Locke Lord landed a trio of public finance pros in Austin from Norton Rose Fulbright this week.
The group is led by partner Adam Harden and includes senior counsel John Hall and Justin Rodriguez.
Locke Lord leaders said in the firm’s announcement that the move demonstrates its commitment to public finance and building for the future.
Kevin Twining, a Dallas partner who co-chairs the firm’s public finance practice, said the three lawyers provide a “critical foothold” in the bond counsel space in Texas. Stephanie Massey, Twining’s counterpart in Boston, said the new group will be “vital assets amid expected growth in the public infrastructure arena as the economy rebounds from the current instability.”
Harden regularly advises cities, counties and school districts on the federal tax aspects of public finance and infrastructure transactions. He has extensive experience with the 103 tax bar, qualified opportunity zones, public-private partnerships and tax credit and investment incentive programs.
Hall, a former public finance investment banker, focuses his practice on the traditional tax-exempt finance work and deals for issuers and other parties in the governmental and low-income housing spaces. He has served as lead relationship and/or execution banker in transactions totaling over $1 billion for Texas school districts, colleges and universities, state agencies, cities, counties, special districts and utilities.
Rodriguez, who served three full terms in the Texas House of Representatives for District 125, is the current Bexar County Commissioner for Precinct 2. He is also a former public finance banker.