Energy Transactions Group from Thelen Joins Morgan Lewis in New York
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date:
11/10/2008 -
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Press Releases
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NEW YORK, NY, November 10, 2008: Solidifying its position as a full-service legal resource for the utilities industry, Morgan Lewis today announced the addition of 17 energy transactional attorneys to its Business and Finance Practice in New York. The attorneys, whose ability to “quickly become part of the team” has been lauded by in-house counsel, add depth to Morgan Lewis’s existing capabilities in energy-focused transactions.
“With its strong client base and national recognition, stretching back to Thelen’s predecessor firm, Reid & Priest, the group complements Morgan Lewis’s long-established, leading regulatory practice,” noted Firm Chair Francis M. Milone in a memo to the firm.
The group’s practice focuses largely on capital markets and transactions in the electric, gas, and nuclear sectors—areas of particular significance to corporate America today, given the growing energy demands of the global economy. They join a Business and Finance team that already spans the United States, Europe, and Asia, with nearly 400 transactional lawyers who focus on a wide variety of areas, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity, finance, and capital markets.
As concerns about climate change drive major investments in renewables, nuclear energy and carbon capture technologies, the firm’s capabilities across the board—regulatory, transactional, and litigation—will serve its clients well.
Eight attorneys will join Morgan Lewis as partners:
Doug Davidson was managing partner of Thelen’s New York office and co-chair of the firm’s corporate and securities practice. He focuses his practice on energy finance and regulation, international project finance, corporate and securities law, and acquisitions and divestitures.
John Hood focuses his practice on corporate finance, securities law, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and general corporate matters, primarily in the energy and utilities industries.
Bob Reger concentrates on corporate finance, Securities and Exchange Commission–related matters, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate matters. He advises investor-owned utilities and underwriting firms, as well as non-U.S. investors in the U.S. markets.
Thomas P. Giblin, Jr., advises clients on a variety of corporate and financial matters, including securities and mergers and acquisitions.
Mahendra Churaman practices in the securitization area, particularly utility ratepayer-backed securitizations and private equity. He has also handled securitizations of customer receivables, music, and film royalties, as well as other asset classes.
Walter Godlewski focuses his practice on corporate finance transactions involving energy and utility companies, as well as other corporate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, asset sales, and utility mortgages. He represents both issuers and underwriters in transactions involving public and private securities offerings.
Bobbi O’Connor concentrates on corporate finance, securities law, and general corporate matters, focusing on utility clients and underwriters in capital markets transactions. She has been involved in all manner of debt and equity offerings, including private placements and public offerings and lending transactions.
Kim Reisler focuses her practice on finance and securities law matters, representing primarily utility companies and underwriters. She advises clients on equity and debt transactions in both public and private offerings, including utility clients’ ongoing disclosure needs pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and bank facilities.
Three will join as senior counsel:
Bill Baker, who is widely considered one of the senior legal statesmen of the utility industry, advises energy and public utility clients. He focuses his practice on corporate matters, particularly those regarding financing and restructuring, as well as regulatory issues. His practice concentrates on energy and utility regulatory matters.
Marc Lasky focuses his practice on regulatory and financial issues relating to energy and utility industries. His matters at Thelen included, among others, the representation of an electric utility before state regulatory commission in all aspects of industry restructuring—including introduction of retail choice, stranded cost determination, rates unbundling, development of affiliate relationship standards, and subsequent implementation proceedings.
Steve Kinney practices in the area of debt financing and the rights of creditors. He focuses on the issuance of bonds and debentures; the preparation of secured, unsecured, subordinated, and collateral trust indentures; the Trust Indenture Act; asset securitization; ring fencing; and structured finance.
Another three will join as counsel:
Jennifer Goldberg focuses her practice on energy transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate finance transactions. Some of her representative matters include advising in the joint auction sale by an electric utility company of its 1884 MW coal-fired generating facility for $900 million and acting as counsel to underwriters for an electric utility holding company's sale of $4 billion of senior notes.
Michael Connolly focuses his practice on state and federal public utility law, energy policy, and energy- and utility-related transactions. In addition, he advises clients on general corporate business and compliance issues. Before joining Thelen, Michael served as vice president for law for GPU Service, Inc.
Maria Ross practices corporate and securities law, with an emphasis on debt financing transactions. She concentrates on various types of utility debt financing; the preparation of secured, unsecured, subordinated, and collateral trust indentures; and the Trust Indenture Act of 1939. Maria represents issuers and trustees with respect to public and private offerings of debt securities.
Also joining Morgan Lewis are three associates—Matthew Murphy, Jonathan Shade, and Anand Shah—all of whom worked with the group at Thelen on a variety of matters.
About Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
Morgan Lewis is an international law firm with more than 1,400 lawyers in 22 offices located in Beijing, Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Dallas, Frankfurt, Harrisburg, Houston, Irvine, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Palo Alto, Paris, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Princeton, San Francisco, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C. For more information about Morgan Lewis, please visit www.morganlewis.com.