Ballard Spahr's new hires are jump-starting its Delaware presence.
The law firm hired Silvia A. Shin and Morgan Haas and Frank Tynan, the two other members of her team at Saul Ewing.
"We have known and worked with Silvia and her well-regarded team for years and are delighted that we can now call them colleagues," Valarie J. Allen, co-leader of Ballard Spahr's public finance group, said in a press release. "Silvia, Morgan, and Frank are dedicated to their clients, team-oriented, and justifiably renowned for their work in Delaware and Pennsylvania. They are an excellent addition to our already-strong Delaware Valley and national teams and we welcome their clients to Ballard Spahr."
Shin brings not only 20 years of experience, but also her status as the state of Delaware's appointed bond counsel.
Shin is no stranger to Ballard Spahr, she said; she's worked with members of the team throughout her career. She will be working in the Delaware office with Emilie R. Ninan, who she's known since her first transaction in that state in 2005.
"Silvia and I have enjoyed a long working relationship based on mutual respect," Ninan said in the press release. "We have periodically looked for the opportunity to join forces and I am so pleased that day is finally here. The future looks bright for us and our clients."
Shin will serve in Ballard Spahr's finance department and public finance group. She will focus on the Delaware Valley region, although she'll be able to assist the firm's national practice as well.
Shin was interested in joining Ballard Spahr because of its national presence, she said. But she was also excited to work for a firm with a team she had worked with and respected for so long.
"Public finance is such a small arena that I've developed a really close friendship with a lot of their colleagues — my colleagues now — at Ballard," Shin said. "And so it's really nice to be able to have us working on the same side of all the deals."
Shin's team will work out of Ballard Spahr's Philadelphia office. Haas started this week as an associate and Tynan as a paralegal.
Haas has spent her eight-year career at Saul Ewing, Shin said, adding Haas will fit well in Ballard Spahr because of the firm's focus on developing younger legal talent.
"She's a very seasoned practitioner, and she's really excited for the opportunities that a deeper bench and a more robust group will provide her," Shin said.
Now that Shin has joined the firm, Ballard Spahr is the appointed bond counsel to the state of Delaware, its agencies and state conduit issuers including the Delaware Economic Development Authority and the Delaware Health Facilities Authority, the firm's press release said.
"In the immediate future, my focus is transitioning my clients that I have in Delaware and giving them the top-notch services that I have always given them," Shin said.
Delaware is a very sought-after paper, Shin said, and its issuers are protective of their credit profiles.
"We have top-rated issuers in the state, and so when they do come to market, it becomes very attractive," Shin said. "And because of that, it's nice to be able to help shepherd my clients into favorable transactions."
At the beginning of this year, Ballard Spahr picked up 150 attorneys when it combined with Lane Powell, according to the press release. Thanks to the merger, Ballard Spahr now has offices in Anchorage, Portland and Seattle.
