Firm Profile > Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP > Washington DC , United States

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP Offices

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
2300 N STREET, N.W.
WASHINGTON DC 20037-1122
United States
Visit website 1 202 663 8000 1 202 663 8007

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings

M&A: middle-market (sub-$500m) Tier 1

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP's M&A team advises high-profile public and private companies, private equity firms, and investment banks; it also has significant experience acting for boards of directors and independent board committees in changes of control and going-private transactions, shareholder disputes and internal corporate investigations. The team is particularly recognized for its strength in technology, energy, financial services, communications and healthcare transactions; active clients are AT&T, Holtec International, JXTG Nippon Oil & Energy and Synnex. Justin Hovey in San Francisco and New York's Jonathan Russo are the co-M&A leaders, and Chris Patay leads the corporate group in Los Angeles. Alongside the firm's Tokyo office, Russo advised Japanese med-tech company Hoya, as a consortium member, on Bain Capital’s acquisition of Toshiba’s flash memory chip business; Silicon Valley-based Allison Leopold Tilley and Christina Pearson acted for Synnex, an IT supply chain services company, in its cash-and-stock deal to acquire Convergys, which sells customer management and information management products; and James Masetti, who heads up the Northern California emerging growth and venture capital team, led advice to Sigma Designs, which builds system-on-a-chip semiconductor technologies, on the sale of its Z-Wave Business to Silicon Laboratories. Elsewhere, Washington DC-based global corporate practice section leader Robert Robbins and Northern Virginia's Steven Kaplan advised Grammer, a global supplier of auto parts, on its acquisition of Toledo Molding & Die, which produces innovative thermoplastic components. Also highly rated are Don Kilpatrick in New York, San Francisco's Nathaniel Cartmell, Jeffrey Grill in Washington DC, Silicon Valley’s Jorge del Calvo and San Diego North County-based Mike Hird. Growth in the New York office saw the recruitment of Stephen Amdur as private equity head and Michael Flynn, whose practice focuses on corporate law, venture capital, private equity and M&A, from Latham & Watkins LLP and Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP, respectively.

Outsourcing Tier 1

‘A flexible team with great industry knowledge and a very commercial approach’, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP has particular expertise in the healthcare, software, financial services and insurance sectors. Washington DC-based practice head Aaron M. Oser is advising the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority on the outsourcing to Transdev of its operations at the Cinder Bed Road bus maintenance facility. Washington DC-based Mario F. Dottori and Vipul N. Nishawala, who is based in New York, advised NTT DATA on the sourcing aspects of the $3bn acquisition of Dell’s IT outsourcing business. Other names to note include San Francisco-based Patrick J. Devine, and Washington DC-based James L. Alberg, ‘knowledgeable’ counsel James W. McPhillips and counsel Meighan E. O’Reardon. New York-based William Bandon left the practice in January 2019 to join a management consulting company.

Construction (including construction litigation) Tier 2

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP's construction practice is chaired by arbitration specialist Clark Thiel. He has been involved in litigation for major high-profile projects including the Millennium Tower in San Francisco. Supported by John Heisse and Washington DC-based duo Michael Jaffe and Melissa Lesmes, Thiel represented a joint venture comprised of Clark Construction and Hathaway Dinwiddie in construction and insurance disputes, and defended claims alleged by the owners and developers against the client. Heisse, alongside Robert James, also provided legal counsel to the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District on public procurement and the contractual aspects of major expansion proposals, in addition to a multibillion-dollar railcar procurement. James also worked alongside Thiel in representing Stanford University and Hospitals on projects totaling over $5bn. These include the New Stanford Hospital and the expansion of the children's hospital. The firm has a strong track record acting for educational facilities, and Washington DC-based Jeffrey Gans represented New York University in a $1.4bn litigation filed against Turner Construction for alleged breach of contract and negligence. Michael McNamara in Washington DC, Robert Thum in Los Angeles and William Hale are other names to note. Named individuals are based in San Francisco unless stated otherwise.

Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection) Tier 2

Brian Finch and Deborah Thoren-Peden head Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP’s practice from Washington DC and Los Angeles respectively. Finch specializes in cybersecurity, national defense and intelligence policies, while Thoren-Pedersen has advised US-based fintech and bank holding company Green Dot on regulatory and privacy aspects of its acquisition of online distribution channel AccountNow. Mercedes Tunstall, who is also based in Washington DC, assists clients from a wide range of industries with mobile and other e-commerce initiatives, as well as with the use of social networking sites for marketing, customer service and crowdsourcing purposes. Los Angeles-based senior counsel Catherine Meyer, who works with financial institutions, is another name to note.

Insurance: advice to policyholders Tier 2

The insurance department at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP impresses with its 'depth of knowledge and expertise, responsiveness to client enquiries, strong analytical abilities, as well as good legal research and writing'. Traditionally, it is best known for advising on coverage relating to natural disasters and other environmental issues, but also engages in proceedings arising from cyber attacks, construction mishaps and corporate liability controversy. In Los Angeles, Robert Wallan represented Fluidmaster in its coverage and bad faith claim against numerous insurers in connection with multiple product liability actions. Washington DC-based Peter Gillon and the 'knowledgeable, thoughtful and strategic' Alex Hardiman, who 'remains calm during intense negotiations', assisted Solera Holdings in the first ever claim to seek coverage under Delaware's statute, by which shareholders can challenge the price paid for their shares in a transaction and obtain an appraisal of their fair value, against its D&O insurer. Another highlight was the firm's role on litigation between San Francisco-based Colin Kemp's and New York partner Joe Jean's client Victaulic and three AIG entities regarding equitable issues, bad faith and punitive damages.

Transport: aviation and air travel - regulation Tier 2

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP has experience of regulatory mandates including administrative adjudications, air service negotiations, antitrust, export licensing, customs and tax matters, airline safety, aircraft certification, and accident investigations. Head of travel, leisure and hospitality Josh Romanow represented Norwegian Air International and Norwegian Air UK before the Department of Transportation, FAA and US Court of Appeals in its efforts to begin scheduled operations to the US. Charles Donley, who heads the aviation, aerospace and UAS practice, advised a major Chinese air carrier in an ongoing Department of Transportation investigation pertaining to advertising, marketing policies and website compliance. Senior counsel Edward Sauer, Los Angeles-based employment partner Thomas Liu, senior counsel James Dick, and special counsel Laura Jennings are also key contacts. Named individuals are based in Washington DC unless otherwise noted.

Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: design Tier 3

Notable recent mandates for the team at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP include drafting defined benefit and 401(k) plan amendments for Estée Lauder and preparing amendments to long-standing client Incyte’s employee stock incentive plan and executive compensation agreements; New York-based Peter Hunt led on both matters. Having joined the San Francisco office from Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP in 2018, Jonathan Ocker regularly advises public companies, boards of directors and high-profile executives on compensation and corporate governance issues. In one matter, Ocker advised VICE Media on a newly instated CEO’s preparation agreement. The team also provides ongoing employee benefit and executive compensation advice to Clearwater Paper, Bank of the West and Hewlett Packard. San Francisco-based Christine Richardson is another key contact, and Cindy Schlaefer was made practice head in 2018 following Susan Serota’s retirement.

Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional Tier 3

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP saw a number of additions to the team in 2018 including Jonathan Ocker from Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP and counsel Jeremy Erickson, who had previously been an in-house attorney at Apple. In a standout matter, New York-based Peter Hunt advised Headwaters Inc on the 280G consequences of its $2.6bn merger into Boral. Hunt also assisted Holtec International with the employee benefits and executive compensation aspects of its acquisition of the Oyseter Creek nuclear facility from Exelon Generation Company. AT&T, BNP Paribas, Hewlett Packard and Chevron are also among the team's clients. Other names to note include Christine Richardson and Cindy Schlaefer, the latter of whom became practice head following Susan Serota’s retirement in 2018. Named attorneys are based in San Francisco unless stated otherwise.

Energy: renewable/alternative power Tier 3

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP has expertise in nuclear energy and energy storage, and also has experience of a variety of other renewable power projects. Jointly headed by San Francisco-based Robert James and New York-based Michael Reese, the energy, infrastructure and projects team is instructed by energy companies such as NextEra Energy Resources and Duke Energy Corporation, and multinational lenders including Deutsche Bank. Another contact in the New York office is Catherine Hood, who advised an underwriting syndicate, including Barclays Capital and BNP Paribas Securities, on a $525m green bond offering by DTE Electric Company, which was among the first wave of offerings in the US by an investor-owned utility to specifically support green investments. Robert Spjut, Michael Hindus and George Haley retired, and New York-based Nicolai Sarad and Fernando Marin left for Bracewell LLP.

Environment: litigation Tier 3

Already reputed in air and water pollution control, solid and hazardous waste management, response to accidental releases, Superfund, toxic torts, wetlands regulation, endangered species and environmental impact analysis, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP has been growing its practice in air quality regulatory advocacy and enforcement defense, climate change and alternative energy development, regulation of greenhouse gases, hydraulic fracturing, and underground injection control. The ‘strength and uniqueness’ of the practice is born out of the ‘level and breadth of experience of the lawyers’. For example, in Washington DC, Matthew Morrison’s ‘lengthy experience with EPA and DOJ gives him unmatched insight, experience and skill in representing clients in civil and administrative environmental enforcement actions’, and, in Houston, Thomas Campbell, former general counsel at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is a ‘nationally recognized expert on natural resource damage assessments’. In Austin, Christopher McNevin leads the firm’s environmental litigation team; in Los Angeles, Mark Elliott heads the environmental practice firm wide. Other names to note are LA-based Michael McDonough; Norman Carlin and Margaret Rosegay in San Francisco; Anthony Cavender and Amanda Halter in Houston; and Jeffrey Knight in Washington DC. Clients include Western States Petroleum Association, Costco, Chevron, and Valero Energy Corporation.

Government contracts Tier 3

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP’s bi-coastal government practice, with offices in Washington DC, Northern Virginia and Los Angeles, handles the full range of government contract matters, from contentious issues such as debarment and suspension, bid protests, False Claims Act cases, claims and terminations under the Contract Disputes Act, to non-contentious work such as regulatory and strategic counseling. The Northern Virginia office is known for its busy M&A practice, which handled several transactions; representative examples include the team acting for Parsons in its acquisition of Polaris Alpha and assisting STG, a provider of technology, cyber and data solutions to the US Defense, diplomatic and intelligence communities, with its sale to SOS International. Located in Los Angeles, Alex Tomaszczuk represented Entergy in two contract disputes against the Department of Energy for its failure to pick up spent nuclear fuel from two nuclear power plants owned and operated by Entergy. John Jensen and Michael Rizzo lead the team. Todd Canni, who splits his time between LA and DC, and Los Angeles-based Kevin Slattum are also key team members. Canni is recognized for his suspension and debarment practice. David Dixon made partner in the Northern Virginia in January 2018.

International trade Tier 3

Jointly headed out of Washington DC by Nancy Fischer and Stephan Becker, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP's four-partner team provides 'user-friendly, concise but thorough' advice to an impressive roster of global corporates (including Rolls-Royce, Facebook and Panasonic) across a wide range of international trade matters. Appreciated for his 'experience in addressing dispute settlement issues from both government policy and private sector commercial perspectives and his experience in drafting provisions in international trade and investment agreements', Becker's diverse contentious and non-contentious expertise includes his ongoing representation of the Mexican government in NAFTA and WTO matters. Fischer handles contentious and non-contentious work for both corporates and industry coalitions, including a large group of US nuclear utilities in ongoing trade remedy matters before the DOC related to the Russian Suspension Agreement. The 'incredibly responsive' Christopher Wall is vastly experienced in the field and provides 'highly commercial advice' to clients across policy and compliance-related matters. Wall's recent work has included advising Sony Pictures Entertainment on sanctions matters, and helping Chevron secure Section 232 exclusions. Counsel Aaron Hutman is a 'star individual', particularly as it relates to work at the intersection of international law, business and US policy. Senior associates Matthew Rabinowitz and Benjamin Cote are appreciated by clients for their 'sincere objectivity and integrity'.

Land use/zoning Tier 3

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP covers the full range of land use and zoning matters for office, mixed-use, retail, hospitality, residential, industrial, institutional, sports, military and health-sector developments. A busy year for the team, highlight work included acting for Holy Names University in its collaboration with Samuel Merritt University, where it advised on the land use aspects of campus improvements. The team also acted for the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board and Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission in several agreements, including the stadium and concession agreements for the new Rams Stadium in Inglewood, and also advised Poly Real Estate Group on its acquisition of a 40% equity interest in the $6bn Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island redevelopment project, situated along the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. San Francisco-based Rachel Horsch leads the real estate practice.

Telecoms and broadcast: regulatory Tier 3

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP is noted for its track record in signal carriage and program licensing work, as well as its work with clients offering over-the-top content delivery services. Practice co-head Scott Flick recently represented Shield Media in a dispute with Dish Networks regarding the payment of retransmission fees, assisted on the creation of private equity-backed broadcast company Standard Media, and serves as outside counsel to the National Alliance of State Broadcasters Associations. Fellow co-head Glenn Richards is noted for his long-term experience with VoIP clients, as well as his work for wireless resellers and financial investors entering the sector. Richards recently acted as regulatory counsel to GCTR in its sale of connected health company GreatCall to Best Buy. Sinclair Broadcasting is a marquee client for the firm, and is served by broadcast specialist Miles Mason in both general and transaction-specific regulatory capacities. Most notably, Mason handled the regulatory aspects of Sinclair's now-terminated acquisition of Tribune Media. Of counsel David Burns advised Cumulus Media on the FCC regulations concerning its Chapter 11 restructuring, and led the firm's advice to Entercom on the regulatory aspects of its acquisition of CBS Radio. Of counsel Lee Petro, a broadcast, wireless and telephone specialist, joined the firm from Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP in July 2018.

Transport: aviation and air travel - finance Tier 3

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP's 'pragmatic' team stands out for its experience of aviation finance and operating leases, and is praised for its ‘excellent industry knowledge’. Global finance head Mark Lessard, who is ‘extremely smart and thoughtful, and aims to provide excellent service 100% of the time’, advised Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, MUFG Securities Americas and Wells Fargo Securities, as underwriters, and Bank of America, as initial liquidity facility provider, on the $373.4m Willis Engine Structured Trust IV (WEST IV), which will be secured by, among other things, WEST IV’s direct and indirect interests in a portfolio of 55 aircraft engines and one airframe. Elsewhere, Charlotta Otterbeck advised Ethiopian Airlines Group on its first aircraft finance insurance consortium (AFIC) supported financing, involving both a senior and a junior loan facility for five Boeing 737-800 aircraft; she also advised Turkish Airlines on its first AFIC supported aircraft financing transaction. Recently promoted partner Melissa Jones-Prus is also recommended, as are counsel Richard Evans and special counsel Jason Greenberg, both of whom are based in Los Angeles. Named individuals are based in New York unless otherwise stated. Jonathan Goldstein joined Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP in January 2019.

Cartel Tier 4

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP works with a stellar client base that includes the likes of Home Depot, Norwegian Air and Ralphs. The team is jointly led by San Francisco managing partner Roxanne Polidora and litigation expert Jacob Sorensen. In a recent highlight, the team is advising a major retailer in a state-level investigation implicating the client's distribution network. Christine Scheuneman retired from the practice.

Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense Tier 4

The team at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP is noted for providing 'excellent advice on US enforcement proceedings', with a strength representing financial institutions and their senior executives. The team is chaired by Mark Hellerer, Maria Galeno and William Sullivan, all of whom are based in New York. Other key individuals include Carolina Fornos and the 'highly knowledgeable' Anne Lefever in New York, Thomas Hill in Washington DC and Markenzy Lapointe in Miami.

Environment: regulatory Tier 4

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP fields ‘very experienced environmental lawyers with an encyclopedic knowledge of environmental matters’. The practice group handles enforcement; regulatory compliance; legislative and regulatory monitoring and advocacy; project siting, development and finance; facility decommissioning; environmental impact analysis; site investigation and remediation; human health and ecological risk assessment; and environmental management strategy. For a long time the group has been retained by the Western States Petroleum Association, which it advises on a broad range of matters, including state legislation and state and local regulatory developments across a wide array of issues affecting the petroleum industry. Based across Houston and Washington DC, Matthew Morrison's ‘lengthy experience with EPA and DOJ gives him invaluable insight’. Other key practitioners include Norman Carlin and Margaret Rosegay in San Francisco; firm-wide environmental practice head Mark Elliott and Michael McDonough in Los Angeles; Wayne Whitlock in Silicon Valley; and Jeff Knight and Sheila Harvey in Washington DC.

Government relations Tier 4

Led by Elizabeth Moeller, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP’s public policy team has ‘a high degree of knowledge in their areas of specialization’. Moeller represented disability advocacy business Binder & Binder when it became the subject of an investigation by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs. In another matter, working with the Domestic Violence Legal Empowerment and Appeals Project, the group provides legal representation, advocacy and counseling to domestic violence victims. As part of that engagement, the team drafted a congressional concurrent resolution seeking to compel family courts to assess child safety considerations before making any custody or visitation decisions. Brian Finch is the name to note for global security and cybersecurity matters. Finch frequently helps clients to obtain SAFETY Act liability protection certifications. Craig Saperstein, who became partner in January 2019, is another key team member.

Patents: prosecution (including re-examination and post-grant proceedings) Tier 4

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP acts for domestic and international clients alike, with a strong focus on patents regarding electrical engineering and chemical innovations. A recent technology highlight was advising ALTR Solutions on the development of its patent portfolio, securing several blockchain-related patents for the client. Before the PTAB, the group represented petitioner Anheuser-Busch in a derivation proceeding regarding aluminium bottle manufacturing. Practice head Jack Barufka is based in Washington DC, while Patrick Doody heads the PTAB practice from the Northern Virginia office. Austin's Michael Chibib and Josh Tucker, who splits his time between the Austin and Silicon Valley offices, are also recommended. Raj Davé left to found Davé Law Group.

Real estate Tier 4

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP handles a range of real estate transactions, as well as advising on development projects, leasing for landlords and tenants, loan modifications and bankruptcies, public-private partnerships, distressed real estate assets, and financing for lenders and borrowers. San Francisco-based practice head Rachel Horsch recently advised Barrett Block Partners on the agreement for the sale of property at 4th and Harrison Streets in San Francisco, while California-based real estate and construction head and former CEO Jim Rishwain represented NIMES Capital on various recent projects including the acquisition of a multifamily project at The District at Greenville Apartments and the acquisition of Westchase Forest, both in Texas. Washington DC-based tax specialist Brian Blum is also recommended. Other clients include Triple Five Worldwide, Commonwealth Partners, Jay Paul Company, Shorenstein and Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Boar. Thomas Allen left for Greenberg Traurig, LLP.

Venture capital and emerging companies Tier 4

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP's practice has particular strength on the West Coast, with offices in the San Francisco Bay Area and San Diego, and  maintains a presence on the East Coast via its teams in New York and Northern Virginia. The group is very well known for assisting clients from the semiconductors sector, along with fintech, security, Internet of things, big data and e-commerce industries. Clients include Barefoot Networks, Shield AI, MycoTechnology and ACCO Semiconductor. Silicon Valley partner Jorge del Calvo and Christian Salaman in San Diego (noted for his 'exceptional level of confidence and sophistication') are key contacts.

Civil litigation/class actions: defense Tier 5

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP's antitrust team recently defended Safeway in a series of claims brought by fuel retailers alleging the client's loyalty program violated various antitrust laws. Roxane Polidora and Jacob Sorensen jointly lead the group and are currently acting for KEMET in class action and direct purchaser claims filed in federal court on the grounds of alleged price-fixing practices in the aluminum, film and tantalum capacitors market. In the healthcare space, Thomas Loran III is part of the team advising four major hospital groups on a class action brought by a healthcare employee beneficiary trust claiming the clients' written and verbal agreements with network providers prevent the plaintiff from competing in the market. Other notable clients include Sharp, Ralphs Grocery Store and Norwegian Air, while other key contacts include senior partner John Grenfell, Andrew Lanphere, counsel Laura Hurtado and associate William Palmer. All named attorneys are based in San Francisco.

Energy: transactions: conventional power Tier 5

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP acts for energy companies and multinational financial institutions in financing and capital markets transactions ranging from IPOs and secondary common stock offerings to convertible and unsecured debt offerings. Key contacts in the New York capital markets group include David Baxter and Todd Eckland, the latter of whom advised a group of underwriters led by Goldman Sachs on the offering and sale of $1.6bn of common stock and $863m of depository shares by Great Plains Energy Incorporated in an SEC-registered underwritten offering to fund a portion of its pending acquisition of Westar Energy. Washington DC-based Robert Robbins and Silicon Valley-based Stan Pierson are also names to note.

Securities litigation - defense Tier 5

The practice at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP is led from San Francisco by Sarah Good and Bruce Ericson, and it acts for a broad range of corporate clients including Fortune 100 businesses and small technology companies. It also handles securities cases for underwriters and auditors. Ericson secured a dismissal with prejudice in In re InvenSense, Inc Securities Litigation, in which plaintiffs alleged InvenSense made materially false and misleading statements regarding its business results. He also acted for venture capital investors in Fitbit, Inc in 1933 Act claims alleging that registration statements and prospectuses for Fitbit's IPO were false and misleading.

US taxes: contentious Tier 5

The practice at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP provides expertise in state and local tax controversy matters. The team has experience representing Fortune 50 companies in income and franchise tax and sales and use tax matters, among other things. Key figures in the team include New York-based practice head James Chudy, Michael Kosnitzky, who has expertise in tax planning and transactional matters, and Miami's Keith Blum, who specializes in tax transactions for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals. The practice group was further strengthened by the arrival of a 13-lawyer SALT group from Eversheds Sutherland, including Marc Simonetti in New York and Carley Roberts in Sacramento.

US taxes: non-contentious Tier 6

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP advises its blue-chip client base on SALT matters, and also has experience with cross-border M&A, financing and securitization transactions, employee benefits and estate planning. Further, the practice group strengthened its SALT capabilities in 2019 with the additions of Carley Roberts in Sacramento and Marc Simonetti in New York, who joined the firm along with 11 other lawyers from Eversheds Sutherland. Standout highlights include acting as outside tax counsel to Amazon in relation to the $970m acquisition of Twitch, and advising the San Francisco Ballet on the restructuring of its tax-exempt financing. Practice head James Chudy in New York advises on the federal income tax aspects of M&A, spin-offs, corporate reorganizations and restructurings; he recently acted for Areva NP in its internal restructuring and the related acquisition by EDF of a €2.5bn majority stake in Areva’s nuclear reactor business. Also recommended are Nora Burke and Ivan Mitev in the New York office, Julie Divola in San Francisco and Miami-based Michael Kosnitzky. Wynn Resorts and Global Cash Access Holdings are also key clients.

Project finance

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP regularly handles project finance mandates for international and domestic energy projects; P3 infrastructure projects are also a key area of expertise. New York-based Michael Reese acted for CSOLAR IV West and other Tenaska affiliates in connection with the permanent refinancing of the construction debt to build a 150MW solar farm in southern California; Catherine Hood in New York advised the underwriters on DTE Electric Company’s $525m green bond offering to support the development and construction of low-carbon, clean energy projects; and Thomas Gump in San Francisco advised Duke Energy Corporation on the issuance of $234m in senior secured notes and a $45m letter of credit facility provided for a 16MW portfolio of eight solar facilities located in California, Colorado and New Mexico. New York and Miami-based Peter Baumgaertner and recently promoted partner Alicia McKnight, who operates across the San Francisco and New York offices, are also recommended. Robert James, who is based across the San Francisco and Houston offices, co-heads the project finance team with Reese, while Gump heads the P3 projects team with Jeffrey Gans in Washington DC.

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP > Firm Profile

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP is an international law firm with offices around the world, and a particular focus on the technology, energy and natural resources, financial services, real estate and construction, and travel and hospitality sectors. Recognized by Financial Times as one of the country’s most innovative law firms, Pillsbury and its lawyers are highly regarded for their forward-thinking approach, their enthusiasm for collaborating across disciplines and their unsurpassed commercial awareness. For more information, visit www.pillsburylaw.com.

Main areas of practice: Energy and natural resources: Pillsbury has advised on precedent-setting energy industry deals and projects in 75 countries worldwide, offering clients a combination of geographic reach, legal and regulatory depth, and energy sector-specific experience that is unmatched among the world’s leading law firms. A leading practice in nuclear law, oil and gas, and renewable and alternative energy, Pillsbury has received more than a dozen Deal of the Year awards from leading publications for projects in North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia. In the field of natural resources and the environment, Pillsbury was named the Environmental Law Firm of the year in 2014 by U.S. News and Best Lawyers. With a team of 40 lawyers working full-time on environmental matters, Pillsbury is home to one of the largest dedicated environmental practices in the United States.

Real estate and construction: Pillsbury has a unique history of deal-making throughout the United States, with leading real estate practices for more than 50 years on the east and west coasts. Because of its size and geographic reach, its real estate practice group is one of the few national practices capable of handling the full range of assignments, from multi-jurisdictional portfolio transactions to single-asset deals in local markets. Lawyers on its construction counseling and dispute resolution team have been hailed by Chambers as part of the ‘preeminent practice of its kind in the United States’. They’ve earned this distinction by working on some of the world’s most complex construction projects: the Panama Canal extension, major infrastructure cases around the globe and two of the largest hospital disputes in history, as well as commercial, industrial and residential projects worldwide.

Technology: Pillsbury established its technology industry legal practice in 1968, when it incorporated Intel. Today, its technology industry practice is one of the world’s largest, comprising more than 250 lawyers based in the United States, Europe and Asia. From incubator to IPO, from M&A to international expansion, Pillsbury lawyers guide technology companies of all sizes and at all stages of development. In the last 30 years, they have filed more than 52,000 patents and over 19,000 trademarks, including foreign marks in around 145 different countries. Pillsbury protects the intellectual property of its clients through the efforts of its high-stakes IP litigation practice, which ranks among the top ten in the nation in patent, trademark and copyright litigation. Technology clients also benefit from its top-ranked global sourcing practice. Among the most experienced advisory teams in the word, its global sourcing lawyers have led more than 750 transactions worth more than half a trillion dollars in contract value, and represented 30% of the Fortune 100.

Financial services: Pillsbury’s finance lawyers advise more than 200 banking and investment institutions, including some of the world’s largest. Its domestic and international clients rely on the firm for regulatory advice and guidance on a wide range of financial transactions, including commercial lending, derivatives, equipment finance, leveraged finance, project finance, trade finance, structured finance, debt restructuring, tax-exempt financing, and distressed investing and debt trading. Pillsbury also offers a broad spectrum of corporate trust and agency services, from initial issuance to defaulted obligations. Its clients are typically foreign and domestic banks, insurance companies, funds and other financial institutions. It also serves the company side of financial transactions for the firm’s corporate clients.

Main Contacts

Department Name Email Telephone
Energy and natural resources Mark Elliot
Real estate Rachel Horsch
Real estate Jim Rishwain
Construction Jeffrey Gans
Construction Jim Rishwain
Technology Jorge del Calvo
Technology Ronald Fleming
Technology Glenn Richards
Finance Rodney Peck
Finance Michael Schumaecker
Finance Mark Lessard

Lawyer Profiles

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Chairman : James M Rishwain
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