Locke Lord Executive Committee Member and New York and Hartford Partner Alan Levin was introduced as a member of Law360’s Insurance Editorial Advisory Board for 2021. Levin advises clients across all sectors of the insurance and reinsurance industry, including domestic, foreign and overseas insurers and reinsurers. As a member, he will provide feedback and insight that will help shape Law360’s coverage on matters relating to the insurance sector.
To read the full article, click here (subscription may be required).
Locke Lord has once again been named by BTI Consulting Group to its annual Client Service A-Team. Based solely on objective feedback from corporate counsel, the list recognizes firms that have demonstrated exceptional performance in client service.
The Firm has also recently been recognized by BTI as one of the law firms that top legal decision makers and Fortune 1000 clients said are best at developing and implementing alternative fee arrangements and as a firm that is “winning in the COVID-19 world” by jumping in and committing as the pandemic redefined clients’ objectives.
Locke Lord was ranked No. 4 on The Bond Buyer’s list of Top Bond Counsel in the nation for competitive sales in 2020, with 153 issues totaling $3.21 billion, and No. 8 on the Top Underwriter’s Counsel list, with 104 issues totaling $10.38 billion. The Firm also ranked among top bond counsel in the Northeast, with numerous rankings, including: No. 1 in R.I., No. 2 in Mass. and N.H., No. 5 in Maine and No. 8 in the region.
Locke Lord’s recent notable Public Finance matters include representing the North Texas Tollway Authority in its issuance of tax-exempt and taxable System Revenue Refunding Bonds totaling $761.96 million; serving as co-bond counsel on Texas’ Forney Independent School District’s issuance of $101.260 million Unlimited Tax School Building Bonds, Series 2021A; representing PureCycle Technologies in the financing of an Ohio waste polypropylene recycling plant financed with three series of exempt facility revenue bonds in the aggregate amount of $250 million; representing the Town of Hingham, Mass., in the issuance of $111.18 million General Obligation Water Bonds, Series 2020, to purchase the privately owned Hingham Water Company; acting as bond counsel for the issuance of $83.01 million Massachusetts Development Finance Agency Revenue Bonds, Southcoast Health System Obligated Group Issue, Series G (2021), and acting as special counsel to RIHousing in the negotiated sale of $82 million of multifamily development bonds.
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.
(PROVIDENCE, WASHINGTON, D.C., AND DALLAS) March 4, 2021 – Locke Lord Providence Associate Krystle Tadesse has been selected as a member of the 2021 Fellows Program for the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD). The program aims to identify, train and advance the next generation of leaders in the legal profession.
According to LCLD, its landmark Fellows Program, established in 2011, is one of its most important initiatives. As a Fellow, Tadesse will participate in conferences, in-person training and projects with LCLD’s top leadership that aim to further leadership and relationship skills among lawyers who are committed to creating a more diverse and inclusive legal profession. The Pathfinder Program, now in its sixth year, targets high-performing associates. Pathfinders receive training in critical career development strategies, including leadership and building professional networks.
Tadesse is a member of Locke Lord’s Associates Committee and member and past President of the Rhode Island Women’s Bar Association. She was recently appointed to serve as Chair of the Rhode Island Judicial Nominating Commission, the first woman of color to hold the position. She also serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of Reach Out and Read Rhode Island, Secretary of the FirstWorks Board of Trustees and a member of the Board of Trustees of The Gordon School. A member of Locke Lord’s Litigation Department, Tadesse represents clients in a range of complex disputes before state and federal courts and agencies.
Locke Lord has a long history of support and participation in LCLD initiatives. Previous Fellows include Chicago Partners Ernesto Palomo, Julie Webb and Bilal Zaheer. Chicago Associate Wasim Bleibel has participated in LCLD’s Pathfinder Program.
Diversity and inclusion is one of the Firm’s five core values and an integral part of Locke Lord’s strategic plan. Locke Lord understands that fostering an inclusive environment results in better decision-making, better outcomes for clients and a firm where team members can be successful and thrive. To read more about Locke Lord’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, click here.
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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.
(DALLAS) March 29, 2021 – Harriet Miers, former Managing Partner of a Locke Lord predecessor firm and former Counsel to the President of the United States, has been honored with the Texas Bar Foundation’s prestigious Outstanding 50 Year Lawyer Award, commemorating her trailblazing accomplishments as a consummate legal professional and public servant. She will accept the award during the Texas Bar Foundation’s annual dinner on June 18.
“As a remarkable lawyer deeply ingrained in public service, tireless advocate for women and diverse lawyers, champion for access to justice, tremendous mentor and an unfailingly kind person, Harriet’s embodiment of the spirit of this award cannot be overstated,” said Locke Lord Chair David Taylor. “Harriet has served as a distinguished Firm and community leader for many years, and we are immensely proud to call her our colleague.”
Miers was the first woman hired at the Dallas firm of Locke Purnell Boren Laney & Neely in 1972 and became the first woman to lead the Firm, then known as Locke Purnell Rain Harrell, in 1996. In 1999, when Locke Purnell merged with Houston-based Liddell Sapp Zivley Hill & LaBoon, Miers was integral to the merger and became Co-Managing Partner of the combined firm. She held that position until she left to serve in the administration of President George W. Bush from 2001-2007 as Staff Secretary, Deputy Chief of Staff and Counsel to the President. After her service in the White House, she returned to Locke Lord as a Partner in 2007. She is a member of the Firm’s Litigation Department and Public Law and Policy Practice Group.
Among her many civic and professional accomplishments, Miers was the first woman to lead the Dallas Bar Association and the State Bar of Texas as President. She also served as an At-Large Member of the Dallas City Council (elected citywide) and as the appointed Chairwoman of the Texas Lottery Commission. Miers has held several American Bar Association leadership roles, including Chair of the Board of Editors of the American Bar Journal and the Texas State Delegate to the ABA House of Delegates. Miers is also Chair of the Center for American and International Law Board of Trustees and an Executive Board Member of the SMU Dedman School of Law.
Miers has been widely recognized for her efforts to create a more diverse, fair and equitable legal profession and applies these same values in service to the broader community. She is a past Chair and current member of the Board of Directors of the Dallas Breakfast Group, an organization focused on improving the quality of local governmental institutions, and sits on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star. She currently serves as a Commissioner of the Texas Access to Justice Commission, chairing its Legislative Committee, and as Co-Chair of the Legal Services Corporation Leaders Council.
Among Miers’ many accolades, she was selected for induction into the Texas Legal Legends, the highest award bestowed by the State Bar of Texas, for her lasting impact and extraordinary contributions to the legal profession. She was also named by The Texas Lawbook as one of 50 Lions of the Texas Bar and received the Sandra Day O’Connor Award from the Texas Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism. Miers received the Texas Appleseed Good Apple Award, Legal Services of North Texas’ Merrill Hartman Award, Anti-Defamation League’s Jurisprudence Award and American Jewish Committee’s Human Relations Award. She has been honored with Distinguished Alumni Awards from both SMU and the SMU Dedman School of Law, which also presented her with the Robert G. Storey Award for Distinguished Achievement. She holds an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Pepperdine University.
For her work as Counsel to the President, Miers received the Department of Justice Edmund J. Randolph Award for her “dedicated service to justice, the President, and the United States of America.” She also received the Agency Seal Medal from the Central Intelligence Agency, an award given to people outside of the Agency who have made significant contributions to its work.
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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.
Seventeen lawyers from Locke Lord’s Austin, Dallas and Houston offices were named 2021 Texas Rising Stars by Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers®.
The Texas Rising Stars list recognizes the state’s top attorneys age 40 and younger or who are in the first 10 years of practice. Texas Rising Stars are selected through a process of nomination, independent research and peer evaluation. Only 2.5 percent of eligible Texas lawyers are selected to the list each year.
The Locke Lord lawyers recognized in this year’s list are:
Austin
Daniel Durell
Stephen Humeniuk
Dallas
Henry D. Benton
Houston
Akilah Craig
Lani Durio
Sara C. Longtain
Mia Lorick
Chelsea H. Overhuls
Sagar Patel
Jonathan Pelayo
Andrew Reed
In an article focused on the push for increased diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, The Texas Bar Journal highlighted Locke Lord among firms that joined the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance in 2020, noting the Firm’s five-point diversity and inclusion action plan and statement on racial equality and justice.
Houston Partner Jonathan Pelayo said that, from his perspective as a Hispanic attorney, Locke Lord has grown increasingly focused on promoting diversity and inclusion, a goal to which the Firm has always been committed.
“Over the latter half of 2020, the firm has made significant strides, which I look forward to being a part of for many years to come. At Locke Lord our commitment is to make our firm more representative of the communities we serve—as always, actions will speak louder than words,” Pelayo said.
Diversity and inclusion is one of the Firm’s five core values and an integral part of Locke Lord’s strategic plan. To read more about Locke Lord’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, click here.
To read the full Texas Bar Journal article, click click here.
Effective Jan. 1, 2021, Locke Lord attorneys will receive credit for up to 75 hours of qualifying diversity and inclusion activities toward an attorney’s billable hours requirement — just the latest example of continuing to hone the Firm’s focus on its core value of diversity and inclusion.
The announcement closely follows several recent actions to further elevate and strengthen the Firm’s diversity and inclusion efforts. After achieving Mansfield Rule Certification 3.0 from Diversity Lab in 2020, which requires firms to consider a diverse slate of candidates for a defined list of roles, committees and leadership activities, Locke Lord is currently participating in the Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certification, which will conclude by July 2021. Locke Lord also achieved a 100 percent rating in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2021 Corporate Equality Index for the fifth consecutive year. A perfect score in this annual report evaluating policies and practices related to LGBTQ employees, culture and corporate social responsibility earns the Firm the distinction of being an employer of choice for LGBTQ employees.
Locke Lord is also establishing a formal Diversity Supplier Program to advance its commitment to hiring and supporting minority-owned businesses. In addition, continuing its long-standing tradition of donating to equal justice and civil rights organizations at the national and local levels, the Firm has increased its donations to educational programs that provide resources and opportunities to underserved communities.
Diversity and inclusion is not only one of the Firm’s five core values, it’s an integral part of Locke Lord’s strategic plan. Locke Lord understands that fostering an inclusive environment results in better decision-making, better outcomes for clients and a firm where team members can be successful and thrive. To read more about Locke Lord’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, click here.
(AUSTIN) February 11, 2021 – Locke Lord has once again been named the No. 1 Texas law firm lobby practice according to Capitol Inside’s biennial Texas Lobby Power Rankings, a position the Firm has held since 2004. Robert Miller, Chair of the Firm’s Texas Public Law Section and Co-Chair of its Public Law and Policy Practice Group, has been ranked the No. 3 top lobbyist in the state, and two Locke Lord Public Policy Advisors are also included in the Power Rankings.
Capitol Inside, a closely followed Texas political and governmental affairs website based in Austin, said there is “a case for Miller as the most successful lobbyist in the Lone Star State,” noting his high-profile connections as the leader of “the best all-round lobby practice for a law firm in the Texas Capital City.”
“I am proud that Locke Lord’s Texas Public Law practice has remained consistently first-rate, even as each year brings new challenges to the landscape in which we work,” Miller said. “Our deep and unwavering dedication to supporting our clients and each other sets us apart, and we look forward to achieving many more positive outcomes together in this year’s legislative session and beyond.”
Also cited in this year’s Texas Lobby Power Rankings are:
- Crystal Brown is No. 58 on the Hired Guns list. Brown joined the Firm in 2016 after serving as Chief of Staff for Democratic State Rep. Carol Alvarado of Houston.
- Nef Partida is No. 60 on the Hired Guns list. Partida has served on the strategy team as a communications consultant to a number of Republican and Democratic campaigns.
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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.
(AUSTIN and DALLAS) February 23, 2021 – Locke Lord’s Elizabeth Mack, Chair of the Firm’s Environmental – Real Estate and Corporate Section, has been named Dallas Office Managing Partner.
Mack will lead alongside Houston Office Managing Partner Laura Edrington, marking the first time in the Firm’s history that all of its Texas offices are led by women.
“As Partners and section chairs, Elizabeth is an outstanding lawyer and proven leader. As Office Managing Partners, she will continue Locke Lord’s tradition of preeminence in Texas while helping to usher the Firm into a bright future,” said Locke Lord Chair David Taylor.
These changes reflect Locke Lord’s ongoing commitment to diversity, with six offices across the Firm now run by women: Austin, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Locke Lord has four women on its Executive Committee, including one Vice Chair, and 12 women on its Board of Directors, including both Co-Chairs.
Mack also serves on the Firm’s Board of Directors and is a nationally known lawyer, with significant experience in brownfield redevelopment, environmental compliance, and environmental litigation. She has a deep understanding of the practical implications associated with environmental issues, combining business savvy with legal, scientific, and technical knowledge. She is a past Chair and current member of the Board of Directors of Texas Appleseed and serves on the Executive Committee of the Harvard Alumni Real Estate Board. Mack is a member of Locke Lord’s Firm Finance Committee and Women’s Initiative Committee.
Locke Lord has been a mainstay in Texas for 130 years, with strong roots, deep ties and a formidable presence in the state. The Firm has cultivated long-standing relationships with clients, and its experienced and dedicated lawyers are leaders — in the courtroom, in the boardroom and in the community.
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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.