Ballard Spahr Grows Denver Office With Addition of Prominent Public Finance Team

Ballard Spahr—U.S. News and World Report's 2017 Public Finance Law Firm of the Year—is expanding its public finance capabilities in the West with the addition of two Denver-based partners, firm Chair Mark Stewart announced today.

Partners Kimberly C. Reed and Hester M. Parrot add further strength and scope to a national public finance team that has participated in the issuance of more than $1 trillion of tax-exempt obligations in every U.S. state and territory. They join the firm from Kutak Rock.

"These dynamic attorneys complement our existing capabilities and help lay the foundation for a powerhouse public finance practice in Colorado," Mr. Stewart said. "Their enthusiasm, established roots in the Denver area, and combined 30 years of experience make them invaluable resources for the firm’s clients."

The arrival of Ms. Reed and Ms. Parrot also marks the latest development in Ballard Spahr's continuing expansion in Denver and Boulder. In the past year, the firm added 18 lawyers, including eight partners, in Colorado, due in part to successful mergers with Levine Sullivan Koch & Schulz and Lindquist & Vennum.

"We're excited to welcome Kim and Hester to the firm," said Steven W. Suflas, Managing Partner of Ballard Spahr's Denver and Boulder offices. "This addition is another important step toward returning the Denver office to its origins and reaffirming our position as a preeminent public finance firm in the Rocky Mountain region."

Ballard Spahr's Denver-based public finance attorneys—led by Partner Anastasia G. Khokhryakova—serve as bond counsel, disclosure counsel, or issuer's counsel to the State of Colorado, state authorities, higher education and health care institutions, counties and municipalities, special districts, and other governmental issuers.

"Enhancing our public finance capabilities in the Western offices is a strategic priority for the firm," said Emilie R. Ninan, Chair of Ballard Spahr's Public Finance Department. "Kim and Hester are energetic, experienced, and talented lawyers who will no doubt serve as a catalyst for growth as we continue to build on our success in Denver."

Ms. Reed focuses on tax-exempt and taxable financings by Colorado special districts—statutorily authorized governmental entities often used as financing mechanisms for the installation, operation, and maintenance of public infrastructure serving new and existing developments. She also has participated in a number of transactions by urban renewal authorities, transportation authorities, airports, housing authorities, cities, towns, counties, school districts, and water and sewer enterprises, primarily in Colorado. Ms. Reed has served as bond counsel, special disclosure counsel, and underwriter’s counsel in a variety of municipal finance transactions by such issuers—including general obligation bonds, lease purchase transactions, and revenue obligations secured by a wide range of sources, such as sales taxes, tax increment revenues, public improvement fees, and credit-enhanced securities. During her nearly 20-year career, she has provided bond, disclosure, or underwriter's counsel in more than $1 billion in tax-exempt municipal financings and has been an integral member of financing teams for hundreds of successful projects in Colorado.

Ms. Parrot focuses on financings for charter schools, other 501(c)(3) organizations, and government entities—ranging from small towns and districts to large cities, counties, and state-level issuers. For more than a decade, she has served as counsel in bond financing transactions for more than 50 charter schools across the country and helped clients issue more than $1 billion for projects throughout the region. In addition, Ms. Parrot has served as bond counsel, disclosure counsel, and underwriter's counsel on transactions involving the issuance of a variety of debt instruments, including general obligation bonds, revenue bonds, certificates of participation, conduit private activity bonds, and single-family mortgage revenue bonds.

"We're thrilled to be joining one of the premier public finance practices in the country," Ms. Reed said. "We believe that Ballard will offer our clients the resources and level of personalized service they need to achieve their financial objectives."

Attorneys in Ballard Spahr's Public Finance Department represent governments, nonprofit organizations, investment banks, and banking institutions in virtually every type of bond transaction. The firm has been listed as a nationally recognized bond counsel firm in The Bond Buyer's Municipal Marketplace (the Red Book) every year since 1958.

"Public finance projects are becoming more complex than ever, particularly now with the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act," said Ms. Parrot. "But with those challenges comes opportunity. I look forward to working alongside this incredible team to help clients identify innovative solutions to move forward."