Norton Rose Fulbright > Houston, United States > Firm Profile

Norton Rose Fulbright > The Legal 500 Rankings

Industry focus > Energy: renewable/alternative power Tier 1

With more than four decades of experience in the power industry, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP boasts a dominant position in the renewable energy market, having handled some of the largest, most innovative renewable projects, and first-of-a-kind transaction structures in the United States in the past few years. A strong tax bench makes the firm a go-to destination for tax equity matters and financing of major renewable projects. Recent highlights for the team include advising on the first large offshore wind project to reach financing in the US, the use of prepaid power contracts in the wind segment, electricity storage projects, and master tax equity financing facilities in the solar rooftop market. The projects team is under the joint leadership of tax and project finance expert Keith Martin in Washington DC, and Ben Koenigsberg in New York, the latter of whom is a key contact for offshore wind project development, as well as M&A and financing transactions. Also sitting in the New York office, Todd Alexander  is a highly regarded project finance lawyer, who is called upon by both lenders and developers of renewable energy projects, cutting across solar, wind, hydro and clean coal facilities. Robert Eberhardt , who was counsel in four of the five large solar projects that have been financed to date on a merchant basis, and prominent tax partner David Burton , who is particularly proficient in the structuring of renewable energy investment funds, are other names to note in New York. Becky Diffen  in Austin is particularly focused on the acquisition and divestiture of renewable energy assets.

Dispute resolution > E-discovery Tier 2

The ‘savvy team’ at Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP is best known for its information governance practice, with the firm able to assist clients with implementing risk management procedures prior to the litigation proceedings or investigations. Due to the firm’s global profile, multijurisdictional issues are a specialism; the team regularly assists multinational clients with non-US data privacy, data localization and state secret obligations. The US e-discovery practice is led by Andrea D’Ambra in New York, who assists with international data privacy, cybersecurity incidents and data retention for clients in the technology sector. David Kessler, also in New York, heads up the global group and is instructed by technology, finance, pharmaceutical and manufacturing companies both at the pre-litigation stage and as special discovery counsel in complex proceedings.

Dispute resolution > International litigation Tier 2

Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP‘s disputes team stands out for multi-jurisdictional litigation often involving emerging markets with particular expertise in energy, financial services, life sciences and infrastructure spaces. Practice head Richard Krumholz in Dallas has a range of experience, including business, securities and energy disputes; Kevin O’Gorman and international arbitration expert Mark Baker in Houston are other names to note for the latter. In New York, Robin Adelstein and Mina Matin  are noted for antitrust and insurance disputes respectively, while Peter A Stokes  in Austin specialises in defending securities lawsuits and SEC investigations.

Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: pharmaceuticals and medical devices Tier 2

Deriving particular strength from the firm’s Texas offices, as well as leveraging broader expertise across both coasts, and internationally, Norton Rose Fulbright has strong credentials among multinational pharma companies, including Takeda and McKesson. As well as handling class actions relating to personal injury, the pharmaceutical product liability team, which is led from Dallas by D’Lesli M Davis , has also developed market-leading expertise representing clients in relation to economic loss claims brought by consumers and third party payers. Pharmacovigilance is also a core strength, an area that Dallas-based associate Ellie Norris  combines, alongside her thriving litigation practice which includes a significant amount of MDL and class action work for pharmaceutical companies as defendants in product liability cases. Brett Young and Darryl Anderson in Houston are the other overarching co-heads of the US industry group.

Finance > Project finance

Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP ‘is always at the cutting edge of new developments in renewable energy‘, representing both lenders and sponsors in a broad range of renewable energy projects. Evidence of the firm’s presence in innovative developments can be seen in recent work in offshore wind; the group advised Vineyard Wind on the financing for its first offshore wind farm, the first commercial wind farm to reach financial close in the US. Keith Martin and Benjamin Koenigsberg lead the team from Washington DC and New York respectively. Other key partners include: Todd Alexander in New York, who has experience of leading on projects in the US, Latin America, Asia and Africa; and DC’s Noam Ayali, the main point of contact for geothermal energy work. At associate level, the bilingual Deanne Barrow in DC stands out for the diversity of her skillset; in addition to project finance experience, Barrow has a background in chemical engineering and is a qualified patent attorney. Rob Eberhardt departed in February 2022.

Industry focus > Education Tier 2

At Norton Rose Fulbright, the higher education practice group is singled out for its strength in medical education and holds leading national schools as key clients. Head of the healthcare group and practice co-chair Stacey Murphy in St. Louis advises hospitals and academic medical centers on corporate governance issues and regulatory work, whilst Andrew Roth ,who leads the healthcare practice in New York, is the name for billion-dollar transactional mandates and is recommended for accreditation matters – compliance with Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education remains a specialty. Practice co-chair Douglas Fried on the East Coast leads the infrastructure team and advises universities on P3 projects. In Texas, key contacts include Jerry Bell and senior counsel Jennifer McDaniel, who focuses on healthcare regulatory work. On the employment side, Mario A Barrera in San Antonio handles gender discrimination and sexual harassment matters.

Industry focus > Energy litigation: oil and gas Tier 2

The team at Norton Rose Fulbright  handles the full spectrum of contentious issues faced by oil and gas companies; of late, it has also seen an uptick in royalty cases and mandates relating to catastrophic incidents. Practice co-head Melanie Rother represents upstream and midstream companies in the full range of contentious hydrocarbons matters, as well as handling commercial business tort disputes. Co-chair Eddie Lewis has a robust catastrophe-response practice in addition to focusing on environmental litigation for energy companies. The firm is also well-known for its shipping expertise, with Ustav Mathur demonstrating particular expertise in this area as well as advising on significant offshore energy projects. All named individuals are based in Houston.

Industry focus > Transport: aviation and air travel - finance Tier 2

Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP‘s ‘diverse‘ and ‘extremely knowledgeable‘ aviation team acts on a broad array of aviation finance transactions. The client base ranges from airlines to operating lessors, hedge funds, US institutional equity investors, and commercial and investment banks. The firm has a notable ability to leverage global aviation expertise in numerous jurisdictions during cross-border transactions. Alyssa Marie Vazquez is head of aviation in the US, while Sean Corrigan has considerable aviation experience in equipment financing. Of counsel James D Tussing acts on US and cross-border transport finance and lease deals, while senior counsel Fiona Henderson is ‘well versed in both UK law and NY law‘. At senior associate level, Ryan Apar focuses on transportation equipment financings. All named individuals are based in the New York office.

Industry focus > Transport: shipping - finance Tier 2

Typically representing US and foreign banks, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP acts on the full range of shipping-related deals, including complex structured financing and leasing transactions. The team also increasingly acts for non-traditional sources of ship financing, including funds, governmental finance support entities, and issuers in capital markets transactions. Clients also appreciate the firm’s ability to leverage the firm’s shipping team worldwide for cross-border matters. US head of transport Brian Devine focuses on the representation of financial institutions and borrowers in relation to maritime-related assets. Providing key support are counsel Kassandra Savicki and senior associate Nicholas Santangelo, who are both maritime and international finance specialists. All attorneys named are based in New York.

M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: middle-market ($500m-999m) Tier 2

At Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP, one of the largest firms globally, the corporate and M&A team is equipped to support on the full array of mandates; covering public and private M&A, disposals, corporate governance, shareholder affairs, regulatory issues and general day-to-day advice. Scarlet McNellie  chairs the practice from Dallas, also the home office of Glen Hettinger,  a lawyer who has accumulated specialist expertise of the financial institution and technology sectors. Over on the East Cost, Kessar Nashat is a prominent name within the New York market with a particular fortitude for transactions within the renewable energy, manufacturing, aerospace, defense, software and technology fields.

Media, technology and telecoms > Advertising and marketing: litigation Tier 2

Dispute resolution > International arbitration Tier 3

Among Norton Rose Fulbright's key attributes, sources highlight its 'strategic thinking', 'partner-led approach' and 'mastery of the international arbitration domain'. Mainly split between Houston, Washington DC, San Francisco and New York, the group also leverages the firm's extensive global network to routinely work hand-in-hand with its offices abroad. The team is a prominent player in both commercial and investment treaty arbitrations, particularly in the energy and infrastructure fields, and it acts for both claimants and respondents. Houston-based Mark Baker co-heads the global international arbitration practice and is routinely appointed to represent major corporates in complex arbitrations, with an emphasis on the energy, infrastructure, transport and financial services sectors. Matthew Kirtland, noted for his 'excellence in advocacy', is a key name in Washington DC. In a highlight state-side matter, Kirtland is representing the Republic of Kazakhstan in connection with multiple enforcement proceedings arising from a $500m Energy Charter Treaty award. Houston-based Kevin O’Gorman ('a great lawyer') and New York's Mina Matin are also key figures.

Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: automotive/transport Tier 3

Primarily based out of its Texas offices but also aided by a strong national and international presence, Norton Rose Fulbright has developed a strong offering for a range of stakeholders, including component part manufacturers, retail outlets and automotive companies within the automotive/trucking sector. In this context, the team is quickly and effectively able to mobilize resources – including liaising with a strong network of external experts – to ensure that clients are most appropriately represented at an early stage in the process. Splitting his time between the firm’s San Antonio and Houston offices, co-head of litigation for the US Steven Jansma has a strong focus on  automotive product liability matters, including class actions involving catastrophic injury and death nationwide. Other key practitioners include Houston-based Brett Young, who regularly handles automotive-related disputes as a function of his leadership of the firm's overarching US products, pharma, medical and mass torts offering, and Jeffrey Webb, who heads up the auto industry group from San Antonio.    

Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: toxic tort Tier 3

Led from the firm’s Houston office by Brett Young , Norton Rose Fulbright has a particularly strong reputation advising energy companies (including oil entities) in relation to environmental incidents. As well as his trial expertise, Young is also skilled at responding to catastrophic events and providing crisis response counselling for clients. The firm’s international network is also of great value to clients in relation to trans-national mandates. On the West Coast, Los Angeles-based Kevin Mayer is a key member of the team, both in relation to Proposition 65 matters, as well as on water-borne pathogen litigation.

Finance > Structured finance: securitization Tier 3

The securitization team at Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP advises issuers, warehouse lenders, underwriters, servicers and investors on warehouse financings, including in relation to solar leases, power purchase agreements, and property assessed clean energy bonds. It also has a strong esoteric asset offering. The group regularly works alongside colleagues in London, Paris and Toronto, enabling a competence in cross-border securitizations. In New York, Patrick Dolan  focuses on asset- and mortgage-backed securitizations, while Andrew Coronios  is an expert in local and cross-border syndicated credit facilities. The duo jointly lead the department with San Francisco’s Eric Tashman , who is notable for his utility securitizations specialism. Also in New York, Adrienne Sebring is another lawyer with a varied transactional practice.

Industry focus > Energy regulation: electric power Tier 3

Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP provides a full-service offering across the energy regulatory spectrum, advising on matters at both federal and state level, as well as under regional renewable energy compliance programs. The regulatory enforcement team regularly handles bet-the-company matters and also represents individuals in criminal non-compliance prosecutions. Additionally, it has extensive experience in contracts, including long-term power purchase agreements, operating and maintenance agreements, and transmission capacity sale agreements, among others. New York-based projects expert Ben Koenigsberg co-chairs the practice with tax and finance lawyer Keith Martin who acts for major wind and solar companies in the US. Other key contacts include Bob Shapiro, Joseph Williams and Caileen Kateri Gamache. Associate Anna Biegelsen is also noted for her experience before FERC and the CFTC. All lawyers are based in Washington DC unless stated otherwise.

Industry focus > Energy transactions: electric power Tier 3

Advising on sponsor and lender-side work, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP has considerable experience in the financing of conventional power projects, as well as various types of energy hedges and corporate PPAs, and large battery, community solar, build-transfer agreements and other business models. The practice is particularly prominent in the energy-transition space, covering the spectrum of matters in the clean energy and green infrastructure segments along with the issues arising from the industry's transition toward a low-carbon or carbon neutral model. Tax and project finance expert Keith Martin in Washington DC co-leads the team with New York-based Ben Koenigsberg, who is a transactional specialist.

Industry focus > Energy transactions: oil and gas Tier 3

Norton Rose Fulbright advises across the spectrum of upstream, midstream and downstream matters for a client roster that includes for NOCs, IOCs, independents, oil and gas producers, oilfield services companies, refiners, energy traders and marketers. The firm also represent banks, multilateral and bilateral/export credit agencies, equity infrastructure investors and other financial institutions active in the sector. Global head of energy John Mauel leads the practice from the firm's Houston office, where senior associate Jessica Rodriguez -who handles energy matters, notably those related to pipeline systems, oil and gas properties and LNG export projects- also impresses.

Intellectual property > Trademarks: non-contentious (including prosecution, portfolio management and licensing) Tier 3

The team at Norton Rose Fulbright provides comprehensive services for the management and enforcement of the trademark portfolios of multinationals like Electronic Arts, and across the financial services, alcoholic beverages, automotive, non-profit, manufacturing, and video games sectors. In Houston, intellectual property head James W Repass, who advises on the IP aspects of major transactions, leads the practice, with head of IP brands Timothy M Kenny in Minneapolis. Support is provided by Linda M Merritt in Dallas, who counsels clients on trademark strength and availability, and in Minneapolis by Felicia Boyd, who specializes in finance matters.

Media, technology and telecoms > Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection) Tier 3

Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP stands out in the information governance, privacy, and cybersecurity space with a nationwide team and broad experience in key sectors such as life sciences, retail, telecoms and technology. The practice is focused on cybersecurity incidents response, an area in which the team developed an in house solution involving automated intervention schemes based on pre-defined severity levels and real-time connectivity to Security Operations Centers. Compliance and privacy complete the department’s offering. Will Daugherty in Houston acts as co-practice head together with Chris Cwalina in Washington DC, who focuses on complex cybersecurity attacks and data breach investigations, New York-based duo Andrea D’Ambra and David Kessler, who specialize in addressing litigation readiness and cross border discovery matters, and Steven Roosa , who is also based in New York and oversees the development of the firm’s privacy compliance tool suite, NT Analyzer.

Tax > US taxes: contentious Tier 3

The tax controversy team at Norton Rose Fulbright represents clients in SALT litigation, IRS appeals, competent authority disputes, and audits. Its expertise encompasses advance pricing disputes, transfer pricing, and competent authority matters regarding international tax. Operating out of Houston, tax practice co-head Robert Morris focuses on IRS examinations, appeals, and fast track mediations, as well as litigation in the Tax Court and federal district courts. New York’s Mayling Blanco is a white collar defense and commercial litigation specialist, as well as an expert in FCPA and criminal tax matters.

Tax > US taxes: non-contentious Tier 3

With major offices in New York and Texas, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP handles a spectrum of transactional and restructuring mandates. The tax group is especially well regarded by clients in the energy and infrastructure sectors, where David Burton  works closely with the firm’s prominent projects practice on a host of tax matters. Practice co-head William Cavanagh ‘s broad practice also encompasses cross-border M&A and financing transactions, while David Burton is noted for his niche expertise in renewable energy fund structuring. Asset management co-head Michael P Flamenbaum is a seasoned advisor regarding hedge fund formations, and routinely represents both issuers and underwriters in debt and equity offerings. In Texas, Houston-based practice co-head Robert Morris is chiefly known for his tax controversy acumen, while the Dallas-based Bill Bowers specializes in partnerships, REITs and Up C structures. All named lawyers are based in New York unless noted otherwise.    

Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: defense Tier 4

The antitrust and competition practice group at Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP encompasses the representation of clients from a wide variety of sectors including pharmaceuticals and technology. Robin Adelstein is the key contact, who routinely handles complex class actions and multi-jurisdictional cases before state and federal courts and splits her time between New York and Washington DC. Business dispute expert Michael Swartzendruber in Dallas and Layne Kruse, who is based in Houston and DC, are further names to note. Darryl Anderson excels at the intersection of antitrust with securities and health care litigation in Houston, while DC-based Amanda Wait sports deep knowledge of and close relationships with both the DOJ and FTC.

Dispute resolution > General commercial disputes Tier 4

Norton Rose Fulbright has a nationwide practice, which is particularly active for clients from the financial services, energy, infrastructure, mining and commodities, transport, technology, and life sciences and healthcare companies. Marc Collier is a litigation and appellate contact in Austin, and Layne Kruse in Washington DC specialises in antitrust and business litigation matters. The commercial litigation practice is jointly led by Thomas McCormack in New York and Andrew Price in Houston, while the US-wide disputes group is headed up by the Dallas-based Richard S Krumholz.

Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense Tier 4

Finance > Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate Tier 4

The practice at Norton Rose Fulbright spans the US with offices in key locations such as New York, Austin and Washington DC, aiding its ability to advise on cross-border matters such as the representation of JP Morgan Chase Bank in its dual capacity of bondholder and revolving credit facility lender to Boy Scouts of America in connection to its Chapter 11 case. The practice is led by Jason Boland, Ryan Manns and Eric Daucher, based in Houston, Dallas and New York respectively. New York’s Howard Seife is also noted; he is the firm’s global head of the practice and specializes in domestic and international reorganizations. Louis R Strubeck and Gregory Wilkes departed the practice during 2021.

Industry focus > Environment: litigation Tier 4

Industry focus > Healthcare: life sciences Tier 4

Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP is known for its litigation practice, with a particular emphasis on antitrust cases. This includes New York-based Robin Adelstein advising Valent Pharmaceuticals on conspiracy cases relating to prescription drug price-fixing. Additionally, the team acts on product liability and patent litigation, with successful records in both. Data privacy is another area of focus for the practice, with the team serving as lead counsel to Abbot Laboratories on HIPAA, GDPR and CCPA compliance, with New York-based David Kessler a key name in this space. Dallas-based D’Lesli M Davis is recommended for mass tort cases, while Houston's Debbi Johnstone and Jonathan B Skidmore lead the global healthcare team.

Industry focus > Healthcare: service providers Tier 4

With a national range of offices and a particular focus in the Southwest, Norton Rose Fulbright is known for its transactional work featuring academic medical centers. Key work in this area includes practice head Debbi Johnstone in Houston and St Louis-based Stacey Murphy‘s respective work on Texas Childrens’ Hospitals OB/GYN acquisitions and Oklahoma University Medicine’s integration of OU Physicians. Other areas of expertise include antitrust counselling, fraud and abuse litigation and data privacy advice. Andrew Roth in New York leads a practice focused on graduate medical educators.

Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (full coverage) Tier 4

Well-known for its strong cross-border capabilities and recommended for its ‘solid legal and technical skills from top to bottom’, Norton Rose Fulbright is comfortable litigating in all US patent venues, with a particularly solid reputation in the Western District of Texas and a booming PTAB practice. The disputes team is since 2021 headed by Houston-based Daniel Leventhal, a high-tech patent litigator with a particular focus on telecommunications, electronics, and internet. His versatile team includes other noted practitioners such as Richard Zembek, global head of technology and also based in Houston; and Brett Govett and Stephanie DeBrow, both praised for being ‘exceptionally skilled lawyers that provide superb results’, and who operate from Dallas and Austin respectively.

Media, technology and telecoms > Fintech Tier 4

Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP brings a reliable mix of domestic and international fintech expertise to clients who appreciate the ‘geographic reach of the firm‘ and its ‘highly skilled resources‘. The broad offering covers corporate finance, commercial agreements, regulatory, IP, litigation and data privacy. The practice also has good expertise in emerging areas such as blockchain, including custody solutions, tokenization, payments, and OTC and exchange trading. New York disputes partner Stephen Aschettino leads the practice and has over 20 years’ experience of related litigation, regulatory and compliance issues. Andrew Lom (New York) regularly assists investment funds on fintech products, while Dallas partner Ronald David Smith is another key contact for litigation and contentious regulatory matters. Senior counsel Santo Manna in New York brings  ‘excellent experience in fintech work, having been in-house at a number of leading vendors‘.

Tax > International tax Tier 4

Norton Rose Fulbright advises on international investments and acquisitions, transactions, and reorganizations. The team also represents multinationals on international tax disputes, litigation, and investigations. It has particular strengths advising key industry clients in oil and gas. In Houston, global head of tax Andrius R Kontrimas covers global tax planning, joint ventures, M&A, and transfer pricing.

Finance > Financial services regulation

Finance > Restructuring (including bankruptcy): municipal

Real estate

Latin America: International firms > City Focus - Houston Tier 1

Norton Rose Fulbright's Houston office houses a large and prominent international arbitration team that has amassed considerable experience in Latin America cases. It handles an impressive mix of commercial and investor-state disputes, notably in the oil-and-gas and natural-resources sectors. Mark Baker is global co-head of international arbitration and is a prominent figure in Latin America cases; he led the team that defended Vicinay Cadenas against product liability, gross negligence and fraud claims brought by Petrobras America and a syndicate of London-based insurers in arbitration proceedings in Houston and associated litigation in Spain and the US. Kevin O’Gorman and newly elected partner Denton Nichols are also international arbitration specialists with a particular focus on Latin America.

Latin America: International firms > International arbitration Tier 4

Norton Rose Fulbright draws on resources from across its global international arbitration team – including lawyers in Sao Paulo, Brazil – to cover the entire Latin American region, providing support to clients from the onset of a dispute through to the enforcement of awards. The team is especially well-known for acting on international commercial arbitrations but also handles noteworthy investment treaty cases, with energy a particularly strong industry sector. Highly respected arbitration veteran Mark Baker co-leads the practice out of Houston alongside fellow global practice co-chair, Montreal-based Pierre Bienvenu. Other key names include Montreal-based international arbitration specialist Martin Valasek, and Matthew Kirtland, who heads the firm’s Washington DC arbitration team. In Houston, Kevin O’Gorman handles international commercial and investment treaty arbitrations and is known for his extensive energy expertise, particularly as regards Latin America. The practice strengthened its senior ranks at the start of 2022 with the promotions of Denton Nichols (in Houston) and dual-qualified (Ontario/New York) Alison FitzGerald (in Ottawa) to the partnership.