James Cretella, Esq., is a partner and attorney at Blank Rome, a national law firm with offices across the United States. He has practiced law for over 21 years. He earned his Juris Doctor cum laude from Brooklyn Law School in 2004, after completing his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Villanova University in 2001.
Legal Expertise
With extensive experience in the finance sector, he represents banks, private lenders, commercial finance companies, and factors in structuring and documenting secured finance transactions. He provides guidance to lenders of various sizes, assisting throughout all phases of a deal.
James's work includes representing institutional and specialty lenders, banks, and borrowers in complex transactions. He prepares and negotiates documents for a wide range of alternative and specialty finance products. These include asset-based and cash flow facilities, hybrid structures, receivables finance and factoring (such as notification, non-notification, actual sale, and participation models), and lender finance transactions from both borrower and lender perspectives. He also works on credit lines based on recurring revenue for SaaS and subscription-based companies, as well as supply chain finance, channel finance, purchase order finance, and Article 9 foreclosure sales.
James provides counsel on workouts, intercreditor agreements, warehouse facilities, and specialized borrower profiles. Known for timely deal closures and effective structuring, he has worked across industries such as staffing, healthcare, technology, FinTech, real estate, transportation, energy, and government contracting.
Jim Cretella's clients include middle- and upper-middle-market businesses. He advises on traditional asset-backed lending deals, larger factoring transactions, channel finance, supply chain finance, and other trade finance transactions, including purchase order financing and off-balance-sheet receivable facilities.
James also serves as outside counsel to smaller private lenders, handling front-end deals including smaller factoring, ABL, and recurring revenue transactions, while offering ongoing legal support. He represents these lenders when negotiating their own financing and during portfolio acquisitions and sales.
Named as One of SFNet’s 40 Under 40
James is actively involved with the Secured Finance Network (SFNet), a platform for professionals in secured finance. In 2016, he was named among SFNet’s 40 Under 40, recognizing standout young professionals in the industry.
A Recognized Voice in the Commercial Finance Industry
In October 2025, he moderated a panel at Blank Rome’s “Navigating Lender Finance” session in Dallas, Texas. The discussion featured experts from the legal, investment banking, and lending sectors. It focused on structuring, underwriting, risk management, M&A activity, credit challenges, and the outlook for private credit.
James also participates in the International Factoring Association (IFA), a global organization for commercial finance professionals. Members include factoring companies, banks, and other finance providers. He will attend the IFA annual conference from May 6–8, 2026, and co-present the Factoring Essentials course.
He has contributed as a co-author to various industry publications. His column, “What Would You Do,” appeared in The Secured Lender, SFNet’s magazine. He also co-wrote two articles for Financier Worldwide Magazine: “Friendly Foreclosures: Free and Clear or Clearly Full of Successor Liability?” and “To the Abyss and Back: The Evolution of Exit Financing From the Credit Crisis Through Today.”
James also supports the development of junior associates, providing mentorship and sharing practical insights gained through years of experience.
Committed to Helping Communities
He previously served on the board of the Adam J. Lewis Academy, an independent school in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The school provides a strong academic program for students from PreK3 to 8th grade and was established in honor of Adam Lewis, who passed away during the 9/11 attacks.
James donates regularly to charitable causes, including his local church and academic institutions.
On the Personal Side
He will mark his 20th wedding anniversary in 2026. In his free time, he enjoys watching baseball and football.
James Cretella continues to be an active contributor to the legal and financial communities through his work, writing, and service.
