Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP > Dallas, United States > Firm Profile

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings

Environment > Environment: regulatory Tier 1

The environmental group at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP is a key point of contact for clients within the energy, industrial, manufacturing and real estate sectors, seeking assistance with natural resources, air, water, chemicals and climate change mandates. The practice is co-chaired by the Washington DC-based duo Eric Murdock and Deidre Duncan. The former is best known for his knowledge of environmental risk management, while the latter specializes in water and natural resources compliance issues. Also practicing from Washington DC is Matthew Leopold, who handles water regulation, waste, chemicals and hazardous substances, Kerry McGrath, natural resources and environmental lawyer, who works with clients from across the mining and utilities sectors and Chuck Knauss, who predominantly assists automotive, manufacturing and oil and gas clients with environmental and energy compliance, risk management and enforcement. Over in San Francisco, Shannon Broome co-leads the ESG and climate change practice, aiding clients in the renewables, oil and gas sectors with environmental regulation, counseling and risk assessment alongside Clare Ellis, whose in depth knowledge of climate change secures her a range of clients from within the transport and energy sectors.

Environment > Environment: litigation

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP acts for clients across the energy, automobile, industrial, oil and gas, real estate sectors, assisting with a gamut of legal challenges surrounding natural resources, waste, chemicals, climate change and air and water contamination. It also regularly defends cases before the Circuit Courts of Appeals and the US Supreme Court. Practice heads Eric Murdock and Deidre Duncan co-lead the Washington DC-based team- the former, with deep experience environmental litigator, adeptly defends enforcement actions, challenges environmental permits and deals with disputes, while the latter is known for her deep knowledge of natural resources claims and regularly handles mandates under the Clean Water Act. Also in DC, William Brownell has experience litigating before the US Court of Appeals and the US Supreme Court, and is a key point of contact for Clean Air Act proceedings affecting the energy sector. Clients praise Chuck Knauss for his ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking and recommend Shannon Broome for her ‘clever, creative, persistent and pragmatic’ approach to her work.

Finance > Structured finance: securitization Tier 1

The ‘first-class’ team at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP offers a wide range of services to its securitization clients. It is knowledgeable in various asset-types, including agricultural, small business, residential mortgage-backed, consumer and auto loans. Its experience includes involves advising on litigation finance, ABS and synthetic credit risk transfer securitizations. The firm is an active counsel to issuers and underwriters of ABS and mortgage-backed securities in particular. Mike Nedzbala, in Richmond co-leads the practice whilst specializing in secondary market transactions concerning residential mortgage loans and servicing rights. His fellow lead, Brent Lewis, advises on regulatory matters out of New York for issuers and underwriters in residential and commercial mortgage loan-backed securitizations. New Yorker Brit Mohler Dufilho is well-versed in residential mortgage servicing rights securitizations, advising lenders including investment banks and funds. Also located in New York, Thomas Hiner is experienced in handling bespoke esoteric and novel asset-based financings, in addition to his prowess in traditional asset-based securitizations. Richmond-based Cecelia Phillips Horner overseas the tax aspects of her clients’ secured financings, domestic and international. Janet Sadler McCrae, situated in New York, advises banks and issuers on matters concerning notable asset-types, such as residential mortgage loans, servicing advances and synthetic credit risk transfers.

Media, technology and telecoms > Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection) Tier 1

The ‘exceptional’ privacy and cybersecurity team at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP is recommended for its ‘pragmatic and business focused advice’. Clients spanning the retail, consumer products, technology, financial services, energy and health care sectors seek out the team for its expertise in complex, large-scale cybersecurity incident response, along with in-depth knowledge of privacy law compliance requirements. Breach response expert Lisa J. Sotto heads the firm’s global practice; her ‘expertise and prominence are unmatched’. Aaron Simpson is praised by clients as the ‘epitome of a commercially-minded attorney’, with notable experience of UK and EU privacy regulations and a track record advising private equity clients. Children’s privacy issues are a particular strength of Phyllis Marcus, working out of Washington DC and offering extensive experience with the FTC children’s online privacy program. ‘Quite possibly the foremost expert in CCPA and CPRA in the United States’, associate Danielle Dobrusin is the go-to for emerging state privacy laws. Brittany Bacon regularly handles large-scale cybersecurity incidents, also an area of strength for Adam Solomon. Michael La Marca has a growing practice in AI, machine learning, and biometrics. All team members are based in New York unless otherwise stated.

Finance > Project finance

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP provides a top PPP offering, adopting a multi-sector approach for a wide array of lenders, equity sponsors, procuring authorities and sub-contractors. Over the past twelve months the firm has been instructed on landmark digital infrastructure projects, interstate and intercity railway ventures, major city subway redevelopment programs, and sports and entertainment venue builds, as well as demonstrating continued excellence on highway and toll road P3s which remain a cornerstone feature of the practice. On the energy front, the team has pivoted heavily towards solar and battery storage mandates where they are increasingly utilized for their stellar tax equity financing expertise, and retains its position as a key advisor to government agencies, state-owned energy companies, and industry players engaging with nuclear assets, with the firm active on both domestic and international matters. John O’Neill leads the practice on the infrastructure P3 front from Richmond and presides on both the project development and public finance side of transactions, while Jeffrey Schroeder  is the head of the energy team and represents clients across tax equity investments and tax credit transactions from Washington D.C. Also based in Washington DC, David Horner  advises at the forefront of the P3 space and is a go-to figure for lenders, developers and public bodies for their most consequential projects. Richmond’s Laura Jones and Washington DC’s Geoffrey Lorenz are highlighted for the breadth of their financing expertise, with the duo consistently handling complex project financings and tax equity transactions, chiefly focusing on renewables work, whereas George Borovas is the key figure for nuclear work and operates from the firm’s New York office. Robert McNamara, previously an oil and gas specialist, now lends federal income tax counsel to renewable energy players from Houston. Andrej Micovic is based in Miami and oversees a number of infrastructure ventures on the East Coast, often working closely with associate Forrest Murphy, while Richmond’s Ryan Pedraza has been a key supporting presence across an array of practice mandates, particularly in the transport sector. New York’s Jean Liang, who was promoted to counsel in August 2023, has a practice that encompasses conventional and energy transition sources of power.

Insurance > Advice to policyholders Tier 2

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP represents policyholders across industries in coverage disputes, adeptly handling cases involving denial of coverage, defense expense disputes, business interruption losses, liability claims, and regulatory actions. The firm acts for diverse clients, from Fortune 500 companies to national residential mortgage servicers. Leading the practice from Washington, Syed Ahmad is recognized for recovering significant amounts for clients through litigation and arbitration, specializing in emerging issues like settlement doctrines, allocation disputes, and rescission claims. In Florida, Walter J. Andrews leverages deep experience across a wide range of industries, including financial services and technologies; while Andrea DeField specializes in advising clients on insurance policies, with a focus on cyber risks such as ransomware and large-scale data breaches. Expanding further in Washington, the practice benefits from the expertise of Lorelie S. Masters, specializing in liability coverages like environmental, employment, directors and officers, fiduciary, and cyber liabilities, and Latosha M. Ellis, known for proficiency in cyber insurance.

Media, technology and telecoms > Outsourcing Tier 2

The global outsourcing and technology practice at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP continues to advise on the full spectrum of matters, ranging from complex ITO and BPO transactions and outsourcing agreement negotiations to software compliance audits. The department also demonstrates strengths in various forms of outsourcing. including IT, procurement, SaaS, accounting, and cloud computing, in addition to handling novel projects related to AI, machine learning, and data monetization. Jeffrey Harvey spearheads the division and demonstrates tenacity in negotiating and documenting global, large-scale, and complex BPO and ITO transactions, often for Fortune 100 clients. Randall Parks is recognized for his skill in assisting corporations with high-value tech outsourcing projects, while Andrew Geyer leads on complex multi-tower outsourcing transactions. Christina Edwards primarily advises on the negotiation of various tech agreements, while Sharon Harrington handles outsourcing arrangements for luxury goods and investment firm clients on major outsourcing mandates. From the Washington DC branch, Cecilia Oh is reputed for covering the department’s work in fintech and mobile payments, while Jessica Yeshman advises clients from the retail, financial services, and food and beverage sectors. Unless stated otherwise, all individuals are based in Richmond.

Real estate > Real estate finance Tier 2

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP has a widespread presence all over the US with real estate, development and finance chaired by Brett Gross, who is based in New York. The firm is mandated by a large number of prominent banks to assist with real estate finance transactions, and sustainability-related queries. It is especially noted for its skills in commercial real estate lending where it assists with structuring deals, drafting documents, negotiating, and closing loans. On the lender side, other than banks the team also represents life insurance companies, REITs, and savings and loan institutions. Purchase and sale of real estate debt assets including financing, and workouts is also key to the practice. Co-chair Gross is known for his expertise in secured financings and is the leading force in counselling clients on loan workouts and restructurings of distressed loans. In Dallas, Kathleen Wu advises a wide range of clients on real estate transactions, including joint ventures, loan servicing, and financings, while in New York, Peter Mignone and Matthew Halal both advise lenders and investors on secured financings.

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

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP provides ‘very practical and strategic’ advice to clients from a wide range of industry sectors, including energy, where the firm has strong and longstanding roots. Asbestos-related contamination work remains a strength, with numerous lawyers spread across the national network adept at defending clients in direct occupational exposure cases, bystander claims and para-occupational, or “take-home” cases. Appreciated for her ability to ‘explain very complex scientific information in an understandable way’, Richmond-based litigator Alexandra Cunningham is very experienced at handling asbestos matters, as well as cases involving alleged chemical contamination. She also handles PFAS matters and is part of a firmwide interdisciplinary group that knits together regulatory, litigation and technical expertise to good effect for clients seeking to navigate the rapidly evolving regulatory landscape and to effectively respond to litigation and enforcement actions and advise on PFAS regulatory compliance and clean-up. Georgia Lucier and Tom Waskom co-head the overarching product liability and mass tort litigation group with Cunningham from Houston and Richmond, respectively.

Energy > Energy regulation: electric power Tier 3

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP fields a team that is praised for its ‘deep bench with experienced leadership’ and handles federal and state regulatory proceedings for clients in the electric power sector in addition to providing regulatory support for M&A deals and other energy transactions. Notably, the firm possesses in-depth experience with a number of federal and state authorities such as FERC, the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and ERCOT. Myles Reynolds counts rate cases, certificate proceedings, and regulatory compliance in his advisory portfolio and leads the practice out of the firm’s Dallas office. In New York, Ted Murphy is a go-to lawyer for clients including ISOs, RTOs, and electric utilities seeking advice on matters concerning market design and regulatory issues. Tab Urbantke, based in Dallas, is ‘highly knowledgeable of the industry’ and regularly handles the regulatory aspects of project developments while also advising on energy-related transactions.

Energy > Energy transactions: electric power Tier 3

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP has carved out a niche in the US energy market as a leading tax equity practice, advising both established industry players and new market entrants on the tax equity financings of substantial solar and battery storage projects, as well as advising multinational financial services firms on tax credit transactions. Alongside this, the practice boasts a formidable capital markets offering, working closely with household names in the utilities space, as well as leading underwriters, on significant financing arrangements. Co-heads Jeffrey Schroeder and Peter O’Brien operate out of Washington DC and New York, respectively, with the latter the key figure in the group for power, utilities, and capital markets work, often working closely with colleagues Michael Fitzpatrick and Steven Friend, who demonstrate further excellence in this area and sit alongside O’Brien in New York. Richmond-based Laura Jones is an especially well-regarded tax lawyer who oversees a wealth of tax credit transactions, both generating repeat instructions and new business for the firm. Washington DC’s Geoffrey Lorenz‘s wide-ranging experience covers a variety of financing and transaction structures, and he is also highly active on tax-equity investments. Patrick Jamieson and Brendan Harney are further names of note for their debt and equity capital markets work from New York, while Douglas Dua and Jean Liang received promotions to partnership and counsel, respectively in 2023, also sitting in the New York office.

Energy > Energy transactions: oil and gas Tier 3

Alongside its expertise in advising a range of energy companies, investors and lenders on complex transactions related to the development, financing and acquisition of oil and gas interests, Houston-based Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP is also recognized for assisting clients with a range of LNG projects across the United States. Further core workflows include acquisitions of acreage, assets and entities in the oil and gas sector and transactions involving exploration, production and transportation. Ian Goldberg is noted for routinely advising exploration and production companies on transactions, acquisitions, and divestitures in onshore oil and gas basins in the United States, and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. Co-chair of the corporate team, Michael O’Leary, is a key player in corporate securities and energy industry-related mergers and acquisitions and represents both issuers and underwriters in public and private offerings of energy-related equity and debt securities.

Energy > Renewable/alternative power Tier 3

Tax equity financing is the standout specialism of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP‘s offering in the renewable energy space. Commercial banks and institutional lenders, development finance institutions, export credit agencies, and project developers are all featured in the team’s client list and look to the firm for assistance with various renewable and alternative power project types. Jeffrey Schroeder oversees the practice and has extensive project financing experience, assisting with development, acquisition, financing, and divestiture of renewables. He is based in Washington DC, along with Geoffrey Lorenz, also an experienced figure in a variety of financing structures. Laura Jones in Richmond is one of the key partners for tax equity financing in renewables, while Robert McNamara at the Houston office is an expert in federal income tax law. The team’s deep pool of more junior talent includes July 2023 partner appointment Doug Dua, Jean Liang and Jason Eisenberg in New York, and Alessandra Hylander in Washington DC.

Finance > Capital markets: debt offerings

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP has a major focus on consumer products and retail, energy, power, utilities and REITs. It has an exceptional record in equity-linked, US investment grade corporate bonds and US corporate bonds, especially where it is acting for managers. Energy remains its primary sector, while the power and utilities group acts as either issuer or underwriter counsel for more than 60 power and utilities holding companies. Houston partner James Davidson  is rated for convertible debt and investment grade debt offerings, and is known for his expertise in the REITs sector. Michael Fitzpatrick, Steven Friend and Peter O’Brien are also key partners. Named individuals are based in New York unless stated otherwise.    

Finance > Capital markets: equity offerings

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP is a major player in debt offerings, which has provided a platform for a growing equity offerings practice. The capital markets team is especially committed to REITs, energy, power and utilities, and consumer products and retail. It has close links to issuers and underwriters, gaining particular accolades for underwriter-side representation. Follow-on offerings and at-the-market programs have been a recent feature of the practice. Houston partner James Davidson is at the forefront of REIT IPOs, with New York’s Michael Fitzpatrick, Peter O’Brien and Steven Friend noted for energy, power and utilities deals. Washington DC-based Robert Smith is highly rated for REIT offerings.

Finance > Capital markets: high-yield debt offerings

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP has a major presence in debt offerings, including high-yield. Its primary focus is on consumer products and retail, energy, power and utilities, and REITs, with increasing activity on energy and financial services. It covers both issuer and underwriter representation. Henry Havre and Michael O’Leary are key partners in Houston.

Finance > Fintech Tier 3

With in-depth corporate, payments, and regulatory expertise, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP is a strong choice for emerging and established fintech companies, bank originators, and payment processing providers. The practice is also highlighted for its capabilities in advising private equity firms and hedge funds on financing matters and is led by Texas-based Erin Fonté. Fonte is proficient in the product development and launch of payment systems, whilst in New York, Lisa Sotto leads the firm’s privacy and cybersecurity department, which is also an area of key expertise for Brittany Bacon. Peter Weinstock advises platform banks on data monetization, while in Washington DC, Scott Kimpel is experienced in enforcement matters before the SEC and various other capital market regulators. Charlotte-based Abigail Lyle is skilled in consumer protection law litigation, and Carleton Goss advises financial institutions on M&A. Rachael Craven often handles financial products and services investments and partnerships, while Marysia Laskowski focuses on corporate and securities matters. All of the individuals that have been mentioned are located in Dallas, unless stated otherwise.

Intellectual property > Trademarks: litigation Tier 3

Capable of advising clients across all phases of litigation, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP enjoys a strong grounding in ex parte appeals of examination and inter partes challenges to applications at the TTAB alongside considerable experience in managing opposition and cancellation proceedings. John Gary Maynard and Tyler Maddry spearhead the practice from the firm’s Washington DC office. Operating from the firm’s New York office, Jeremy Boczko is active across federal and administrative courts and Armin Ghiam capitalizes on his background in law, finance, and tech to advise clients across the full IP life cycle, from pre-suit investigations and mediation, to trial proceedings. In Washington DC, seasoned litigator Edward Colbert continues to be entrusted by financial services, entertainment, and consumer goods companies, while Erik C. Kane possesses considerable experience in federal courts, state courts, the ITC, and the TTAB. Other key figures include Richmond’s Stephen Demm and New York’s Jonathan Reichman.

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

Active across sports, media, financial services and technology sectors, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP maintains a broad offering handling world marks, slogans and sound marks for notable clients such as The Vitamin Shoppe and Peanuts Worldwide. John Gary Maynard, who operates out of the firm’s Washington DC and Richmond office and is noted for his brand protection, online enforcement and domain name counseling, jointly leads the practice alongside tech sector specialist Tyler Maddry, who is based in the firm’s New York office. Richmond’s Stephen Demm is regularly engaged to manage trademark mandates in the energy sector and New York’s Jonathan Reichman, who is recommended for his ‘highly commercial’ approach.

Labor and employment > Immigration Tier 3

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP‘s handles the full spectrum of immigration work from sponsorship, global immigration and compliancy issues. In Washington DC, Ian Band co-leads the practice and advises corporate clients on immigration and nationality law alongside Adam Rosser, who focuses on employment-based immigration as well as practice management, immigration pricing and employee retention matters. Suzan Kern assists banking, manufacturing and biotech companies to secure a variety of visas for employees, Shaena Rowland focuses on corporate immigration and compliancy and Lieselot Whitbeck, who operates from Miami, specializes in aiding companies with a global workforce. Recognized expert in Department of State policy and consular operations, Stephen Pattison is based in the Washington DC office. Sara Harlow, Brooke Hollmann, Farah Egal are other key names in the practice.

Labor and employment > Labor and employment disputes (including collective actions) Tier 3

The practice at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP is co-led by Emily Burkhardt Vicente from Los Angeles and Kevin White from Washington DC. Burkhardt Vicente is well-versed in litigating hybrid class and collective action cases, and has particular focus on the defense of sexual harassment and equal pay challenges. White has focused his practice on defending retail and energy-sector clients in discrimination and wage and hour class action litigation, as well and handling government agency discrimination investigations. Additional key contacts include Washington-based Ryan Bates, Los Angeles-based Michele Beilke, and Michael Brett Burns of the San Francisco office.

Labor and employment > Labor-management relations Tier 3

Labor and employment team co-chair Emily Burkhardt Vicente in Los Angeles and Kevin White in Washington DC lead the team at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, which often appears before the National Labor Relations Board. A feature of the group’s practice is its flexibility when dealing with litigation for unionized employers and tailoring their approach to unique defenses available to them. Such litigious matters include wage-hour class action matters, particularly in the retail and consumer products sector. Non-contentious issues handled by the group often involve collective bargaining agreements.

M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: middle-market ($500m-999m) Tier 3

The M&A practice at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP is comprised of specialists in the competition, data protection, and tax law spaces who regularly providing bespoke advice to domestic and international companies in the life sciences, energy, and real estate sectors. The team shows significant strength in handling strategic acquisitions and divestiture programs, with Richmond-based co-head Steven Haas specializing in public company sales and corporate governance proceedings and Washington DC-based co-head Steven Patterson focusing on public and private securities offerings and compliance issues. Houston-based Mike O’Leary routinely negotiates complex partnerships and joint ventures, and in Miami, Fernando Alonso acts on behalf of financial institutions and corporations in connection with debt financings. From Richmond, Gary Thompson concentrates on handling divestitures and carve-out transactions. Peter Weinstock is a key contact in Dallas.

Real estate > Real estate investment trusts (REITs) Tier 3

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP‘s real estate capital markets, tax, and M&A practices all work seamlessly together to assist its largely publicly-traded REIT client base with real estate capital market transactions, M&As, and IPOs. The firm has expanded its reach to include equity and debt transactions where it acts as both issuer’s and underwriter’s counsel. It is particularly strong in representing public REITs as underwriters counsel and is well-versed in mortgage securitization for mortgage REITs. Robert Smith leads the real estate capital markets side from Washington DC and is an expert on public REIT transactions, including corporate and securities matters. Kendal Sibley co-leads the practice from Richmond and is an expert in federal tax issues involving equity and mortgage REITs. In Houston, James Davidson advises issuers and underwriters on IPOs, while Kate Saltz is the go-to for corporate finance-related REITs issues over in Richmond.

Real estate Tier 3

With key offices in New York and Texas along with others including in Washington DC, Los Angeles, Richmond, and Atlanta, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP’s nationwide real estate, development and finance team advises on transactions and financings for a range of trusts, holding companies, and large private equity firms. Moreover, the practice also has experience advising REITs, family offices, and developers, with a considerable stream of work involving hospitality, single family rentals, and industrials, data centers and life sciences. Supporting the team is a sustainability sub-group that provides assistance on matters like C-PACE financing alongside an energy sub-group that regularly handles real estate aspects of oil, gas and mining transactions. The practice is led by Dallas based partner Howard Schreiber and New York co-heads Laurie Grasso and Brett Gross. In the firm’s Dallas office, Jeff Giese is experienced on investments, transactions and joint ventures, with Matthew Scoville being another key name in the New York office for his transactions, workouts, and restructuring expertise. Other integral members include New York’s Anthony Bonan and Paul Greco, as well as ‘extremely talented partner’ Conor Shary in Houston.

Energy > Energy litigation: oil and gas Tier 4

Energy > Energy regulation: oil and gas Tier 4

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP regularly represents clients in compliance and enforcement matters before FERC and EPA and advises on the regulatory dimensions of gas permits as well as of project developments and operations, including in relation to environmental issues. The practice is led by Myles Reynolds in Dallas, whose portfolio encompasses rate cases and advice on greenfield projects for a variety of clients, including natural gas utilities and midstream companies. Based in Washington DC, Shemin Proctor also sports extensive expertise in representing clients before FERC and advising them on regulatory compliance in connection with transactional matters. Another key practitioner in the group is DC’s John Shepherd, an energy specialist with extensive experience in pipeline certification and abandonment as well as in civil enforcement matters.

Media, technology and telecoms > Technology transactions Tier 4

At Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, the technology group advises clients on IT and e-commerce transactions in addition to handling issues at the intersection of IP and tech. Adopting a multidisciplinary approach by collaborating with its privacy and cybersecurity teams, the department is also capable of handling cloud computing transactions and systems integration agreements. Jeffrey Harvey leads the team from the Richmond office and assists clients with AI and managed services projects. Also based in Richmond are Randall Parks, who covers innovative tech deals, and Andrew Geyer, whose scope of work includes IT contract negotiation, software audits, and data management issues. In Washington DC, Cecilia Oh has demonstrable experience in handling transactions which involve fintech and e-commerce products, while clients come to Tyler Maddry for assistance on the negotiation of complex IP contracts.

Tax > US taxes: non-contentious Tier 4

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP‘s non-contentious tax practice is particularly strong in the structured finance and securitization spaces, with the energy sector another area of focus. Cecelia Horner in Richmond, with notable experience handling the tax aspects of secured financings, acquisitions, transactions involving investment funds and derivatives, and restructurings, chairs the group alongside Houston-based Robert McNamara, who focuses on federal income tax issues concerning business transactions planning, especially in the energy industry. George Howell in Richmond offers expertise in REITs, including in relation to REMICs and other securitization transactions. Washington DC’s David Lowman specializes in energy-related tax credits, while Richmond-based Kendal Sibley advises on equity REITs, mortgage REITs, and private investment funds. Laura Jones, also in Richmond, plays a key role in the team, advising on the tax equity financing of renewable energy projects.

Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: design Tier 5

The ‘very responsible’ team at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP is led by Anthony Eppert from the Austin office, and Jessica Agostinho in Washington DC. Eppert recently assisted clients in designing employee stock ownership plans and working on their employer stock funds within 401(k) plans. Agostinho often gives compliance advice, and recently worked on the termination of a defined benefit plan. Also working from Washington DC, the ‘extremely responsive’ Michelle Lewis advises clients on retirement and health plan compliance concerning SECURE 2.0 and CARES regulatory changes. Scott Austin retired from the firm in October 2023.

Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional Tier 5

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP supports both public and private companies with the employee benefits and executive compensation facets of transactions, focusing on due diligence, negotiating representations, and ensuring post-transaction contractual and regulatory compliance. Anthony Eppert, co-leading the practice from Austin, focuses on executive compensation, employee benefits, and ESOPs, addressing associated tax, securities, and corporate governance concerns. In Washington DC, fellow practice head Jessica Agostinho offers expertise in tax-qualified retirement plans, ERISA compliance, and the due diligence of employee benefit plan documentation. Counsel Michelle Lewis, also based in DC, focuses on health and welfare plans, qualified retirement plans, and executive deferred compensation plans. Former co-head Scott Austin retired in October 2023.

Finance > Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate Tier 6

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP represents a variety of clients both in-and-out-of-court for services in restructuring and reorganizations, including representing plaintiffs and defendants in bankruptcy-related litigation. The firm deals with a range of industries including the retail, health care, entertainment and technology, as well as indenture trustees. Richmond-based Tyler Brown co-head’s the practice with Timothy Davidson in Houston, both of whom are skilled in Chapter 11 reorganizations, with expertise handling both creditors and debtors. Robin Russell , who is also situated in Houston, covers bankruptcy litigation as well as financial transactions.

Labor and employment > Workplace and employment counseling