James Cretella, Esq., is a partner and attorney at Blank Rome, a national law firm with offices across the United States. He has over 21 years of legal experience, having earned his Juris Doctor cum laude from Brooklyn Law School in 2004. He completed his undergraduate studies at Villanova University in 2001, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.
James represents financial institutions, including banks, private lenders, commercial finance companies, and factors, in a wide range of secured finance transactions. His work includes negotiating and drafting transactional documents and advising lenders throughout every phase of a deal.
James regularly works with institutional and specialty lenders and borrowers to structure and document various lending products. These include asset-based and cash flow credit facilities, hybrid lending structures, receivables finance and factoring (in formats such as notification, non-notification, actual sale, and participations), and lender finance on both the lender and borrower sides. He also supports recurring revenue-based lines of credit for subscription-model and SaaS businesses, supply chain finance, channel finance, purchase order finance, and Article 9 foreclosure sales.
His legal counsel covers workouts, warehouse lines, intercreditor arrangements, and deals involving unique borrower profiles. He is known for completing deals efficiently and providing creative structuring across industries such as technology, healthcare, staffing, FinTech, real estate, energy, government contracting, and transportation.
Jim Cretella also works on transactions for middle- and upper-middle-market clients, including larger factoring agreements, asset-backed lending, channel finance, and off-balance sheet receivables purchase structures. His experience extends to purchase order funding and other complex trade finance matters.
In addition, he serves as outside legal counsel to smaller private lenders. His responsibilities include documenting front-end transactions involving factoring, asset-based lending, and recurring revenue credit facilities. He also advises these clients in their own borrowing arrangements and during acquisitions or sales of finance portfolios.
He is involved with the Secured Finance Network (SFNet), an organization that connects professionals and companies involved in secured lending. In 2016, he was named one of SFNet’s 40 Under 40, an honor given to young leaders making an impact in the commercial finance space.
In October 2025, he acted as moderator for a panel during a firm-hosted session titled “Navigating Lender Finance,” held in Dallas, Texas. The discussion brought together professionals from the legal, lending, and investment sectors to focus on structuring, underwriting, risk management, M&A trends, and the direction of private credit.
He is also an active participant in the International Factoring Association, a global organization of receivables finance professionals. He is scheduled to co-present the Factoring Essentials course at the association’s annual conference, which will be held from May 6–8, 2026.
His published work includes a co-authored column titled “What Would You Do” in The Secured Lender, which highlights scenarios in asset-based lending and factoring. He also co-authored two articles in 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.”
In addition to his legal practice, he is committed to mentoring junior associates, offering guidance, and supporting their professional development.
James previously served on the board of directors of a school in Bridgeport, Connecticut, which offers a rigorous educational program for students from PreK3 through 8th grade. The school was founded in memory of someone who lost their life in the 9/11 attacks.
He also contributes regularly to charitable organizations, including those connected to his church and educational causes.
He will celebrate his 20th wedding anniversary in 2026. In his personal time, he enjoys watching baseball and football.
James Cretella continues to contribute to the secured finance industry through his legal work, mentorship, and ongoing involvement in the professional community.
James Cretella Explains How Changes in Law and Advancements in Technology
Why Factoring Remains Essential in Today’s Fast-Moving Alternative Finance Market
What Being an SFNet 40 Under 40 Honoree Taught me about Building a Career
How Non-bank Lenders Can Better Prepare for Today’s Evolving Lender-finance Facilities
Why Specialty Finance Continues to Grow and the Structures Driving That Growth