Locke Lord’s Real Estate Practice was ranked no. 39 on the Commercial Property Executive and Multi-Housing News 2020 Leading Real Estate Law Firms list. Locke Lord reported 71 real estate attorneys and a high value transaction representing a seller in the sale of a 1.3 million-square-foot office building in Philadelphia to a joint partnership for a gross sale price of $451.6 million.
Click here to view the ranking in Multi-Housing News.
Locke Lord Chair David Taylor was featured in Bloomberg Law’s Leading Questions series, speaking to Locke Lord’s competitive edge, opportunity and volatility in uncertain times, how leaders can help their people succeed and career advice. Discussing what sets Locke Lord apart from other firms, Taylor commented on providing the highest level of service to clients — particularly across five Key Sectors, the Firm’s strong presence in key markets and its collective culture of collegiality, teamwork, entrepreneurship and resilience. He added, “Having been with Locke Lord for my entire career of more than 31 years, I can attest that our people are truly second to none.”
Taylor said the unknown created by the COVID-19 pandemic has created “both opportunity and volatility” and detailed Locke Lord’s approach to client service during these unprecedented times. “Across our practice areas, we are focused on anticipating our clients’ needs 10 days, 10 weeks, and 10 months from now, and strategizing to further elevate the quality and depth of legal services they expect from us,” he said. “Similarly, leading and managing the firm today presents its own set of challenges. To meet them head on, and to leverage what we’ve learned from the pandemic, we have formed a Business Transformation Task Force charged with re-imagining ways to maximize the quality, efficiency, and profitability of our legal services without compromising our culture.”
Taylor also spoke on leadership lessons he is living by today including, “Surround yourself with people smarter than you, identify their strengths and delegate accordingly, giving them the authority they need to succeed; require excellence, but give grace for errors of effort; and communicate with your people as much as possible to engender trust and reinforce that they are an important part of something bigger.”
In addition, Taylor shared his favorite war story and advice for those starting their careers in law. He said, “Be hungry, teachable and entrepreneurial. Be proactive and take your career where you want it to go. Always prioritize client service — but at the same time, dedicate yourself to serving your colleagues and adding value to your team.”
To read the full article, click here (subscription may be required).
The Locke Lord London office is proud to be recognised by The Legal 500 UK 2021 as having recommended practices in the following categories:
- Corporate and Commercial – Equity Capital Markets: Small-Mid Cap;
- Corporate and Commercial – M&A: Smaller Deals, Up to £50M;
- Dispute Resolution – Banking Litigation: Investment and Retail;
- Dispute Resolution – Commercial Litigation: Mid-Market; and
- Technology, Media and Telecoms – Intellectual Property: Trade Marks, Copyright and Design
In addition, 9 Locke Lord London lawyers were recognised for their individual achievements within their practices.
- Partner Sean Page – Corporate and Commercial – Corporate and Commercial – Equity Capital Markets: Small-Mid Cap;
- Partner David Herbert, Partner Kevin Heath, Associate Nicole Fry and Barrister Amita Chohan – Dispute Resolution – Banking Litigation: Investment and Retail;
- Heath and Herbert – Dispute Resolution – Commercial Litigation: Mid-Market;
The Legal 500 is an independent guide, and firms and individuals are recommended purely on merit and client feedback.
Jonathan Young, Co-Chair of Locke Lord’s Bankruptcy, Restructuring and Insolvency Practice Group, was featured on Legalist’s Rainmaker Podcast discussing his path to Partnership at Locke Lord and his thoughts on how associates can benefit from a focus on bankruptcy and insolvency law. He also discussed the current state of the bankruptcy market and offered advice for lawyers at earlier stages in their careers.
“Bring your best to every interaction. I think this profession is really relationship-driven, and people will remember every interaction you have,” he said. “It’s really about doing excellent work and building long-term relationships.”
To listen to the podcast, click here.
September 21, 2020 – Locke Lord Cincinnati Office Managing Partner Todd Cooper, a member of the Firm’s Public Finance Practice Group, has been elected President of the American College of Bond Counsel (ACBC). Partner Brenda McDonough and Senior Counsel Margaret Comey have also been elected as Fellows of the organization.
In addition, Locke Lord Public Finance Partners Karen Grande, Rick Manley, Stephanie Massey and Walter St. Onge hold the distinction of being Fellows of the ACBC.
Cooper focuses his practice on tax matters related to public finance, federal taxation aspects of municipal bonds and tax-exempt organizations and state and federal tax credits. He also serves as bond and underwriter’s counsel on public finance transactions. Cooper has been an ACBC Fellow since 2007 and Board of Directors member since 2014, and has previously served as the organization’s Vice President and Selection Committee Chair. He is also a past Chair of the Tax Exempt Financing Committee of the American Bar Association Tax Section. Additionally, Cooper is a member of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Development Board and its Partners in Action Committee, Vice President of the Board of Trustees of the Linden Grove School and President of the Board of Directors of the Catamount Residential Owners Association in Colorado. He previously served on the Board of Trustees of the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, The Summit Country Day School and St. Ursula Villa.
McDonough, based in the Firm’s Boston office, serves as bond counsel to numerous municipalities in New England in connection with the issuance of general obligation tax-exempt bonds for the financing of infrastructure and other capital projects for governmental purposes. She has assisted cities, towns and districts in all phases of the borrowing process, including the drafting of proceedings, advising on permissible financing structures and federal tax matters, and the preparation of disclosure materials and closing documents. She has also assisted clients with the issuance of tax-exempt lease obligations, Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds, Clean Renewal Energy Bonds and other tax-benefitted obligations. She is an active member of the National Association of Bond Lawyers (NABL) and Boston Women in Public Finance.
Comey, based in the Firm’s Cincinnati office, has vast experience serving as bond counsel, borrower’s counsel, issuer’s counsel and underwriter’s counsel for tax-exempt and taxable debt financings. She has been lead counsel for local government issues, including new issues and refundings for municipalities, counties, townships, special districts and authorities issuing general obligation, special obligation, revenue and mortgage revenue debt instruments. She has served as underwriter’s counsel for local government, convention center and health care facilities financings. Her experience also includes tax increment financing, industrial and economic development, due diligence and disclosure. She is a member of NABL, the Ohio Economic Development Association (OEDA), Ohio Township Association and its Law Director Network and various regional chapters of the Government Finance Officers Association.
Locke Lord has one of the largest bond counsel practices in the country. For more than 130 years, the Firm has been involved in the law of public borrowing and the federal tax and securities aspects of public debt obligations. The Firm’s public finance lawyers have extensive experience nationwide serving as bond counsel, disclosure counsel, underwriter’s counsel, issuer’s counsel, borrower’s counsel, bank counsel, special tax counsel and trustee’s counsel for governmental and quasi-governmental issuers, special purpose entities, tax-exempt organizations and other entities and financial institutions.
Locke Lord consistently ranks among the top public finance practices nationally. Most recently, the Firm ranked fourth top bond counsel for competitive issues in The Bond Buyer’s H1 2020 Top Bond Counsel rankings with 73 issues totaling $1.48 billion. The Firm also ranked fifth on the Top Underwriter’s Counsel List for H1 2020 with 35 issues totaling $5.98 billion and second for private bond counsel nationally in H1 2020. In The Bond Buyer’s Full Year 2019 National Rankings, the Firm ranked 13th overall among bond counsel firms.
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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.
Richard Reibstein, a Partner in Locke Lord’s Labor and Employment Practice in New York and co-head of the Firm’s Independent Contractor Misclassification and Compliance Practice, was quoted in a Law360 article on the impact, if Judge Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed, on issues of worker classification and arbitration. Reibstein noted that Judge Barrett’s Carmen Wallace v. GrubHub Holdings Inc. opinion was consistent with a limited application of the FAA’s Section 1, while her decision in Burlaka v. Contract Transport Services was based on precedent regarding the application of the Motor Carrier Act exemption from the FLSA.
Reibstein said that while she decided both in favor of the business defendants in both decisions, one should not jump to the conclusion that Judge Barrett favors businesses due to the nature of the issues and arguments advanced by the plaintiffs. “If anything, one can fairly conclude from these recent FLSA cases that Judge Barrett would not feel comfortable expanding the contours of the law,” he said. “That is consistent with the notion of judicial restraint.”
To read the full article, click here (subscription may be required).
(AUSTIN and HOUSTON) September 22, 2020 – Locke Lord Associate Jennie Simmons was named an On the Rise honoree, an award that spotlights lawyers under the age of 40 who have wielded influence in their practice areas in Texas and beyond. Simmons was honored at a virtual awards event on September 17.
Simmons is a member of the Firm’s Corporate and Energy Practice Groups, a member of Locke Lord’s Associates’ Committee and regularly serves as a mentor to Summer Associates, new Associates joining the Firm and lateral hires. She focuses her practice on the representation of clients in mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, divestitures, corporate restructurings, corporate governance and general corporate matters. She has represented clients in a wide range of transaction valuations, ranging from $5 million to $2 billion. For example, Simmons co-led Locke Lord’s representation of Nuevo Midstream Dos, LLC, in the purchase of Republic Midstream, LLC, from an affiliate of ArcLight Capital Partners and also co-led the team that represented Refuel Operating Company, LLC, in its acquisition of approximately 54 convenience stores and related assets owned by Double Quick, Inc. She also co-led Locke Lord’s representation of AMP Americas, including advising AMP Americas in the sale of 20 ampCNG fueling stations to American Natural Gas LLC for $41 million and subsequently co-led the Firm’s representation of AMP Americas II, LLC, in a $75 million investment led by EIV Capital and existing AMP investors.
Simmons is also deeply involved in the Houston community. In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, she participated in a Houston Bar Association (HBA) and Houston Volunteer Lawyers city-wide initiative to provide legal advice to victims, just ahead of the hurricane’s one-year anniversary in 2018. She also participates in the HBA LegalLine program and supports the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Houston Society for the Performing Arts and the Houston Food Bank.
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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.
September 15, 2020 – Locke Lord has proudly achieved Mansfield Rule Certification 3.0 from Diversity Lab, recognizing the Firm for hitting targets designed to boost the representation of diverse lawyers considered for a variety of roles and opportunities within the Firm.
The Mansfield Rule Certification measures whether law firms affirmatively considered at least 30 percent women, lawyers of color, LGBTQ+ lawyers and lawyers with disabilities for recruitment, governance roles, equity partner promotions and inclusion in formal pitch presentations to clients.
“The Mansfield Rule sets a high standard for diversity and inclusion, which is one of the Firm’s core values that lives at the heart of our business and culture. We are proud to have achieved this distinction, and we remain dedicated to evolving and elevating our efforts to promote a diverse and inclusive workplace,” said Locke Lord Chair David Taylor.
Locke Lord is currently participating in the Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certification process, which will conclude by July 2021. Since the launch of the Mansfield Rule three years ago, Diversity Lab has iterated the program annually to ensure forward movement toward the goal of diversifying firm leadership.
“Locke Lord achieved the Mansfield Rule Certification through consistent forward movement, and we will continue to build on our progress. We remain fully committed to expanding diversity, equity and inclusion within our Firm, throughout our profession and in our communities,” added Senior Partner and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Paulette Brown.
Diversity and inclusion are integral to Locke Lord’s strategic plan for success. The Firm has an active Diversity and Inclusion Committee dedicated to the recruitment, retention and promotion of lawyers of varying ethnicities, races, genders, sexual orientations, languages, nationalities and religions. To read more about Locke Lord’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, please click here.
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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.
Jennifer Kenedy, Chicago Partner and Vice Chair of Locke Lord’s Executive Committee, appeared on WGN Radio’s Legal Face-Off to discuss her inclusion on the Crain’s Chicago Business 2020 Notable Women in Law list as well as current issues facing women in the legal profession. Kenedy noted the obstacles to achieving pay equity for women in the legal profession and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on working parents, many of whom are assisting their children with e-learning while working from home.
“A lot of compensation formulas are pretty objective, but the issue really isn’t the objective formula, it’s the structural issues that are in place that prevent women from succeeding and developing the business they need to be compensated at the same level as men,” Kenedy said.
Kenedy also shared the role models who have inspired her to succeed. Along with her father, she named Locke Lord Chair Emeritus Jerry Clements, who is “an exceptional role model in teaching [Kenedy] the sky is the limit in terms of your legal career.”
To watch the full segment, click here.
(CHICAGO) September 10, 2020 – Locke Lord Partner Jennifer Kenedy has been selected by Crain’s Chicago Business as a 2020 Notable Women in Law honoree. She is recognized for her ability to effect change, serve as a role model and mentor to other women attorneys and promote inclusive practices in the workplace.
Kenedy is a Vice Chair of Locke Lord’s Executive Committee. Previously, she was the first female Managing Partner of the Firm’s Chicago office and co-founded and led the Firm’s Women’s Initiative. Kenedy serves as the Firm’s Deputy General Counsel and Chairs Locke Lord’s Business Transformation Task Force, which is working to ensure the Firm leads the industry in transforming the way it provides legal services in a post-COVID-19 world. She also Chairs the Firm’s Flexible Work Arrangement Committee.
Kenedy co-founded and serves as an Advisory Board Member of The Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law, a nonprofit membership association bringing together organizations dedicated to advancing women lawyers. Kenedy also co-founded Women Office Managing Partners and serves as an Executive Board Member of Chicago Bear Allen Robinson’s Within Reach Foundation, which provides educational opportunities and resources to underserved Chicago students. She has been active in many additional community and professional organizations, including The Fairway Network, the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois and The Executives’ Club of Chicago. In addition to her leadership roles in the Firm and community, Kenedy has a full-time national trial practice focusing on commercial litigation, including trade secret misappropriation and other intellectual property litigation, employment and contractual disputes, construction, product liability, transportation, real estate and eminent domain. She mediates, arbitrates and tries cases nationwide.
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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.