Holland & Knight corporate finance partners Cassandra Mott and Sarah Frazier have lateraled over to Blank Rome.
Mott and Frazier practiced at Thompson & Knight prior to its recent merger with Holland & Knight. At TK, Mott led the firm’s Houston office and finance practice.
“Sarah and I felt we were at pivotal junctures in our careers and Blank Rome presented a great opportunity for us to take our practices to the next level. We have worked together for seven years and were ready to move our practice to a platform like Blank Rome offers. They have a nationally respected finance practice, and I have worked with their lawyers for more than 20 years,” Mott told The Texas Lawbook.
“I don’t want to move again. This is it for me. I’m excited to do it with Sarah. It is more impactful when you can do it with a teammate.”
With the additions, Philadelphia-based Blank Rome formally establishes a transactional practice in the region. The firm’s Houston office is 10 years old and has around 40 attorneys with offerings in litigation, labor and employment, intellectual property and maritime.
“For me as a young partner, it is a tremendous opportunity to have the impact of building out the firm’s transactional practice in Houston,” Frazier said. “We are very optimistic about the future here. The culture of the firm was also a big draw for us. Susan Bickley and our Houston colleagues have been so welcoming, and we’re excited to work with all of our new colleagues throughout the country.”
The finance duo has significant experience in the oil and gas industry but also represents clients in the consumer products, technology, healthcare, manufacturing, chemicals, transportation and retail sectors.
Earlier this year, Mott aided Austin-based Atlas Technical Consultants in replacing its current debt and preferred equity agreements with a new loan credit agreement consisting of $432 million of long-term debt maturing in 2028 and a $75 million committed delayed draw term loan from funds managed by Blackstone Credit. Atlas also replaced its existing revolving credit facility with a new five-year, $40 million asset based revolving credit agreement with JPMorgan Chase.
Frazier, who made partner at TK in February, was part of the TK team that guided Dallas-based private equity firm Tailwater Capital this year in acquiring a pair of Oklahoma midstream operators backed by EnCap Flatrock.
Mott says she and Frazier have already hit the ground running on their first day at Blank Rome.
“We have received a tremendous reception from our clients. We have many new matters already opened. We’re just so busy with deal volume. Things have really exploded and we couldn’t be happier.”