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August 2023 » thefivestar.com 23 August 2023 M O V E R S & S H A K E R S BLANK ROME ADDS SEVEN ATTORNEYS TO ITS DALLAS OFFICE Blank Rome LLP announced the opening of a new office in Dallas—the firm's 15th of- fice and second in Texas—with the addition of seven attorneys. Joining as Partners are: Steven R. Block, Dallas Office Co-Chair and Partner, Cor- porate, M&A, and Securities Group, who joins from Block & McNeill, LLP; Jason S. Luter, Dallas Office Co-Chair and Partner, Corporate, M&A, and Securities Group, who joins from Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP; Mark W. Harris, Partner, Finance Group, who joins from Alston & Bird LLP; Justin G. Mapes, Partner, Real Estate Group, who joins from Locke Lord LLP; Christopher M. McNeill, Partner, Corporate, M&A, and Securities Group, who joins from Block & McNeill, LLP; Michael B. Thimmig, Partner, Finance Group, who joins from Alston & Bird LLP; and Robert C. Davidson as Associate in the Corporate, M&A, and Securities Group from Block & McNeil, LLP. "Dallas is a vibrant and thriving business community, and we are thrilled to open an office here and bring together such an outstanding group of attorneys to launch our efforts," said Grant Palmer, Blank Rome's Chair and Managing Partner. "Establish- ing an office in Dallas has been a strategic priority of our firm for some time to better serve our clients who are based in or do business in Dallas and North Texas. We have been committed to entering the market with a team of leading corporate, real estate, and finance attorneys who not only have excep- tional experience and reputations locally and nationally, but also fit together as a cohesive and collaborative team. We are excited about Blank Rome's future in Dallas with our new colleagues and are looking forward to contin- ued growth." With more than 40 years of legal expe- rience, Block has an established legacy in practicing corporate and securities law, with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, corporate contracts and counseling, licensing, hedge funds, proj- ect finance, and private equity. Luter will advise Blank Rome clients on corporate ownership succession planning transactions involving employee stock own- ership plans (ESOPs), including seller-fi- nanced and leveraged and nonleveraged buyouts, and provides ongoing legal counsel to ESOP-owned companies. In his new role, he will represent companies, business own- ers, financial institutions, and independent fiduciaries in their roles as sellers, lenders, and purchasers in ESOP transactions. Harris represents specialty finance borrowers and lenders in connection with warehouse lines of credit, whole loan sales, participations, servicing and derivative trans- actions, strategic alliances, and corporate governance matters. His transactional experi- ence also includes mergers and acquisitions and general corporate finance transactions, including representation of issuers and underwriters in public and private offerings of senior/subordinated debt securities and equity securities and representation of bor- rowers and lenders in secured and unsecured commercial credit facilities. Mapes will serve Blank Rome as Partner in the Real Estate Group, and will focus his practice on real estate and commercial trans- actions with an emphasis on the financing, acquisition, development, management, and disposition of commercial real property, including multifamily properties, mixed- use developments, retail shopping centers, healthcare and medical office building developments, condominium projects, and hotels. He has represented major financial institutions, specialty lenders, and borrow- ers in numerous lending transactions, loan workouts, loan modifications, acquisition financing, mezzanine debt, remedy enforce- ment, and foreclosures involving a wide variety of collateral. McNeill works with clients in a broad range of industries, including biotechnology, online gaming and social media, software and software as a service (SAAS) solutions, hospitality and entertainment, private equity, manufacturing, retail and distribution, logistics, construction and related services, and automotive sales and services. He assists clients at all stages of the corporate life cycle, including entity formation, corporate restruc- turing and expansion, securities financing (including private placements and private equity rounds), traditional commercial debt financing, and mergers and acquisitions. Thimmig focuses his practice on struc- tured finance, fintech, mortgage banking, and secured lending transactions. Recently, his practice has focused on structured ware- house credit facilities secured by consumers loans, small balance commercial loans, and merchant cash advances. His securitization transactions have involved various mortgage types including performing, distressed, and nonperforming mortgage loans, and real estate mortgage investment conduit (REMIC) and non-REMIC securitization structures. Davidson's experience includes com- prehensive counseling on a variety of debt financing matters and related corporate law matters across a broad spectrum of indus- tries. He has guided companies through all stages of debt financing for the corporate life cycle, from formation to sale. His extensive debt financing and related corporate expe- rience includes drafting, negotiating, and advising on a wide variety of revolving and term loan agreements, complex cross-bor- der transactions, sophisticated for-profit/ non-profit joint venture arrangements, dividend recapitalization, leveraged buyouts, minority investments and sales to both strate- gic and financial acquirers. Block Luter Harris Mapes McNeill Thimmig Davidson