Austin water law expert Wes Strickland has jumped from Jackson Walker to Holland & Knight.
Strickland represents U.S.-based and multinational water companies and financial institutions that develop, manage and finance water resources and infrastructure. The total value of projects he has worked on exceeds $12 billion, according to his law firm website bio.
“Wes is a wonderful strategic hire for our firm. His practice complements our utilities and regulatory focus in Austin and in California, where he also has a great reputation,” Mark Davis, executive partner of Holland & Knight’s Austin office, said in a statement.
“His credentials with the private water industry are unparalleled, and we predict that his counsel will be increasingly in demand as we deal with the ongoing effects of climate change.”
In the announcement, Strickland credited Holland & Knight’s “nationwide platform, strong regulatory support and mix of clients” with attracting him to the firm.
Strickland has advised EPCOR Water (USA) in two transactions in Texas.
In 2016, he helped the Canadian utility company enter the Texas market through the acquisition of the 130 Project in Central Texas, which supplies up to 20,000 acre-feet of groundwater from the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer to several water purveyors in the Austin, Texas area.
One year later, Strickland advised ECPCOR Water in its acquisition of Hughes Gas Resources, Inc., which owned a natural gas utility in the Houston area.