Kimberly Betterton, a municipal bond and tax lawyer, has joined Ballard Spahr LLP in Baltimore, the firm announced Tuesday.
Formerly a partner at McKennon Shelton & Henn, Betterton has become a member of Ballard Spahr’s public finance, energy, project finance, tax and transactional tax practices.
Betterton will focus on the federal tax laws and rules pertaining to tax-exempt bonds, especially conduit 501(c)(3) financings, governmental bonds, and qualifications for exempt facility private-activity bonds.
She also advises clients on issues related to interest rates swaps and other derivatives, Build America Bonds, and qualified school construction bonds, according to the firm.
Her practice includes counseling clients on a wide range of post-issuance tax compliance concerns, including those dealing with arbitrage, private use questions, remediation, reissuance, and Internal Revenue Service audits and reviews.
“I have worked alongside Kim for several years and am enthusiastic to have her at Ballard Spahr,” said Frederic “Rick” L. Ballard Jr., head of the firm’s tax group. “Kim is a terrific lawyer — smart, creative and dedicated to her clients. She will be a tremendous asset to the firm.”
Betterton chaired the National Association of Bond Lawyers’ Bond Attorneys’ Workshop last year and was a member of NABL’s board. She also chaired the arbitrage subcommittee of the American Bar Association’s tax-exempt financing committee.
She is a former editor-in-chief of Federal Taxation of Municipal Bonds.
Betterton holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a law degree from William and Mary Law School.
Ballard Spahr has more than 475 lawyers in 13 offices and provides a range of services in public finance, business and finance, real estate, intellectual property and litigation.
