Bolstering Transactional Practice, Blank Rome Picks Up Two Finance Partners in Houston

Blank Rome has added two Holland & Knight finance partners to its finance, restructuring and bankruptcy practice groups in Houston, a move aimed at helping the firm build out a transactional practice in Texas.

Cassandra Mott and Sarah Frazier joined Blank Rome as partners Wednesday. Both had been partners at Thompson & Knight prior to the Dallas-founded firm’s merger one month ago with Florida firm Holland & Knight, and Mott had been Houston office leader and finance practice leader for Thompson & Knight.

Mott said she and Frazier had been considering a move prior to the time the merger was announced in April, and they talked with several firms, but they decided to “seize the opportunity” to help build out a transactional practice at Blank Rome’s 10-year-old Houston office.

“We were talking to other firms and Blank Rome kind of swooped in and became the front runner,” Mott said.

“As you know, these things take time,” she added. “Sarah and I were very deliberate about our choice and wanted to make sure we had explored some other feasible options.”

The Philadelphia-founded Am Law 100 has much to offer, including a broad and deep finance practice that’s a good fit for their clients, along with the opportunity to expand their business with work from Blank Rome’s clients, Frazier said.

The firm is also committed to Texas, Mott said, and “seemed to be a really good fit both personally and professionally.”

Mott and Frazier represent financial institutions, including commercial banks and non-bank lenders, and borrowers in a variety of commercial transactions. Mott declined to identify clients, but said many are commercial banks. They also represent non-bank lenders and clients in industries including oil and gas, consumer products, technology, healthcare, manufacturing, chemicals, transportation and retail for commercial transactions.

Susan Bickley, chair of Blank Rome’s Houston office, said the firm has been looking for a while to build out its transactional, banking and finance practice in Houston, to mirror a “tremendously robust”  national practice.

“It couldn’t be better on a number of fronts,” Bickley said.

Zeughauser Group consultant Kent Zimmermann, who is familiar with Blank Rome and has known Mott for years, said she brings a lot to the firm.

“She is an excellent lawyer, also has good leadership skills and she’s a talented relationship-developer, which helps a lot at bringing business in. That’s a powerful combination, so I think it’s a win for Blank Rome,” he said.

Holland & Knight did not immediately respond to a request for a comment on the departures.

In the months since the merger agreement between Holland & Knight and Thompson & Knight merger was announced, a number of firms picked up Thompson & Knight lateral partners, including Baker Botts; Stinson; Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld; Winston & Strawn; Sidley Austin; Baker & Hostetler; McGuireWoods;  Haynes and Boone, Winstead and Bracewell. O’Melveny & Myers also launched an office in Austin with an energy team from Thompson & Knight.