Law360, New York (January 28, 2013, 5:30 PM EST) -- The U.S. leveraged loan market flourished in 2012, as borrowers took advantage of favorable pricing and terms amid strong investor demand. S&P Capital IQ Leveraged Commentary and Data (LCD) tracked $465 billion of leveraged loan issuance (up 24 percent from 2011), while Thomson Reuters LPC calculated $664 billion (up 17 percent from 2011).[1] This makes 2012 the third-highest year in volume of primary leveraged loan issuance, behind only 2006 and 2007.[2] The fourth quarter of 2012 was especially robust with $136 billion of loan issuance, the most since the post-credit crunch high of $141 billion in the first quarter of 2011.[3]...