NEW YORK – In a remarkable display of unity, a bipartisan coalition of the attorneys general for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Northern Mariana Islands filed an amicus curiae brief in support of Troutman Pepper Locke and Dominion Energy’s petition for extraordinary relief in the matter of Yoon v. Collins, which continues the fight for veterans’ denied educational benefits.

In 2024, the firm and Dominion Energy secured victory in the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Rudisill v. McDonough, which affirmed the rights of veterans to receive additional education benefits owed to them under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Despite the Rudisill holding, Troutman Pepper Locke’s clients Paul Yoon, a decorated Army veteran with almost 24 years of service, and Toby Doran, a decorated Air Force veteran with more than 27 years of service, were denied by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs after applying to use their benefits to support the education of their children. The VA stated that Yoon and Doran were required to have had a break in their decades of service to qualify under the Montgomery and Post-9/11 GI Bills, which is inconsistent with the bills and the Supreme Court’s decision in Rudisill. Ultimately, both veterans have been forced to pay out-of-pocket for educational expenses until relief is secured. 

Troutman Pepper Locke’s representation of Yoon and Doran continues the firm’s partnership with Dominion Energy to protect the rights of U.S. veterans.

The case also demonstrates the strength of the firm’s nationally recognized Appellate and Supreme Court Practice and Regulatory Investigations, Strategy, and Enforcement (RISE) Practice, which have worked together to advocate for veterans in the courtroom and with state agencies.

Misha Tseytlin, Timothy McHugh, Mary Grace Metcalfe, Jeff Johnson, Lauren Miller, and Trey Smith, among others, as well as David DePippo from Dominion Energy, represent Yoon and Doran. Metcalfe played a vital role in securing support for the amicus brief, liaising with the state AGs to obtain this unprecedented unanimous support.

Yoon v. Collins is currently pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

Troutman Pepper Locke’s Appellate and Supreme Court Practice has the experience and insight to present compelling arguments to appellate courts at any level, and to work with trial counsel to best preserve issues for appeal. The firm regularly appears before the Supreme Court of the United States — in oral argument and on brief — winning several landmark cases. Troutman Pepper Locke’s RISE Practice Group combines strong legal skills with firsthand experience resolving hundreds of matters with AGs to represent clients in state AG enforcement actions and litigation.

Troutman Pepper Locke

Troutman Pepper Locke helps clients solve complex legal challenges and achieve their business goals in an ever-changing global economy. With more than 1,600 attorneys in 30+ offices, the firm serves clients in all major industry sectors, with particular depth in energy, financial services, health care and life sciences, insurance and reinsurance, private equity, and real estate. Learn more at troutman.com.

CHICAGO – Troutman Pepper Locke advised Mutual ‎Capital Group, Inc., parent company of Mutual Capital Holdings, Inc. (MCH), in the close of its acquisition of ICC Holdings, Inc. (ICCH), parent company of Illinois ‎Casualty Company. At the closing, MCH acquired ICCH in an all-cash merger valued at approximately $73.8 million. As part of the transaction, each share of ICCH common stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the merger was converted into the right to receive $23.50 in cash. For more information, read the press release.

The acquisition was financed by a combination of debt and ‎equity financing. The transaction received regulatory approval from the insurance departments of ‎Illinois and Pennsylvania.‎

The Troutman Pepper Locke team advising MCH was led by Brett Pritchard and Charles Wu. Michael Harrison led the debt financing, and Tim Farber led the insurance regulatory approval process. Additional support was provided by Mason Marek, Carla Hines, Tom Bohac, Tamer Tullgren, Peter Wynacht, Gislar Donnenberg, ‎Grace Elliott, Laura L. Ferguson, Ed Razim, Susan Rainey, ‎Amy Gremminger White, Floy Gaidarski, Chris Fontenelli, Joseph Chung, Ryan Last, Sean Fifield, and Gene McDermott.‎

Troutman Pepper Locke’s Insurance Transactional and Regulatory Practice navigates the complex landscape of insurance laws, regulations, and corporate transactions. The team provides strategic counsel to insurance companies, reinsurers, brokers, and other industry stakeholders, ensuring compliance with regulatory frameworks while facilitating mergers, acquisitions, capital raising, restructurings, and innovative market entries. By combining deep experience with industry insights, Troutman Pepper Locke empowers clients to achieve their business objectives while mitigating risks in a highly regulated sector.

Troutman Pepper Locke

Troutman Pepper Locke helps clients solve complex legal challenges and achieve their business goals in an ever-changing global economy. With more than 1,600 attorneys in 30+ offices, the firm serves clients in all major industry sectors, with particular depth in energy, financial services, health care and life sciences, insurance and reinsurance, private equity, and real estate. Learn more at troutman.com.

NEW YORK – Eleven Troutman Pepper Locke attorneys will serve on Law360 Editorial Advisory Boards this year. As members, they will provide feedback on the publication’s coverage and share insight on how best to shape this year’s reporting at Law360 within their areas of practice.

Board Memberships:

Media and Entertainment

Amin Al-Sarraf (Los Angeles)

Telecommunications

Virginia Bell Flynn (Charlotte)

Energy

Toyja Kelley (Washington, D.C.)

Delaware

James Levine (Wilmington)

Legal Tech

Andrew Medeiros (Philadelphia)

Bankruptcy

Evelyn Meltzer (Wilmington)

New Jersey

Lisa Ruggiero (New York)

Intellectual Property

Howard Shire (New York)

Cannabis

Jean Smith-Gonnell (Charlotte)

Consumer Protection

Ashley Taylor (Richmond | Washington, D.C)

Environmental

Andrea Wortzel (Richmond)

Troutman Pepper Locke

Troutman Pepper Locke helps clients solve complex legal challenges and achieve their business goals in an ever-changing global economy. With more than 1,600 attorneys in 30+ offices, the firm serves clients in all major industry sectors, with particular depth in energy, financial services, health care and life sciences, insurance and reinsurance, private equity, and real estate. Learn more at troutman.com.

HOUSTON – Troutman Pepper Locke advised Summit Midstream Corporation (SMC), a value-driven corporation focused on developing, owning, and operating midstream energy infrastructure assets, in its acquisition of Moonrise Midstream from Fundare Resources Company Holdco, LLC, for a total consideration of $90 million, including $70 million in cash and $20 million in SMC equity. For more information, see the press release.

The acquisition expands Summit’s gathering and processing footprint in the DJ Basin with approximately 80 miles of natural gas gathering pipeline, approximately 25 miles of crude oil gathering pipeline, and 65 MMcf/d of additional processing capacity.

The team that represented SMC in the transaction was led by Bill Swanstrom, Jennie Simmons, and Lauren Richter, and included Jeremy Petersen, Jon Daly, David Wilhelm, Ben Cowan, Mack McGuffey, Elizabeth Corey, Alex Dillard, Lani Blake, Grace Elliott, and Andrew Nelson.

Troutman Pepper Locke’s market-leading energy practices help clients with their most important and complex matters throughout the U.S. and beyond. From electric power, oil and gas, or emerging technologies, the cross-discipline team is equipped to handle any related matters, drawing on the depth of the firm’s knowledge in the market. Troutman Pepper Locke regularly advises electric utilities, independent power producers, banks, upstream and midstream natural gas companies and service companies, private equity funds, and other large corporations. Learn more at energylawinsights.com.

Troutman Pepper Locke

Troutman Pepper Locke helps clients solve complex legal challenges and achieve their business goals in an ever-changing global economy. With more than 1,600 attorneys in 30+ offices, the firm serves clients in all major industry sectors, with particular depth in energy, financial services, health care and life sciences, insurance and reinsurance, private equity, and real estate. Learn more at troutman.com.

ATLANTA – Troutman Pepper Locke secured a defense verdict after an eight-day jury trial in a contract construction dispute in the Superior Court of Fulton County, Atlanta, Georgia. The case, Be Our Guest Invs. v. Piedmont Park Conservancy, Inc., concluded on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, with a finding from the jury that the plaintiff, Be Our Guest, breached the lease agreement, resulting in an award of both compensatory damages and attorneys’ fees to the Piedmont Park Conservancy, a nonprofit organization in Atlanta that manages the largest public park in the city, Piedmont Park.

Although the jury found both parties breached the lease agreement in some respect, Be Our Guest had asked the jury to award it over $6 million in damages, including a claim for future lost profits. Instead, following post-trial briefing, on March 5, 2025, the court entered the final judgment, finding that “PPC is entitled to recover $1,514,370.34” from the plaintiff, Be Our Guest, and entered an award of nominal damages to the plaintiff in the amount of $171,107.

“The unanimous jury verdict provides relief to the Piedmont Park Conservancy from a lengthy and costly legal battle with a former tenant. We are extremely pleased with the outcome and the jury’s finding,” said Jason McLarry, Troutman Pepper Locke partner who led the defense.

McLarry and partner Brett Mason served as trial counsel, with key trial support from associates Frederick King, Alex Martinez, Nicole Laudick, and Rachel Hendrix.

Troutman Pepper Locke’s Construction Practice Group is comprised of more than 50 attorneys solely focused on the construction industry, and counsels clients on some of the largest, most sophisticated construction projects in the world. It is among the leading firms in total number of complex disputes tried and won in federal and state courts nationwide and arbitration forums domestic and international. Projects have included airport terminals, complex high rises, commercial office buildings, warehouse spaces, universities, medical buildings, stadiums, wind and solar energy-related projects, and high-dollar international projects.

Troutman Pepper Locke

Troutman Pepper Locke helps clients solve complex legal challenges and achieve their business goals in an ever-changing global economy. With more than 1,600 attorneys in 30+ offices, the firm serves clients in all major industry sectors, with particular depth in energy, financial services, health care and life sciences, insurance and reinsurance, private equity, and real estate. Learn more at troutman.com.

Atlanta – Annette Michelle (Shelli) Willis, partner at Troutman Pepper Locke, has been elected as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation (ABF). Membership is by invitation only and limited to 1% of licensed attorneys. Members are nominated by their peers and selected by the ABF Board.

ABF Fellows are a global honorary society of attorneys, judges, law faculty, and legal scholars whose public and private careers have demonstrated outstanding dedication to the highest principles of the legal profession.

At Troutman Pepper Locke, Willis advises leading financial institutions, nonbank lenders, publicly traded companies, and real estate developers and investors on various transactional matters and strategic initiatives. With extensive experience in the real estate and banking sectors, she offers clear guidance throughout the lifecycle of commercial real estate investments, complex lending, and other key transactions.

Willis also works with corporate leaders on board strategy and corporate governance matters and has worked with companies to build and further develop corporate responsibility and sustainability programs. Additionally, Willis is a fellow at The Pepper Center for Public Service, where she contributes to addressing community challenges through research and problem-solving efforts.

Founded in 1952, the ABF is a nonprofit, independent research institute that conducts cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research that addresses critical questions at the intersection of law and society. The nonprofit is focused on advancing justice and the understanding of law. Learn more at americanbarfoundation.org.

Troutman Pepper Locke

Troutman Pepper Locke helps clients solve complex legal challenges and achieve their business goals in an ever-changing global economy. With more than 1,600 attorneys in 30+ offices, the firm serves clients in all major industry sectors, with particular depth in energy, financial services, health care and life sciences, insurance and reinsurance, private equity, and real estate. Learn more at troutman.com.

LONDON – Troutman Pepper Locke advised long-standing client Adriatic Metals Plc (ASX: ADT, LSE: ADT1, OTCQX:ADMLF) on its successful two-tranche institutional placing to raise A$80 million (US$50 million) by the issue of over 20.5 million new shares. For more information, read the press release.

Adriatic Metals is a precious and base metals mining company that owns the flagship Vares Silver Operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Raska Zinc-Silver Project in Serbia. The company intends to use the proceeds from the placing to secure long-lead items to fast-track the expansion of the Vares Processing Plant, initiate studies and workstreams at the Rupice Mine to support production growth, and provide spare capacity to de-risk ramp-up to nameplate production, which is anticipated in the second half of 2025.

The Troutman Pepper Locke team advising Adriatic Metals was led by Nick Jennings and included Charlotte Whitley-Roberts.

Canaccord Genuity, RBC Europe Limited, and Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited acted as joint lead managers and joint bookrunners in connection with the placing. Canaccord Genuity acted as global coordinator to the placing.

Troutman Pepper Locke

Troutman Pepper Locke helps clients solve complex legal challenges and achieve their business goals in an ever-changing global economy. With more than 1,600 attorneys in 30+ offices, the firm serves clients in all major industry sectors, with particular depth in energy, financial services, health care and life sciences, insurance and reinsurance, private equity, and real estate. Learn more at troutman.com.

RICHMOND – Troutman Pepper Locke represented Gastroenterology Associates of Fredericksburg, a team of fellowship-trained, board-certified physicians and advanced practice providers, in its sale to Mary Washington Medical Group, an affiliate of Mary Washington Healthcare, which is a fully integrated, regional health care system that provides inpatient and outpatient care at more than 80 facilities. The practice will be renamed Mary Washington Gastroenterology and will continue to provide patients and families with comprehensive and compassionate care for all gastrointestinal disorders. For more information, read the press release.

The Troutman Pepper Locke team advising Gastroenterology Associates of Fredericksburg was led by Erin Whaley, Joe Kadlec, Courtney Goins, Stefanie Brennan, Carmen Williams, and Sami Leigh Alsawaf-Bleakley.

Troutman Pepper Locke’s leading Health Care and Life Sciences Practice encompasses the entire spectrum of health care and life sciences companies. The team collaborates across disciplines to solve complex legal challenges confronting clients, offering a full suite of corporate, intellectual property, regulatory, and litigation services. Few law firms have a comparable health care and life sciences practice, and Troutman Pepper Locke draws on its deep industry knowledge to provide the precise, holistic advice and guidance clients need throughout their business cycles.

Troutman Pepper Locke

Troutman Pepper Locke helps clients solve complex legal challenges and achieve their business goals in an ever-changing global economy. With more than 1,600 attorneys in 30+ offices, the firm serves clients in all major industry sectors, with particular depth in energy, financial services, health care and life sciences, insurance and reinsurance, private equity, and real estate. Learn more at troutman.com.

Troutman Pepper Locke’s Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson testified on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs at the hearing “Housing Roadblocks: Paving A New Way to Address Affordability.”

Mayor Johnson was invited by U.S. Senator Tim Scott, chairman of the committee, to share his perspective on housing affordability and potential solutions to the affordable housing crisis.

First elected in June 2019, Mayor Johnson was re-elected in May 2023 with 98.7% of the vote, breaking a 114-year-old record for the highest vote percentage garnered by a mayoral candidate facing any opposition in Dallas history.

Throughout his legal career, Mayor Johnson has developed extensive experience representing major issuers of municipal securities as well as national and regional investment banking firms that underwrite municipal securities.

The hearing can be viewed here.

NEW YORK – Troutman Pepper Locke’s Private Equity, Emerging Company and Venture Capital, and Mergers and Acquisitions practices announced 2024 and Q4 rankings in global league tables reflecting maintained strength in key categories. Notably, the firm advanced in Pitchbook’s M&A: Most active in U.S. Companies category.

“Prior to our merger, our legacy firms have consistently demonstrated strength and agility among different transaction types, and that is evident in these rankings. Our private equity team has showcased remarkable adaptability, excelling in different industries and markets even before combining forces,” said Paul Mahoney, leader of Troutman Pepper Locke’s Private Equity and Investment Funds Practice. “The integration of our teams has not only expanded our capabilities but also opened new avenues for growth and innovation. These developments underscore our unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional results for our clients while becoming a top law firm in the country for private equity across the middle and lower middle market. We look forward to continuing this trajectory of growth moving forward in 2025.”

PitchBook’s 2024 Annual and Q4 Global League Tables

Private Equity Deals – 2024 Annual

U.S. Regions

Most Active in Mid-Atlantic (#25 Troutman Pepper)

Most Active in South (#19 Locke Lord)

Most Active in New England (#21 Locke Lord)

Representing

Most Active in U.S. Companies (#25 Troutman Pepper)

VC Deals – 2024 Annual

U.S. Regions

Most Active in Great Lakes (#22 Troutman Pepper)

M&A Deals – 2024 Annual

Representing

Most Active in U.S. Companies (#20 Troutman Pepper)

Private Equity Deals – Q4 2024

U.S. Regions

Most Active in New England (#14 Locke Lord)

Most Active in South (#20 Locke Lord)

Representing

Most Active in U.S. Companies (#22 Troutman Pepper)

M&A Deals – Q4 2024

Representing

Most Active in U.S. Companies (#22 Troutman Pepper)

Most Active in U.S. Companies (#22 Locke Lord)

With Intelligence’s Q4 2024 Private Equity League Table

Private Equity Law Firms (#27 Troutman Pepper)

Consistently recognized as a top-tier national practice, Troutman Pepper Locke’s corporate attorneys regularly handle middle and lower middle market transactions for private equity clients alongside strategic deals for Fortune 100 corporations. Core areas of service include mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, corporate governance, securities laws compliance, capital markets transactions, and other significant domestic and cross-border transactions, as well as general corporate counseling. The firm has a strong focus in the private equity and private fund services space, advising clients on matters including fund formation, growth equity investments, leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, and exit transactions.

Troutman Pepper Locke

Troutman Pepper Locke helps clients solve complex legal challenges and achieve their business goals in an ever-changing global economy. With more than 1,600 attorneys in 30+ offices, the firm serves clients in all major industry sectors, with particular depth in energy, financial services, health care and life sciences, insurance and reinsurance, private equity, and real estate. Learn more at troutman.com.