KBRA Expands U.S. Footprint With Chicago Office

KBRA announces the opening of a new corporate office at 71 South Wacker Drive in the heart of the Chicago Loop to support the firm’s exponential growth and increasing ratings business in the region.

The office, whose lease started on August 1, will house employees across both KBRA, the credit ratings arm of the business, and KBRA Analytics, the firm’s data and analytics platform. KBRA DLD, a KBRA Analytics product acquired in September 2022, is also based in the new space. Kelly Thompson, founder of DLD, plans to expand the news and research team with new hires covering the direct lending market.

KBRA’s Chicago-focused analysis has broadened in recent years, especially in the firm’s rapidly growing Public Finance ratings. Regional municipal credits rated by KBRA include the City of Chicago General Obligation bonds, Chicago Midway International Airport Second-Lien General Airport Revenue Bonds (GARBs), Chicago O’Hare International Airport GARBs, Chicago Second-Lien Wastewater Transmission Revenue bonds, Chicago Transit Authority bonds, and Chicago Second-Lien Water Revenue bonds. KBRA’s Financial Institutions Group also rates several Illinois-based regional and community banks.

“KBRA is excited about our new base in the vibrant city of Chicago, building on the company’s growth both domestically and abroad,” said KBRA CEO and President Jim Nadler. “The Chicago office is not only a strategic business decision to be closer to our Midwestern-based clients, it also solidifies our commitment to providing analysis on the growing credit considerations coming out of the region.”

KBRA is a full-service credit rating agency that was established in 2010 to restore trust in credit ratings following the financial crisis. Since then, KBRA has differentiated itself by offering accurate, timely, transparent ratings and research including comprehensive credit insights and a forward-looking perspective. With a global workforce of 500 employees and U.S. offices in New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, as well as in London and Dublin, the firm covers all markets including Structured Finance, Private Credit, Public Finance, Financial Institutions, Project Finance & Infrastructure, Financial Guarantors, Insurance, Sovereigns, and Corporates.