advised Worthington Industries, Inc. and two of its European subsidiaries in their €91.7 million private placement offering of senior notes.
- 8/15/2019One hundred and thirteen lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2020.
- 2/15/2019Steve Browning, the managing partner of the Vorys Houston office, was recently awarded the 2019 Lexology Client Choice Award for banking in Texas.
- 8/15/2018One hundred and thirteen lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2019.
- 11/13/2017Steve Browning, the Vorys Houston office managing partner, was quoted in a Texas Lawyer story about law firms that have offered space for staff from the Lone Star Legal Aide Houston office.
- 8/17/2017One hundred and eight lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2018.
- 7/28/2017Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP recently advised Worthington Industries, Inc. in connection with its underwritten public offering of $200 million aggregate principal amount of its 4.300% Notes due 2032.
- 8/15/2016One-hundred and eleven lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2017.
- 8/17/2015One-hundred and eighteen lawyers from Vorys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2016.
- 12/18/2014A Texas Lawyer story titled “Nine Lawyers to Move From Schwartz Junell to Vorys” focused on the growth in the Vorys Houston office. The story highlighted the firm’s recent announcement that nine trial lawyers, with diverse civil litigation backgrounds, will join the firm on January 5.
- 8/18/2014One-hundred and ten lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2015.
- 8/14/2013One hundred and eleven lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2014.
- 8/23/2012One hundred and twenty-six lawyers from Vorys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2013.
- 9/6/2011
- 8/30/2011
- 8/9/2010
- 8/4/2009
- 10/29/2008
- 9/19/2007
Events
- 9/18/2014Vorys attorneys Steve Browning and Travis Wahl presented at the 4th Annual U.S. Regional Banks FX Forum on September 18, 2014.
- 8/23/2012Vorys attorneys Steve Browning and Chris Lyons participated in the Back to School Symposium on August 23.
Insights
- 12/27/2020Late on December 27, the President signed a $900 billion relief package that will provide aid to individuals and businesses still struggling with the economic impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Both the House and the Senate passed the proposal last week.
- 11/17/2015Recently five federal agencies, The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Farm Credit Administration and the Federal Housing Finance Agency, issued much-anticipated joint final rules that establish minimum margin and capital requirements for registered swap dealers, major swap participants, security-based swap dealers and major security-based swap participants for which one of the Agencies is the prudential regulator.
- 4/22/2014With the boom in oil and gas production issues in Ohio, irrespective of the type, charter bank and thrift lenders can find a significant resource for safe and sound lending guidance in the newly issued addition to the Comptroller’s Handbook on “Oil and Gas Production Lending.”