Patton Boggs hired Linda D'Onofrio as a public finance and tax capabilities partner to its New York office from Day Pitney, where she was of counsel.
D'Onofrio started at Patton Boggs last month. She joins the public finance group that the firm started in October, a spokesman said Tuesday. Before her hire the group was composed solely of bond lawyers. D'Onofrio specializes in tax law relating to tax-exempt bonds.
"I joined because of Patton Boggs' stature, and because I wanted to help bring a new practice to the firm," she said in an interview.
The public finance group currently consists of Alphonso Tindall, Sani Williams, Deborah Hartmann Henry, Alethia Nancoo, and Pamela Robertson, who all came to the firm from Edwards Wildman Palmer, according to the Patton Boggs spokesman. D'Onofrio said that she had known members of the group prior to her arrival from their reputations, and because they belonged to some of the same organizations such as the National Association of Bond Lawyers. Discussions about her moving started in December.
D'Onofrio's practice focuses on municipal bond transactions, mortgage and asset-backed securities transactions, bank conversions, public-private partnerships, mergers and acquisitions involving municipal securities, as well as other financial instruments. Her clients include issuers, investment banks, and other market participants.
"I did bring a couple of clients over to Patton Boggs, because there are so many synergies over here that are beneficial to them," said D'Onofrio.
She listed Patton Boggs' government relations practice, its non-profit group, and its energy practice as areas her clients could benefit from. She declined to name the clients she brought over. D'Onofrio didn't bring any other Day Pitney attorneys or staff members with her.
Patton Boggs, a Washington, D.C-based firm, is well-known for lobbying. Its revenues dropped 12% and its attorney headcount plunged in 2013 from the previous year, according to The Wall Street Journal. The firm reported revenues of about $278 million and an attorney head count of around 400 for 2013, the spokesman said.
The National Law Journal reported that Patton Boggs had asked 15 to 20 partners — half equity and half income partners — to leave the firm in the next few months. An additional five or six partners have opted to defect from the firm by choice, NLJ said.
Patton Boggs announced on Feb. 24 that it was going to close its office in Newark, N.J. On Feb. 26 the firm said that it was in talks to merge with Squire Sanders, a union that would create a 1,700-lawyer firm. Most recently, Patton Boggs said it had hired the financial advisors Zolfo Cooper to help overhaul its finances, changing its compensation structure and reducing its expenses.
