In recent days, the law firm of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP announced that five bank finance and high yield partners have joined its existing New York acquisition finance practice.
The partners include Ronan M. Wicks and Patrick J. Flanagan, formerly partners at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP in New York, Bruce Czachor, formerly a partner at Shearman & Sterling LLP in New York, Julian S.H. Chung, formerly a partner at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP in New York, and Jason D. White, head of the leveraged and high grade finance and credit restructuring practices in the Americas for the legal department of Barclays Capital.Â
The partners have joined Orrick’s acquisition finance practice group; Ronan Wicks will serve as global co-head.
Wicks, Flanagan, Czachor, Chung and White regularly represent a cross section of major investment banks in sophisticated financing and restructuring transactions involving financial sponsors, leveraged corporates and investment grade companies. Clients have included Barclays Capital, Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley, Citibank, and Bank of America.
Orrick’s client base of financial institutions accounts for over one-third of the firm’s total revenues. With the addition of these partners, the firm has added significant acquisition finance capability to its leading financial institution practices in the areas of project finance, infrastructure finance, structured finance, public finance, capital markets, tax, and litigation.Â
Ralph Baxter, Chairman and CEO of Orrick was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “We are delighted to assemble this team of leading practitioners in the area of acquisition finance. This move adds another strong dimension to our representation of major investment banks and financial institutions, both in New York and globally.”
Ralph Baxter has held the position of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP since 1990. Under his leadership, the firm has become known as an innovator, and has expanded, diversified and extended its geographic reach, as well as launched a variety of transformative initiatives, including the firm’s new talent and pricing models.
Recognized as one of America’s “100 Most Influential Lawyers” by The National Law Journal, Baxter speaks frequently on business leadership and the evolution of the legal profession. He is the founder of the Law Firm Leaders Forum, one of the most significant gatherings of law firm leaders annually examining critical issues facing the legal profession.Â
A leading global law firm with offices spanning the United States, Europe and Asia, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP has over 1,200 lawyers across 23 offices and 8 countries, and offers practices of the highest quality, including a mix of transactional, litigation and regulatory expertise.Â
Chambers & Partners ranks Orrick’s lawyers and its practices among the world’s finest. The 2011 Chambers Global profiles Orrick’s strengths across 37 practice areas and 11 markets, and names 60 Orrick lawyers as leading practitioners worldwide. Law 360 recently named Orrick among its “Global 20,” a list of the most successful firms as measured by US and international expansion and results achieved for clients. As well, The Financial Times includes Orrick on its list of the most innovative U.S.-origin law firms, recognizing the firm’s finance and litigation work.