Locke Lord is proud to have represented Phoenix Tower International (PTI) in a $2 billion cross-border syndicated loan transaction that was named winner of the Infrastructure Financing of the Year – Southern Cone at the LatinFinance 2023 Project and Infrastructure Finance Awards.
Led by Jason Ulezalka (New York), along with Christine McCay, Brandon Curtin and Mason Marek (all of Boston), the transaction involved PTI subsidiaries in 17 countries across North and South America, allowing PTI to consolidate five separate credit facilities into a multi-tranche senior secured term loan.
The proceeds of the loan were used to fund, among other things, PTI’s acquisition of up to 3,800 telecommunications sites in Chile from WOM S.A., making PTI the largest communications tower owner in Chile.
LatinFinance announced the winners of its 2023 Project and Infrastructure Finance Awards, which recognize the most impressive transactions and institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean, on Oct. 5, 2023.
Locke Lord Houston Associate Akilah Craig was honored by the Franklin & Marshall African American Alumni Council (AAAC) as one of the recipients of the 2023 Sydney N. Bridgett ’51 Medal, which is presented to alumni of African descent for outstanding achievement in a chosen profession or endeavor. Craig was recognized on October 28 during the Franklin & Marshall homecoming celebration.
Sydney N. Bridgett was a dedicated alumnus and the second African American graduate of the college who served as a civilian employee of the U.S. Air Force and went on to a distinguished career as an educator. He also was a founding member of the AAAC.
Craig is active in the legal community and serves as a member of the National Bar Association and the National Employment Law Counsel. She also serves as a Trustee and Fellow of the Houston Young Lawyers Foundation and serves as a Fellow on the Texas Bar Foundation.
Akilah Craig, Associate in Locke Lord’s Houston office, was featured on an episode of Behind the Lines: The Houston Lawyer podcast discussing the Texas Crown Act, which went into effect on Sept. 1, 2023, why it was enacted and the Act’s interplay with federal law. She also provides insight regarding how important it is for employers to review workplace policies to ensure compliance.
“If you’re an employer, you must pay attention to what the statute requires, and then take a look at your grooming policy and your policy that relates to dress code,” Craig said. “Because if you are covered by the Texas Labor Code, and these anti-discrimination laws apply to you, then it’s important to make sure that you are in fact complying. Often, employee handbooks have not been reviewed for a long time. So, as with any change in an employment law, if you have employees and you are covered by these laws, it’s important to look and make sure that your business is continuing to stay on top of what’s going on.”
Listen to the full Behind the Lines: The Houston Lawyer podcast.
October 10, 2023 – Locke Lord has achieved 2022-2023 Mansfield Certification from Diversity Lab, recognizing the Firm for striving to ensure all of its talent has a fair and equal opportunity to advance into leadership.
Mansfield Certification measures the steps Locke Lord has taken to enhance inclusivity at the Firm as well as the progress it has made by fostering transparency through written and accessible advancement processes and broadening the slate of talent considered for internal leadership roles.
“The Mansfield Rule continues to set 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 our culture,” said Locke Lord Chair David Taylor. “We are proud to have once again achieved this significant milestone.”
Locke Lord is currently participating in the Mansfield Rule 7.0 Certification process, aimed to conclude by July 2024.
“This year’s Mansfield Certification process validates Locke Lord’s steadfast dedication to building a diverse and inclusive organization that best reflects the needs of our clients and talent,” Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Kimberly Hulsey said. “We know that through transparency and accountability, we will continue making great strides to move the needle on diversity and inclusion both within our Firm and across the legal industry.”
Diversity and inclusion is one of the Firm’s five core values and an integral part of the Firm’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.
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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 135 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.
Laura L. Ferguson, Partner in Locke Lord’s Houston office, was featured on an episode of Behind the Lines: The Houston Lawyer podcast. The episode focuses on the client-centered approach and addresses privilege and privacy. Ferguson discusses laws relating to cybersecurity, privacy and data breaches, how AI impacts these areas and the related ethical obligations. She also provides insight regarding how companies and law firm managers can protect themselves from cybersecurity threats.
“There are so many things that can be done to protect companies from data breaches,” Ferguson said. “Some of the main things that come up in my breach response work is the need for implementation of endpoint monitoring, multifactor authentication, employee education and training, installing security patches and ensuring admin accounts avoid simple passwords.”
Listen to the full Behind the Lines: The Houston Lawyer podcast.
Washington, D.C., Partner Emily Huggins Jones was selected as a member of Law360’s Transportation Editorial Advisory Board for 2023. This is her first term on the board. As a member, she will provide feedback and share insight on how best to shape this year’s reporting on transportation issues at Law360.
Read the full Law360 article (subscription may be required).
Locke Lord is proud to announce that the Firm has been selected as a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Leadership Seal Gold tier recipient by the State Bar of California, recognizing the great work the Firm is doing to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace and in the legal profession.
The inaugural DEI Leadership Seal program asks participating employers to commit to completing at least five of 10 action items that include collecting demographic data, creating a diversity plan, surveying staff on diversity efforts and requiring employees to take annual implicit bias training. The State Bar of California launched the program in January 2023 in support of its strategic plan goal of enhancing access to and inclusion in the legal system.
Diversity and inclusion is one of Locke Lord’s five core values and an integral part of the Firm’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.
Locke Lord’s premier, nationally recognized Public Finance Practice Group was ranked No. 5 on The Bond Buyer’s list of top bond counsel in the nation for competitive sales during the first half of 2023, with 54 issues totaling $1.3 billion. The Firm also secured some impressive regional top bond counsel rankings in The Bond Buyer’s Northeast Midyear Review, including: No. 2 in Massachusetts, Maine and Rhode Island, No. 3 in New Hampshire and No. 7 in the Northeast.
Just a few of Locke Lord’s many recent notable bond counsel matters include the representation of:
- City of Boston, Massachusetts, in its sale of approximately $350 million General Obligation Bonds, 2023 Series A
- Williams College in connection with the issuance of the $99.7 million Massachusetts Development Finance Agency Revenue Bonds, Williams College Issue, Series 2023
- City of Worcester, Massachusetts, in its $84.5 million General Obligation Municipal Purpose Loan of 2023 Bonds
- City of Somerville, Massachusetts, in its $34.2 million General Obligation Municipal Purpose Loan of 2023 Bonds
- State of New Hampshire in its $70 million General Obligation Capital Improvement Bonds, 2023 Series A and $16.25 million General Obligation Refunding Bonds, 2023 Series B
- City of New Bedford, Massachusetts, in its $27.7 million General Obligation State Qualified Municipal Purpose Loan of 2023
- Rhode Island Health and Educational Building Corporation Higher Education Facility in connection with its issuance of $112.4 Revenue Bonds, Providence College Issue, Series 2023
Locke Lord’s Public Finance Practice Group has one of the largest bond counsel practices in the country. For more than 135 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, underwriters’ 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 Houston Partner Mia Lorick has been recognized by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) as one of its 2023 Rising Stars. MCCA’s annual list of Rising Stars honors stellar attorneys whose accomplishments and dedication to the legal profession and to their community place them among those “attorneys to watch.” MCCA Rising Stars demonstrate a love of law, ambition, pursuit of excellence, compassion for those in need and a strong desire to give back to others.
A member of Locke Lord’s Litigation Practice Group and the Firm’s Lateral Hire Committee, Lorick concentrates her practice on commercial litigation, real estate litigation, energy litigation and civil appeals. She handles jury trials, bench trials and arbitrations as well as appellate briefing and oral argument, and she has argued before the Texas Supreme Court. Lorick is a staunch advocate for a more equitable legal profession, regularly speaking on diversity and inclusion panels. Lorick is also the founder of the Suited for Success Scholarship, which awards law students with the funds needed to buy a business suit for interviewing.
Read more about Mia’s selection as a 2023 MCCA Rising Star.
Locke Lord Austin Associate and The University of Texas at Austin School of Law alum Julianne Grellner has been named Mentor of the Year by The University of Texas at Austin School of Law Mentoring Program for her unwavering leadership and guidance to 1L law students. The Texas Law Mentoring Program pairs experienced alumni with 1L law students to provide professional wisdom, advice and guidance. Based on the nomination from her mentee and selected by a committee of law school faculty and staff, Grellner was recognized at a reception on August 23.
Grellner, who found her own mentor support at Texas Law to be integral to navigating law school and her career after graduation, said that she strives to teach her mentees that life is about more than work. “You should always continue to do the things that you love to do outside of the legal field, both when you’re in law school and in your career as an attorney,” she adds. “Your interests outside of law school generally make you who you are and shape your perspectives. That may not happen if you never take a break from reading and analyzing case law, for example.”