Patrick Gillard > Ballard Spahr LLP > Philadelphia, United States > Lawyer Profile

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.

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.