Ballard Spahr LLP

We’re excited to announce that Ballard Spahr will begin 2025 by combining with Lane Powell PC—a firm with strength in a range of practices and a reputation for excellence in the Pacific Northwest. Our combined firm, which will retain the name Ballard Spahr, will have more than 750 lawyers in 18 U.S. offices. Joining forces will expand the ways we can go beyond for clients. What a way to celebrate our 140th anniversary! Read more about our combination here: https://bit.ly/3XAbXQU

On Oct. 30, industry leaders from the energy, environment, and clean technology sectors will join Ballard Spahr attorneys for a half-day CLE program. The panelists will discuss emerging issues and hot topics related to the infrastructure challenges and changes needed to address contemporary environmental and energy concerns. Brendan K. Collins, Bill Rhodes, Alyssa Domzal, Holly Horsley, and Lorene Boudreau will be among the Ballard Spahr attorneys presenting. Register for the in-person Philadelphia event or the virtual webinar here: https://bit.ly/3NnFrf0 #BallardLitigation #Infrastructure #CLE

2025 is expected to be A Tale of Two Markets for #CRE #CLOs. Read this white paper by leaders of our Real Estate and Housing Finance Groups on what to expect as real estate finance markets begin to normalize while parties work to clear “legacy” real estate loans and equity investments. Authors Siobhan O'Donnell Sachs, Dominic De Simone, Thomas Hauser, and Greg Jarmas have details about the unique issues and opportunities that CLOs bring to the management, modification, and restructuring of distressed loans. Full white paper at this link: https://bit.ly/3NIelzh #RealEstateFinance #CommercialRealEstate #BallardFinance

It was great speaking about current fraud trends and the regulatory considerations associated with fighting financial fraud at the Utah Bankers Association Conference!

Ballard Spahr congratulates its clients the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) on its Major Bridges P3 Project being recognized as Best Road, Bridge or Tunnel Project at the P3 Bulletin’s P3 Awards 2024, and Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate on its Mathewson Gateway Project at the University of Nevada, Reno being named Best Education and Higher Education Project! Learn more by reading the full list of P3 Awards 2024 winners: https://bit.ly/3A6pffn #BallardFinance #Infrastructure #P3

Lisa (Mayo) Haynes Haynes, our Director of Technology Innovation, is a finalist in the “Intrapreneur” category of the 2024 Innovative Lawyers North America (ILNA) Awards, presented by the Financial Times. The Intrapreneur award recognizes leaders in law firm innovation who have acted as “change makers” within their firms to advance firm culture and processes to the benefit of clients and the firm. Congratulations, Lisa! Winners to be announced in December. Read more about the award and Lisa's work at the link: https://bit.ly/3NIlnnP #BallardFirm #Innovation #Technology

Please see the latest in Money Laundering Watch by myself on a consent order against a card club for allegedly systemic AML failures. It is the latest in a string of AML-related enforcement actions this year involving gaming institutions. https://lnkd.in/e_2W7uWT

HR professionals and in-house attorneys joined Jay Zweig, Marjorie Peerce, and Melissa (Berren) Costello at the Arizona Biltmore Golf Club, where our employment and white collar defense lawyers discussed best practices and protocols for companies conducting internal employment investigations. Jay, Margie, and Melissa covered topics including the importance of promptness and thoroughness, document preservation, avoidance of conflicts of interest, preparing reports, and acting on investigation results. The program also covered circumstances when companies should consider hiring independent legal counsel to conduct investigations and the expectations of government agencies regarding whistleblower and other claims that may give rise to investigations. Thank you to all who attended and for the comments thanking us for the detailed, helpful materials distributed and on helping them to prepare proactively for investigations before the need arises. #EmploymentInvestigations #BallardLitigation #HR

We're calling it a win for our South Dakota office, which hosted a Thursday Night Football Minnesota Vikings Watch Party for clients and friends of the firm last night at Casetta in Sioux Falls. Some serious Vikings bling was distributed via raffle, the chow scored big (see "before" picture below, top right, with our own Dan Fritz), and Heisman-like decorations kept things festive despite the game result. We are so grateful to be able to serve our terrific South Dakota clients and friends! #SouthDakota #SiouxFalls #SiouxFallsLawFirm

A mounting wave of class action lawsuits asserts that tobacco-user surcharges in health benefit plans amount to illegal discrimination — and the wave shows no signs of slowing. In this article for Law360, Finn Pressly and Lesley W. provide information and recommendations for plan sponsors that have implemented a tobacco-user surcharge — as well as other common wellness program designs — for compliance with all the elements of #HIPAA wellness regulations. Read the full article at the link: https://bit.ly/4eUvH8n #TobaccoSurcharge #EmployeeBenefitsLaw #BallardLitigation