Jackson Walker announced Tuesday that a group of veteran public finance partners from Orrick have joined the firm in Houston.
Rick Witte, Todd Brewer, Tanya Fischer and Hoang Vu together have represented clients in more than $200 billion of public finance transactions, according to a statement from Jackson Walker.
The firm is tapping into a busy and deep public finance bench at Orrick. In 2022, Orrick ranked number four as bond counsel and number one as underwriter counsel in new Texas issues by deal value.
“It is always exciting to have attorneys of the absolute highest caliber join our firm,” Wade Cooper, managing partner of Jackson Walker, said. “Adding this accomplished team propels Jackson Walker into the top ranks of Texas public finance.”
The second-largest firm in Texas by headcount, Jackson Walker surpassed $400 million in revenue in 2022, a 16% increase from 2021 that vaulted the firm to the number four spot in The Texas Lawbook 50’s annual analysis of firm finances.
The quartet counsel governmental entities, nonprofit organizations, private institutions, national and regional underwriters, domestic and foreign banks and other financial institutions on projects related to education, infrastructure and economic development.
In June, the team served as bond counsel to Katy Independent School District in connection with the District’s issuance of $242,960,000 of unlimited tax school building bonds.
And in March, they served as bond counsel to Houston Independent School District in connection with HISD’s issuance of $104,255,000 of limited tax refunding bonds and $80,785,000 variable rate limited tax refunding bonds.
Witte said in joining the “go-to firm for doing business in Texas” his group intends to be the “go-to public finance team in the state.”
Jackson Walker also announced today it has recruited tax partner Russell Miller from Hawkins Delafield & Wood in California. His practice focuses on federal income tax law related to public finance including nonprofit finance, healthcare finance, working capital financings and pooled financings.