CHICAGO – St. Louis-based Armstrong Teasdale LLP has landed two partners from local competitor Gilmore & Bell PC, the dominant bond counsel in Missouri.
Rick McConnell and Richard Wood joined the law firm in its Kansas City, Missouri, office as partners in the public finance practice in June as the firm seeks to “continue its investment in public finance.”
The two bring to 15 the number of public finance specialists at the firm including five in the Kansas City office with an additional two working in of counsel roles. “They are backed by a team of attorneys in other practice areas who serve clients across the country, including municipalities,” said Rob Klahr, financial and real estate services practice group leader at the firm.
McConnell primarily serves as bond, disclosure, tax and special counsel to cities, counties, conduit issuers and special purpose districts on all forms of bond structures.
“In addition, he has represented lenders in various types of public finance transactions across the country,” according to the firm.
Wood is a veteran of counseling clients on economic development, land use and municipal law matters.
“From the project structuring phase through the closing of permanent financing, he primarily represents municipalities in development incentive projects involving tax increment financing, transportation development districts, and community improvement districts, as well as Chapter 100 industrial revenue bonds,” said the firm.
In addition to St. Louis and Kansas City, the firm has a third Missouri office in Jefferson City and offices in Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, and Nevada with more than 230 attorneys overall.
Prior to joining Armstrong Teasdale, both McConnell and Wood were shareholders at Gilmore & Bell, which last year was the top-ranked bond counsel in Missouri, credited with 181 deals valued $3.3 billion, according to data from Thomson Reuters. Armstrong Teasdale ranked fifth, credited with nine deals valued at $245 million.
