Squire Patton Boggs has tapped veteran bond attorney Robert Labes to lead its public and infrastructure finance practice as it eyes expansion opportunities should an infrastructure bill be enacted in 2021.
Labes, who has spent the past 31 years focusing primarily on multifamily housing and healthcare transactions, will succeed Mike Sharb effective Jan. 1. Sharb will continue at the firm on bond and disclosure counsel.
“There will be growth opportunities particularly around financings that are related to infrastructure, which continues to be such a hot topic of conversation in Washington and nationally,” said Labes, who has extensive experience on transactions involving tax credits for low-income housing and historic rehabilitation projects. “Needed infrastructure improvements that will hopefully be spurred through federal legislation in the coming year will involve some public finance components.”
Labes said he wants to strategically expand the group in certain geographic markets where he sees growth opportunities, such as California, Texas and Arizona. Near-term demand could grow if Congress advances an infrastructure agenda
An infrastructure bill would have bipartisan support, he said.
“There is a recognition that the government needs to get back to the business of governing and part of the business of governing is dealing with our critical national infrastructure needs,” Labes said. “I am optimistic that compromise legislation on important areas like infrastructure will develop, will be passed and will be enacted into law.”
A graduate of University of Michigan Law School, Labes spent the majority of his Squire career in the firm’s Cleveland office before relocating to Washington D.C., four years ago. He has worked as bond counsel, underwriter counsel, lender counsel, purchaser counsel and borrower counsel for complex public finance transactions involving infrastructure projects at nonprofit entities along with representing local governments in traditional bond deals.
Labes said he wants to continue the strides made by Sharb leading Squire’s infrastructure practice the past five years, which included earning U.S. News & World Report’s “Public Finance Law Firm of the Year” distinction in 2015, 2018 and 2020.
“I decided that it was the right time for me to return my full attention to my practice; and Bob’s leadership, judgment, client-first approach and forward-looking vision for the future of this practice make him an excellent choice for this role,” said Sharb in a statement.
Squire was the sixth-ranked bond counsel nationally during the first nine months of the year, credited with $815.75 million in 104 deals, according to Refinitiv. The firm has more than 1,500 lawyers globally in 44 offices in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Latin America.
