December 8, 2020 – Locke Lord is pleased to announce the launch of its new, user-centric website, which features an efficient navigation and clean, modern design and branding to create a more engaging experience for current and prospective clients, our attorneys, laterals, law students and other visitors.
“As the legal landscape and the world around us continue to shift, we are excited to introduce our revamped and streamlined website to more seamlessly connect clients to our services, our lawyers and our Firm,” said David Taylor, Chair of Locke Lord. “With dynamic imagery and visual updates to Locke Lord’s brand, the look and feel of the site better reflects the energy and agility of our people while also offering performance improvements to enhance the overall experience.”
The new website provides easier access to services and resources offered by the Firm, including Locke Lord’s five Key Sectors: Energy and Infrastructure; Finance and Financial Services; Insurance and Reinsurance; Pharmaceutical; and Private Equity. With redesigned and updated practice group and lawyer biography pages, visitors can more effectively learn about the Firm’s experience and capabilities while quickly accessing publications and other resources relevant to them. In addition, information about the Firm, its leadership and rich history is featured alongside an overview of Locke Lord’s long-standing commitment to furthering diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and beyond, community service and pro bono work.
Powered by upgraded and new technologies, the website also provides performance improvements and new features geared to optimize user experience across the board. Locke Lord was previously one of the first law firms to introduce a responsive website design, and the new site also further enhances responsiveness across devices and browsers.
To experience Locke Lord’s elevated online presence, visit www.lockelord.com.
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About Locke Lord LLP
Locke Lord is a full-service law firm with global reach and 20 offices designed to meet clients’ needs in the United States and around the world. The Firm has a history that spans more than 130 years and is a leader in the middle market arena. Locke Lord focuses on providing the highest levels of commitment, quality and service to clients across its five Key Sectors: Energy and Infrastructure; Finance and Financial Services; Insurance and Reinsurance; Pharmaceutical; and Private Equity. In addition, the Firm advises clients across a broad spectrum of other industries, including fund formation, venture capital, health care, public finance, real estate, technology, cybersecurity and white collar, while providing a wealth of experience through its complex litigation, intellectual property, tax, regulatory and transactional teams.
Locke Lord has been listed in the Global Restructuring Review’s 2020 edition of the GRR 100, the publication’s guide to the world’s leading law firms for cross-border restructuring and insolvency matters. This is Locke Lord’s second consecutive year on the list, which is compiled based on the results of an annual survey and includes the top firms capable of handling insolvencies and restructurings as well as related matters such as banking and sovereign debt crises.
Locke Lord has been ranked No. 35 for real estate debt deals among law firms in New York City by The Real Deal based on two deals totaling $156 million. New York Partner Jason Ulezalka led teams in the Firm’s Boston and Chicago offices on the transactions, the proceeds of which were used to finance properties in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The rankings are based on The Real Deal’s analysis of publicly recorded New York City mortgages of $1 million or more for the period between Sept. 1, 2019, and Sept. 30, 2020, in which the ranked firms represented the lender.
November 10, 2020 – Locke Lord has promoted five lawyers representing the Firm’s Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New Orleans and New York offices to Partnership level, effective Jan. 1, 2021. The lawyers are members of the Firm’s Bankruptcy, Restructuring and Insolvency, Corporate and Transactional, Intellectual Property and Litigation Practice Groups.
The new Partners are:
In Chicago:
Andrea Verney Kerstein, who was elevated while on a flexible work arrangement, has significant experience representing life and health insurers and reinsurers in litigation and arbitrations. She regularly represents health insurance companies in provider disputes arising out of alleged breach of contract, fraud and a variety of other issues and frequently represents life reinsurance companies in disputes regarding reinsurance treaty issues. She has also represented domestic and international plaintiffs and defendants in other complex commercial litigation and arbitration matters.
In New York:
Jeff Kramer maintains a commercial litigation and arbitration practice spanning anti-corruption and FCPA litigation, labor and employment class action defense, trade secrets and restrictive covenants disputes and financial services, international tort and FSIA and consumer fraud litigation. He represents international and domestic clients in federal and state court and in JAMS/AAA arbitrations. He has appeared before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the First and Second Departments of the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court.
In New Orleans:
Peyton Lambert focuses his practice on property and casualty, bankruptcy, insurance coverage, commercial litigation and general civil litigation. He has particular experience in insurance defense and civil litigation, having handled large and complex legal issues at the district and appellate court levels. He has represented domestic and international plaintiffs and defendants in both federal and state court and in arbitration matters.
In Houston:
Jennie Simmons represents clients in mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, divestitures, corporate restructurings, corporate governance and general corporate matters. She has experience advising on complex financings and assisting with challenging due diligence issues. Simmons has played a vital role representing a number of notable clients in a wide range of transaction valuations, ranging from $5 million to $2 billion, with a particular focus on the energy industry.
In Atlanta:
Ziwen Zhu focuses her practice on general corporate representation, international business transactions and intellectual property. She represents U.S. and foreign companies in establishing business operations across borders, selling and acquiring business interests and protecting companies’ intellectual property rights. Zhu also advises clients on government investigations, international trademark prosecution and clearance work. She has experience across a broad range of industries, including heavy machinery equipment manufacturing, telecommunications and renewable energy.
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About Locke Lord LLP
Locke Lord is a full-service law firm with global reach and 20 offices designed to meet clients’ needs in the United States and around the world. The Firm has a history that spans more than 130 years and is a leader in the middle market arena. Locke Lord focuses on providing the highest levels of commitment, quality and service to clients across its five Key Sectors: Energy and Infrastructure; Finance and Financial Services; Insurance and Reinsurance; Pharmaceutical; and Private Equity. In addition, the Firm advises clients across a broad spectrum of other industries, including fund formation, venture capital, health care, public finance, real estate, technology, cybersecurity and white collar, while providing a wealth of experience through its complex litigation, intellectual property, tax, regulatory and transactional teams.
November 5, 2020 – Locke Lord obtained a National Tier 1 distinction for 13 practice areas in the 2021 Best Law Firms survey by U.S. News – Best Lawyers®. In addition, nine of the Firm’s domestic offices earned Metropolitan Tier 1 status.
Locke Lord’s recognized practice areas include:
National Tier 1
- Appellate Practice
- Banking and Finance Law
- Commercial Litigation
- Corporate Law
- Employment Law – Management
- Energy Law
- Insurance Law
- Litigation – Intellectual Property
- Litigation – Labor & Employment
- Oil & Gas Law
- Public Finance Law
- Real Estate Law
- Tax Law
Metropolitan Tier 1
AUSTIN
- Commercial Litigation
- Health Care Law
- Real Estate Law
BOSTON
- Banking and Finance Law
- Corporate Law
- Education Law
- Employment Law – Management
- Public Finance Law
- Tax Law
CHICAGO
- Commercial Litigation
- Employment Law – Management
- Insurance Law
- Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
- Real Estate Law
DALLAS
- Antitrust Law
- Appellate Practice
- Bet-the-Company Litigation
- Commercial Litigation
- Corporate Law
- Criminal Defense: White-Collar
- Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
- Employment Law – Management
- Energy Law
- Environmental Law
- Litigation – Banking & Finance
- Litigation – Construction
- Litigation – ERISA
- Litigation – Intellectual Property
- Litigation – Securities
- Litigation – Trusts & Estates
- Mergers & Acquisitions Law
- Real Estate Law
- Tax Law
HOUSTON
- Appellate Practice
- Arbitration
- Banking and Finance Law
- Commercial Litigation
- Corporate Law
- Criminal Defense: White-Collar
- Derivatives and Futures Law
- Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
- Employment Law – Management
- Energy Law
- Environmental Law
- Government Relations Practice
- Litigation – Labor & Employment
- Oil & Gas Law
- Real Estate Law
- Trusts & Estates Law
LOS ANGELES
- Insurance Law
- Real Estate Law
NEW ORLEANS
- Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
- Real Estate Law
RHODE ISLAND
- Banking and Finance Law
- Commercial Litigation
- Corporate Law
- Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law
- Mergers & Acquisitions Law
- Public Finance Law
WEST PALM BEACH
- Corporate Law
U.S. News – Best Lawyers® is an annual review of the country’s legal industry. The analysis by U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers is based on evaluations from clients and peer review. Firms are required to have at least one listed lawyer in a Best Lawyers practice area designation to be eligible for inclusion in the Best Law Firms report. Locke Lord has 145 lawyers listed in The Best Lawyers in America® 2021, with 29 lawyers recognized as Ones to Watch and five Lawyer of the Year recipients located in the Boston, Dallas and Providence offices.
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About Locke Lord LLP
Locke Lord is a full-service law firm with global reach and 20 offices designed to meet clients’ needs in the United States and around the world. The Firm has a history that spans more than 130 years and is a leader in the middle market arena. Locke Lord focuses on providing the highest levels of commitment, quality and service to clients across its five Key Sectors: Energy and Infrastructure; Finance and Financial Services; Insurance and Reinsurance; Pharmaceutical; and Private Equity. In addition, the Firm advises clients across a broad spectrum of other industries, including fund formation, venture capital, health care, public finance, real estate, technology, cybersecurity and white collar, while providing a wealth of experience through its complex litigation, intellectual property, tax, regulatory and transactional teams.
Locke Lord was ranked No. 5 on The Bond Buyer’s list of top bond counsel in the nation for competitive sales during Q1-Q3 2020, with 109 issues totaling $2.18 billion, and No. 8 on the Top Underwriter’s Counsel list, with 70 issues totaling $7.74 billion.
Locke Lord’s recent Public Finance matters include acting as bond counsel for the Town of Hingham, Mass., in the sale of $111.18 million General Obligation Water Bonds, Series 2020, and underwriters’ counsel for the issuance of: $794.24 million Texas Transportation Commission Highway Improvement General Obligation Refunding Bonds, Series 2020; $418.23 City of San Antonio Electric and Gas Systems Revenue Refunding Bonds, Taxable New Series 2020; $278 million Denton Independent School District Unlimited Tax School Building Bonds, Series 2020; $212.7 million Maine Health and Higher Educational Facilities Authority Revenue Bonds, MaineHealth Issue, Series 2020A; $174.67 million City of Arlington, Texas, General Obligation Pension Bonds, Taxable Series 2020; $145,57 million City of San Antonio General Improvement Bonds, Series 2020 and $139.99 million City of San Antonio Education Facilities Corporation (Trinity University) Higher Education Revenue and Improvement Bonds, Taxable Series 2020.
Locke Lord’s Public Finance Practice Group is a premier, nationally recognized public finance practice, with over 130 years of involvement in the law of public borrowing and the federal tax and securities aspects of public debt obligations. The team’s experience and exemplary, high-quality client service have earned Locke Lord recognition as one of the foremost public finance law firms in the country.
(AUSTIN and DALLAS) October 6, 2020 – Texas Lawyer has selected Don Glendenning, Partner in Charge of Corporate Responsibility and Charitable Giving and Co-Chair of Locke Lord’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, as a 2020 Texas Trailblazer. He is featured in the publication’s October/November issue, which showcases his pioneer spirit, trails blazed in his respective areas of practice and outlooks for the future.
Glendenning, a former Managing Partner of Locke Lord’s Dallas office, served as the architect of the public-private partnership that established the Dallas Zoo’s charitable arm and Co-Chaired an effort that raised $150 million in private gifts for the indigent-care Parkland Hospital. He has been at the forefront of some of Dallas’ largest community projects while also maintaining a corporate M&A practice representing high-net-worth families and family offices. Through the years, he has struck a successful balance between negotiating deals and his passion for charitable endeavors and social justice causes. Among many other commitments, he served as the first President of the Human Rights Initiative of North Texas and has worked tirelessly to help rethink the country’s criminal justice system. Glendenning commented on his various efforts, “It’s so gratifying to have a small hand in building great wealth when one knows the magnificent use it will be put to.”
Highly optimistic for the future of collaboration with charities and private philanthropies, Glendenning spoke about his commitment to a passion project involving a partnership with the Dallas Police Department to provide life skills and job training for young men and women released from juvenile detention. “It’s wonderful to be positioned to help people get in the right room with the right people at the right time,” he added.
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About Locke Lord LLP
Locke Lord is a full-service law firm with global reach and 21 offices designed to meet clients’ needs in the United States and around the world. The Firm has a history that spans more than 130 years and is a leader in the middle market arena. Locke Lord focuses on providing the highest levels of commitment, quality and service to clients across its five Key Sectors: Energy and Infrastructure; Finance and Financial Services; Insurance and Reinsurance; Pharmaceutical; and Private Equity. In addition, the Firm advises clients across a broad spectrum of other industries, including fund formation, venture capital, health care, public finance, real estate, technology, cybersecurity and white collar, while providing a wealth of experience through its complex litigation, intellectual property, tax, regulatory and transactional teams.
(HOUSTON) October 15, 2020 – Gislar Donnenberg has joined Locke Lord’s Houston office as a Partner in the Firm’s Capital Markets Section, bringing vast experience particularly in the energy sector.
Joining Locke Lord from DLA Piper, Donnenberg’s background includes initial public offerings, master limited partnerships, public equity and debt offerings, mergers, business combinations and acquisitions, private placements, special and conflicts committee representations and assisting public companies with corporate and partnership governance issues. In addition to his more than 20 years of experience representing companies across the energy value chain, Donnenberg has served clients in industries such as real estate, aviation, chemicals, biotechnology and health care.
“Locke Lord’s reputation, especially in the energy sector and midstream, combined with its team of well-rounded and established capital markets lawyers is an ideal fit,” said Donnenberg. “The Firm’s platform provides the breadth and depth I was seeking for my clients, and I am excited to collaborate with this first-rate team.”
Locke Lord has helped clients raise billions in capital markets transactions in industries as diverse as the global economy. The team represents issuer companies in all types of securities offerings and general finance activities, including: IPOs, follow-on offerings and shelf registrations, registered direct and confidentially marketed public offerings, committed equity lines, PIPE transactions and other private placements, Rule 144A offerings and exchange offers, high-yield and convertible debt offerings, debt exchanges and other restructurings, cross-border and non-U.S. offerings, venture capital and other private placement financings.
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About Locke Lord LLP
Locke Lord is a full-service law firm with global reach and 21 offices designed to meet clients’ needs in the United States and around the world. The Firm has a history that spans more than 130 years and is a leader in the middle market arena. Locke Lord focuses on providing the highest levels of commitment, quality and service to clients across its five Key Sectors: Energy and Infrastructure; Finance and Financial Services; Insurance and Reinsurance; Pharmaceutical; and Private Equity. In addition, the Firm advises clients across a broad spectrum of other industries, including fund formation, venture capital, health care, public finance, real estate, technology, cybersecurity and white collar, while providing a wealth of experience through its complex litigation, intellectual property, tax, regulatory and transactional teams.
A Locke Lord team of Nick Dickerson and Monika Dziemianczuk (both of Houston) secured a directed verdict of acquittal on behalf of Richard Rowe, President and CEO of Arkema, Inc., citing a lack of evidence to support a felony charge against Rowe for reckless emissions of hazardous materials from an Arkema chemical facility during Hurricane Harvey. Locke Lord participated in a press conference with Rusty Hardin & Associates, LLP, on the “rare” judgment of a directed verdict of acquittal. Locke Lord also criticized the state’s lack of a thorough investigation in the case.
To view the press conference, click here.
Locke Lord is ranked No. 5 by deal count for M&A deals in Texas for Q1-Q3 2020 based on Mergermarket data published by The Texas Lawbook – the latest of numerous top 10 rankings for Texas M&A over the past five years. The Firm was credited with 23 deals in the Lone Star State. Just a few of the notable deals credited to Locke Lord in the report include the Firm’s representation of White Deer Energy in the acquisition of a majority equity interest in Unicat Catalyst Technologies; Ag-Pro in the sale of its 21 John Deere dealership locations in Texas to Tellus Equipment Solutions; Main Street Capital in a completed portfolio investment to facilitate the minority recapitalization of Superior Rigging & Erecting; Park Place Dealerships in its sale of eight dealerships to Asbury Automotive Group; Catapult Energy Services in Covenant Testing Technologies’ combination with Stuart Pressure Control and Range Resources in the $245 million sale of producing oil and gas properties to Castleton Resources.