Washington, D.C.-based lobbying firm Patton Boggs LLP has created a public finance team formed from four former Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP lawyers.
Alphonso Tindall Jr. and Alethia Nancoo joined Patton Boggs’ New York and D.C. offices, respectively, as partners, the firm said in an announcement Tuesday. Sani Williams and Deborah Hartmann Henry joined as counsel in New York. A six-year veteran at Wildman, Tindall brought the three lawyers to Boggs as a team after the firm expressed interest in developing a new area of practice. Edwards Wildman was ranked 14th among bond counsel in 2012, providing services to $5.74 billion in par amount of deals.
“They are talented, nationally recognized attorneys who bring highly focused skills and knowledge of the public finance world,” Edward Newberry, managing partner of Patton Boggs, said in a statement. “Their arrival at Patton Boggs opens up a new realm of opportunities for our clients needing assistance with the full spectrum of public finance transactions and private fund investments.”
The move will enable Patton Boggs, a renowned public policy and lobbying firm, to provide an additional area of work for its government clients. It also enhances private fund investment and infrastructure transaction capabilities, the firm said.
“You’re seeing the same clients, you’re effectively in the same platform,” Tindall said in an interview. “It’s unique to Patton Boggs, or anyone else who has a public-based practice already. They recognized there is a wonderful fit with their government practice.”
With more than 30 years of experience in public finance practices, Tindall has served as counsel on more than $20 billion of financing, according to the announcement. He has clients in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and New York City, the firm said.
Nancoo’s experience includes advising on revenue and general obligation bonds, income-tax-secured bonds, credit liquidity facilities and short-term cash-flow borrowings, according to Patton Boggs. Her focus will be on infrastructure, airport, surface transportation, mixed-use multifamily housing and water utility sectors.
“The management team at Patton Boggs had just celebrated its 50-year anniversary and was looking at what they would be like in the next 50 years,” Nancoo said. “With the government relations strength of the firm, there will be real synergy to tap long existing clients and provide additional service to those clients.”
