Orrick Herrington: Building California's Infrastructure

August 29, 2013 2:55 PM

Orrick at 150

San Francisco-based law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe is celebrating 150 years in business, including well over a century in public finance.

Golden Gate Bridge

In the 1930s, Orrick played a major role in helping to finance the construction of this iconic bridge. More recently, the firm helped with the financing of its seismic retrofit program.

Bay Bridge

Orrick was involved in the financing of the original San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, as well as its multi-billion dollar seismic retrofit program, and new eastern span, scheduled to open to the public on Sept. 3.

Stanford University

In the past eight years, Orrick has served as bond counsel or underwriters' counsel for more than 500 issues aggregating over $31 billion on behalf of colleges and universities. These include the Regents of the University of California, the Trustees of the California State University, and more than 30 private universities in the state.

BART

Orrick has served as bond counsel to San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) in all of its many long-term and short-term financings since its formation in 1957. The firm also represents other transportation issuers including the San Diego County Regional Transportation Commission and the Sacramento Regional Transit District. Orrick has also helped write most of the enabling legislation under which transportation sales tax debt has been issued in California.

Shasta Dam

Since 1985, members of Orricks Water and Wastewater Financing Group have participated in 740 tax-exempt financings aggregating more than $69 billion. The firm was involved in the Central Valley Water Project, one of the nations major water conservation developments. The project was initially built to protect the Central Valley from water shortages and floods, but it also improves Sacramento River navigation, supplies domestic and industrial water, generates electric power, and conserves fish and wildlife.

Moscone Convention Center

Orrick was involved in the financing of the George Moscone Convention Center project. Located in downtown San Francisco, the center consists of three components that were developed in phases over a period of more than 20 years. Moscone South was completed in 1981 and cost $126 million. The Esplanade Ballroom and Moscone North were completed in the 1990s and cost about $200 million. And Moscone West opened in 2003, at $187 million. Development was financed by proceeds from revenue bonds issued by the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency.