Ballard Spahr LLP > Minneapolis, United States > Firm Profile

Ballard Spahr LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings

Finance > Financial services regulation Tier 1

Noted for its experience in defending clients facing regulatory enforcement action from the CFPB and other agencies, Ballard Spahr LLP advises investment banks and private equity houses across a range of matters, with a growing caseload of crypto asset-related litigation. Payment systems and other fintechs also form a core part of the firm’s varied client base, which the practice advises on buy now, pay later, earned wage access and income sharing agreement products. Co-heading the team are Washington DC-based John Socknat, who assists clients in the run-up to compliance audits by state and federal regulators, and Daniel McKenna, a litigation specialist who takes on class actions and arbitration hearings in relation to mortgage, auto and credit card loans. John Culhane Jr. specializes in student loan regulations, with further expertise in mortgage loan and leasing plans. All lawyers are Philadelphia-based unless otherwise specified. Lisa Lanham left the firm in April 2024.

Finance > Restructuring (including bankruptcy): municipal Tier 2

Ballard Spahr LLP offers a combination of public and municipal bankruptcy expertise, especially in connection with major Chapter 9 cases, municipal recovery and high yield municipal bonds to provide an all round practice within the restructuring world. The firm has been active in representing the City of Chester, Pennsylvania in its Chapter 9 bankruptcy and the City of Detroit’s bankruptcy filing. Philadelphia-based William Rhodes  is the practice leader of the firm’s Municipal Recovery Initiative, and regularly represents issuers, broker-dealers and investors in all areas of public finance, while Minneapolis-situated William Wassweiler represents financial institutions serving as corporate trustees financial institutions serving as corporate trustees involving municipal and corporate bonds, as well as corporate trustees. Situated in Wilmington, litigation partner Tobey Daluz focuses on corporate restructuring, workouts and general bankruptcy litigation, whereas Megan McCarthy is noted for her focus on public finance matters, and Delaware-based Laurel Roglen is a key name and is experienced in bankruptcy-related litigation.

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

With notable strengths in the Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania markets, the team at Ballard Spahr LLP assists a wide range of public and private companies with all aspects of their buy-and sell-side transactions and merger negotiations. In Philadelphia, practice co-head Brian Doerner is well versed in cross-border transactions. Co-head Barbara Rummel is based in Minneapolis and has developed a strong market reputation for her ability to advise on deals in the pharma and healthcare sectors. Rummel's Minneapolis colleague Maggie Tatton is noted for her private equity expertise and handles buyouts in industries such as food distribution and engineering. Phoenix-based Karen McConnell is noted for her in-depth understanding of corporate and securities law. Seasoned transactional attorney Gregory Seltzer has a focus on venture capital clients and growth companies and operates from the firm’s Philadelphia office. Michael Kuhn, a Minneapolis-based expert on strategic investments and capital raising transactions, is another name to note.

Real estate > Land use/zoning Tier 2

Ballard Spahr LLP’s zoning and land use team covers a wide range of permits and approvals for real estate development projects, advising on matters ranging from subdivisions and zoning variances to environmental permitting, takings, and historical preservation issues. The department also handles complex appellate advocacy and defense of land use approvals. Amy McClain co-heads the team from Baltimore and focuses on affordable housing transactions, while co-head Matthew McClure is based in Philadelphia and emphasizes land use, zoning, and historic preservation matters. In Salt Lake City, Steven Mehr focuses on acquisitions, dispositions, construction, zoning and entitlements of commercial, retail, industrial and resort properties. In Baltimore, Jon Laria recently advised on redevelopments and new mixed-use developments. Based in Philadelphia, Joanne Phillips and Devon Beverly are further names to note.

Real estate > Real estate investment trusts (REITs) Tier 2

In Baltimore, Ballard Spahr LLP is a go-to firm for specialist Maryland corporation law knowledge, where it excels in advising its clients on both public and private Maryland REITs and their related tax, corporate, securities, and bankruptcy issues. The team continues to hold close relationships with REIT clients while also serving as corporate counsel. Practice head Douglas Fox is well-versed in counselling REITs, mutual funds, and other investment companies in capital raising transactions, corporate governance, and M&A. Co-head senior counsel Charles Moran is an expert in representing REITs, life sciences and healthcare clients in complex corporate transactions. Thomas Bashore is key to the team and focuses on entity formation and organization, corporation law and pubic offerings. All aforementioned lawyers are based in Baltimore.

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

Automotive-related mandates form a significant proportion of Ballard Spahr LLP‘s workflow for its overarching product liability and mass torts group, which is led out of New Jersey by Neal Walters. As well as handling work in the aftermath of litigation, including motions and at trial, the firm is also a popular choice at a pre-emptive stage, regularly working with clients from a counseling perspective to ensure effective guardrails are established to better avoid litigation. Walters is at the forefront of the most significant product liability defense work handled by the firm, and has achieved scores of successes for clients at the motions stage, as well as handling jury trials through to verdict. Drawing upon recent experience in-house at an autonomous vehicle technology developer, New Jersey-based Casey Watkins is central to the firm’s success, from a litigation and regulatory perspective, on behalf of emerging clients in the sector.

Energy > Renewable/alternative power Tier 3

Ballard Spahr LLP‘s PPP projects, energy and project financing practices collaborate on a range of matters in the renewable energy sector, acting for project developers and sponsors, investors, and lenders with interests in the space. Its advice on infrastructure and PPP projects is of particular note, and the team is represented across a number of the firm’s US offices. In Philadelphia, Patrick Gillard is a key figure with a strong utility finance practice and experience negotiating public and private debt financings. He is one of four co-heads of the practice, with Randall Towers and Steve Park alongside in Philadelphia, and John Smolen in Baltimore. Bruce Johnson in Las Vegas is a contact to note for real estate and commercial finance, while Minneapolis-based Raymond Faricy and Katie Leesman in Washington DC are further key figures in the firm’s renewable energy offering.

Finance > Fintech Tier 3

With a strong track record in representing financial institutions and technology providers on government investigations and enforcement proceedings, Ballard Spahr LLP is particularly proficient in financial services compliance. The practice is also well-equipped to handle the development, commercialization, and maintenance of lending programs and mobile applications. Minnesota-based Ronald Vaske often advises banks on BaaS programs, while in Pennsylvania, Peter Jaslow handles entity formation and structuring as well as capital raising. In Washington DC, Michael Gordon is vastly knowledgeable in consumer financial services law. Working out of California, Michael Guerrero is well-versed in consumer credit programs, while New York’s Marjorie Peerce is another key team member. Lisa Lanham left the firm in April 2024.

Finance > Project finance

The projects team at Ballard Spahr LLP ‘brings outstanding insights into the nuances and intricacies of extremely complex contracts such as public private partnerships’, acting as lenders, developers and particularly government agencies on major transport developments that include toll roads, bridges, interchanges, and railway lines and stations, as well as university campus utility ventures, breakwater facility expansions, and inner-city redevelopments – amongst others. On the energy front, the team predominantly focus on providing financing, regulatory and commercial advice to energy players and investors engaging with energy transition assets, while also boasting a substantial capital markets offering. The ‘truly incredible’ John Smolen and Steve Park co-head the practice from Baltimore and Philadelphia respectively, with the duo highly praised for their ‘immense amount of experience from other projects’ and ability to counsel from a variety of perspectives. Philadelphia duo Patrick Gillard  and Randall Towers are the other two practice leads who focus on project finance transactions in the energy space, often representing lenders, borrowers and underwriters on a range of debt instruments. Donna Brady operates out of Los Angeles and largely concentrates on transport and social infrastructure and is routinely sought out by state agencies and toll operators for toll technology procurements. New York’s William Estes and Washington DC’s John Wheatley bring further design-build and P3 experience to the fore and frequently collaborate together on major transport constructions. Bruce Johnson sits in the Las Vegas office and is well regarded for his adeptness in tax equity financing.

Labor and employment > Labor-management relations Tier 3

Ballard Spahr LLP ‘offers a strong traditional labor practice‘ which includes areas such as union negotiations and representing clients before labor relations boards. On the non-contentious side, the group is present at every phase of the negotiation process. The broader group is largely sector agnostic, but most notably is active in the public sector, with unique knowledge of state laws, but is also comfortable operating in federal courts throughout the country. Leading the team is Denise Keyser in New Jersey, who, along with versatile labor and employment lawyer Shannon D. Farmer in Philadelphia, is described by one client as ‘practical with their advice‘. Brian Pedrow in Philadelphia is a key practitioner for the group’s litigious matters.

Media, technology and telecoms > Media and entertainment: litigation Tier 3

Ballard Spahr LLP is a First Amendment powerhouse that is frequently called upon to represent creative clients, as well as individuals and organizations from the publishing industry. The team has taken part in widely publicized disputes, such as the defense of those accused of defamation by former President Trump, or the settled appeal of the Heard v Depp case. In Washington DC, team head Charles Tobin has argued extensively for his media clients in libel and privacy lawsuits in state, federal, and appellate courts. Team founder David Bodney conducts his practice from Arizona, covering a range of issues with potentially constitutional ramifications. In New York, Thomas Sullivan assists those accused of disseminating defamatory information and pursues document access and freedom information claims. Based in Minnesota, Leita Walker is an expert First Amendment litigator who has been acting for Netflix to defend a defamation suit arising out of the documentary ‘Making a Murderer’.  

Real estate Tier 3

Ballard Spahr LLP fields a multidisciplinary practice with experience handling a wide scope of development, structuring, condominium, and mixed-use properties, along with a considerable pipeline of single-family residential property work. Alongside their real estate finance group, the practice is also particularly experienced in the hospitality sector, evidenced by its resort, hospitality and timeshare group. The firm is also distinct in its affordable housing niche, where the team regularly works with private and governmental bodies, including the New York City Housing Authority and Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development, on affordable housing and social infrastructure developments and maintenance matters. The department is headed by Baltimore-based chair Amy McClain, with Dominic De Simone leading the private equity, loan servicing, and distressed real estate teams from Philadelphia. Joining them from Washington DC are Mary Jo George, head of housing finance, Katherine Noonan, leader on development and transactions, and Molly Bryson, affordable housing and community development group head. Denver-based Christopher Payne heads the resort, hospitality and timeshare group. Experienced on mergers, acquisitions and retail bankruptcies, Michael Ostermeyer is noted for his expertise advising on corporate portfolios and public real estate projects from the firm’s Phoenix office.

Dispute resolution > Financial services litigation Tier 4

Ballard Spahr LLP’s consumer financial services practice offers representation and counseling for matters including class actions, regulatory enforcement matters put forward by the CFPB, and compliance. The group is also active in emerging areas such as the fintech space. Co-leading the team are Daniel McKenna and John Socknat. McKenna, based in Philadelphia, specializes in consumer financial services, privacy and data security, and mortgage banking, offering extensive trial experience representing clients in class actions relating to statutes such as the TCPA, FCRA, and UDAAP. Other key names to note in the firm are Thomas Burke, based in Philadelphia, Joel Tasca, based between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, and John Grugan, based in Pennsylvania.

Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: design Tier 4

While the employee benefits and executive compensation team at Ballard Spahr LLP advises clients in a wide range of industries, the firm particularly excels in the healthcare, hospitality, and pharmaceutical sectors. Some notable clients include American Red Cross, Main Line Health and Temple University Health System. The practice is led by Brian Pinheiro in Philadelphia; he has a track record of work on matters ranging from 401(k) plans to employee stock ownership plans, to ERISA fiduciary advice, among a vast range of other services. Supporting Pinheiro on many cases, Edward Leeds is also based in the Philadelphia office. Leeds assists clients in providing health benefit programs, pharmacy benefit design, and retirement plans. In Washington DC, Finn Pressly provides counsel on various issues, including domestic partner benefits, retiree health plans, and wellness plans.

Real estate > Real estate finance Tier 4

The real estate finance group at Ballard Spahr LLP assists with real estate transactions including mezzanine, construction, and mortgage loans all over the US. Distressed real estate and loan restructurings and enforcement are another key pillar of the practice as well as its private credit and equity real estate practice. Dominic De Simone, Siobhan O’Donnell, and Thomas Hauser all co-lead the group from Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Baltimore respectively. Finance expert De Simone handles transaction structuring and restructuring as well as distressed real estate matters. He is also well-versed in balance-sheet and CMBS loan originations and construction loans. O’Donnell is a commercial real estate finance expert and often represents investment banks and commercial banks, Hauser handles complex real estate transactions, while in Philadelphia, Tina Makoulian is experienced in office, retail, and industrial leasing issues.

Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: defense Tier 5

With notable strength in the pharma, agricultural, and chemical industries, Ballard Spahr LLP stands out for its particular expertise in monopolization and conspiracy litigations and class actions. The team is led by Leslie John, who also co-leads the firm’s false advertising litigation group; John represents clients in the pharma and healthcare industries on the full range of antitrust litigation, including before federal and state courts and antitrust agencies. Other key individuals include Jason Leckerman, who chairs the firm’s litigation department and assists private and public companies with the antitrust aspects of mergers, and Stephen Kastenberg, recommended for class actions. In New York, James Mitchell focuses on antitrust issues in the securities space, handling a broad range of criminal and civil litigation. Unless otherwise stated, all mentioned lawyers are based in Pennsylvania.

Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense Tier 5

Ballard Spahr LLP has extensive experience advising on a breadth of white-collar offenses, including financial fraud, tax offenses, public corruption, and commodities fraud. The team is led by Henry E. Hockeimer, who is recommended for matters relating to securities fraud and litigation. Peter Hardy focuses on money laundering allegations and compliance requirements. Noted for his experience with handling disputes before the SEC and DOJ, David Axelrod frequently represents broker-dealers, cryptocurrency issuers, and investment advisors. Located in New York, Marjorie Peerce and Michael Robotti are also key members of the team. Peerce has experience with various regulatory and criminal investigations, including bribery, cryptocurrency trading, and hacking. Robotti is noted for his skills with navigating complex litigation; he has experience with FCPA violations, money laundering, and corporate misconduct. Unless otherwise stated, the lawyers mentioned are based in Philidelphia.  

Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense Tier 5

The securities litigation practice in Ballard Spahr LLP‘s Philadelphia office ‘delivers practical and concise advice’. Highly-respected trial lawyer David Axelrod leads the practice and Norman Goldberger co-leads the firm’s municipal securities regulation and enforcement team, while the ‘practical, commercially-focused’ Timothy Katsiff frequently handles securities class actions and derivative actions for companies, also stand out. Axelrod’s recent highlights include acting for pharmaceutical company Teva in a case alleging the company engaged in price fixing, and the team also recently negotiated a deferred prosecution that allowed the company to continue as a going concern in the US. John Grugan left the team in March 2024.