Nora O'Brien

Nora O'Brien is a partner and member of Chapman's Public Finance Department. She represents clients in a wide variety of housing finance and other public finance transactions, serving as bond counsel, disclosure counsel, underwriter’s counsel, and special counsel.

Nora has extensive experience advising on private activity bond financings, including single-family housing, multifamily housing, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit transactions. She also counsels clients on a range of financing structures, such as Mello-Roos community facilities district bonds, Marks-Roos joint financing authority bonds, certificates of participation, revenue bonds, and general obligation bonds.

A leader in the public finance community, Nora is a member of Women in Public Finance, where she currently serves on the Board of the San Diego Chapter and previously served as treasurer on the National Board. She is also a member of the National Association of Bond Lawyers, as well as the National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies (NALHFA) and the Texas Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies (TALHFA), where she serves on the advisory committee. Nora has also spoken on public finance and bond-related topics at events hosted by these organizations.

In the community, Nora serves as Director of Programs for the Los Angeles Chapter of the Women’s Affordable Housing Network, organizing events that support the organization’s mission to empower and develop women working in the affordable housing sector.

Prior to joining Chapman, Nora practiced at Best Best & Krieger LLP, and she previously served as associate general counsel at the Illinois Finance Authority.