(June 1, 2011, Chicago) - Reed Smith LLP today announced the addition of corporate and energy finance and transactional attorney Patricia (Patty) Dondanville as a partner in the Corporate & Securities Group in the firm's Chicago office.
Ms. Dondanville was formerly a partner at Schiff Hardin in Chicago, where she has spent her entire career. Her practice includes corporate finance and transactional matters, with a focus on providing strategic legal counsel to energy industry clients.
"Patty's strengths in the energy industry complement existing work underway in our practice group, as well as many of Reed Smith's other practice groups firmwide, including our Energy, Trade & Commodities, Investment Management, and Financial Industry Group," said Paul Jaskot, Practice Group Leader of the firm's Corporate & Securities Group. "Her range of experience in finance, M&A and derivatives is an exceptional combination, along with her extensive knowledge of the energy industry. She is a welcome addition to our team."
Ms. Dondanville counsels energy companies, including electric and natural gas utilities, in connection with the acquisition and divestiture of infrastructure assets, and the legal, credit and operational risks associated with energy marketing, energy supply and derivatives trading. She also advises on risk management issues, and documentation policies and procedures, and negotiates physical commodity and derivatives master trading agreements with a broad range of energy market participants. Her experience extends to the negotiation of credit support arrangements and liquidity facilities for energy industry clients, including lien-based collateral programs.
"I look forward to being part of a dynamic global team at Reed Smith. Businesses today, especially energy companies, require a cross-disciplinary approach to legal problem-solving. Corporate finance, regulatory strategy and transactional skills, along with dispute resolution capabilities, are all necessary to fashion the best legal solution for each client," Ms. Dondanville said. "Reed Smith integrates legal experience of amazing breadth and depth with a strategic approach to the practice of law, and also leverages technology to provide seamless client service globally. The high degree of collegiality and commitment that I've observed among Reed Smith lawyers in far flung offices is exactly the type of practice environment I enjoy."
Ms. Dondanville's practice also includes providing legislative and regulatory policy advice on energy industry and finance issues. She worked on behalf of energy companies and trade associations in analyzing the derivatives legislation that became Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Her current energy industry clients include a coalition of energy trade associations that she represents in the ongoing Dodd-Frank Act rulemaking proceedings at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Ms. Dondanville organized and co-chaired an electric-industry-wide committee that drafted a standardized master contract for the purchase and sale of wholesale electric power, at the request of the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) and the National Energy Marketing Association. This committee also assisted the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) in developing the ISDA North American Power Annex, and the committee continues to address issues facing the wholesale electric markets, draft additional optional provisions to supplement the EEI master contract, and provide ongoing training for industry participants.
A 1981 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, Ms. Dondanville is ranked as a leading lawyer in Energy & Natural Resources by Chambers USA-America's Leading Lawyers for Business. She is currently Vice Chair of the ABA Section on Public Utility, Communication and Transportation Law. She will serve as the Section's Chair-Elect in 2012 and Chair in 2013.
"In addition to her energy finance experience, Patty brings to this office her corporate finance and transactional practice, which is also a great fit for the firm," said Michael LoVallo, Reed Smith's Chicago Managing Partner. "Patty has a wide range of solid relationships with clients in many sectors, whom we look forward to serving."
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a global relationship law firm with more than 1,600 lawyers in 22 offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Founded in 1877, the firm represents leading international businesses, from Fortune 100 corporations to mid-market and emerging enterprises. Its lawyers provide litigation and other dispute resolution services in multi-jurisdictional and other high-stakes matters; deliver regulatory counsel; and execute the full range of strategic domestic and cross-border transactions. Reed Smith is a preeminent advisor to industries including financial services, life sciences, health care, advertising, technology and media, shipping, energy trade and commodities, real estate, manufacturing, and education. For more information, visit reedsmith.com.
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