Ballard Spahr Expands Public Finance Department

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 8, 2013) –  Pauline A. Schneider and Tatjana Misulic, who handle significant bond financings for clients throughout the country, have joined Ballard Spahr’s Public Finance Department in Washington, D.C., firm Chair Mark Stewart announced today.

Ms. Schneider, special counsel, is among the best-known and most highly regarded public finance attorneys in Washington, D.C. She has more than 25 years of experience serving as bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel, special counsel, or disclosure counsel and has handled billions of dollars of public finance transactions. Ms. Misulic, of counsel, has worked alongside her for more than a decade.

“Pauline and Tatjana are an excellent fit for our public finance practice. They have significant experience representing local governments, particularly in the growing Northern Virginia counties,” said Joseph A. Fanone, Managing Partner of the firm’s Washington, D.C., office. “Pauline is a trailblazer in public finance and Tatjana is a rising star. Together, they will make our already formidable public finance presence in the District even stronger.” 

Ms. Schneider and Ms. Misulic focus on transactional matters, including the representation of state and local governments, borrowers, underwriters, investment bankers, and credit enhancement providers on an exceptionally wide range of complex general obligation and revenue bond financings. They also are particularly noted for their work on public-private partnerships in the Washington, D.C., metro area.

Before entering private practice, Ms. Schneider served in the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs/Secretary to the Cabinet during the Carter administration. After leaving the White House, she was director of the Office of Intergovernmental Relations for the District of Columbia. Both attorneys come to the firm from Orrick, where Ms. Schneider led the Public Finance Group in Washington, D.C.

Said William C. Rhodes, Chair of Ballard Spahr’s Public Finance Department: “Ballard is fortunate to have successfully recruited such talented, experienced public finance lawyers. That has not happened by accident. Our Department is staffed by a wonderful mix of senior attorneys and experienced younger attorneys who have spent their careers focused on the municipal finance industry. The addition of Pauline and Tatjana adds a winning combination to our Department, and the D.C. office, and dovetails with our culture as well as our strengths as a firm.”

Ballard Spahr is home to one of the premier public finance practices in the country, participating since 1987 in the issuance of more than $250 billion of tax-exempt obligations in all states, the District of Columbia, and American territories. Its nearly 70 public finance attorneys represent state and local governments and authorities, nonprofit organizations, investment banks, and banking institutions in virtually every type of bond transaction.

The firm has been listed as a nationally recognized bond counsel firm in The Bond Buyer's Municipal Marketplace every year since 1958, and Thomson Reuters continuously ranks it among the top firms in the country each year as bond counsel and underwriter's counsel by dollar volume. At Ballard Spahr, Ms. Schneider and Ms. Misulic will be members of the Public Finance Department, the P3/Infrastructure Group, and the Higher Education Initiative.

“Many of the top names in public finance practice are at Ballard, and we are eager to join their ranks,” Ms. Schneider said. “There are many synergies between our practices but also areas where we can expand through collaboration. I look forward to getting started.”

About Ballard Spahr

Ballard Spahr LLP, a national law firm with more than 500 lawyers in 13 offices in the United States, provides a range of services in litigation, business and finance, real estate, intellectual property, and public finance. Our clients include Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, life sciences and technology companies, health systems, investors and developers, government agencies and sponsored enterprises, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations. The firm combines a national scope of practice with strong regional market knowledge. For more information, please visit www.ballardspahr.com.