Houston (July 23, 2013) — Sidley Austin LLP announced today that Herschel T. Hamner III will join the firm’s Houston office as a partner in the Global Finance practice. Mr. Hamner brings extensive experience in a broad range of finance transactions, including syndicated bank financings, high-yield debt offerings and the private placement of securities.

“Herschel is an exceptional addition to our Houston office and the continued expansion of our energy finance practice,” said Larry Barden, Vice Chair of Sidley’s Management Committee. “Herschel has emerged as one of the top finance lawyers in Houston. His experience in representing borrowers and financial institutions, along with our firm’s strong capabilities in related areas, including private equity, M&A and tax, will be a great asset to our clients and provide added depth to our global finance capabilities, both in Houston and worldwide.”

Mr. Hamner’s practice principally focuses on representing borrowers and agent banks in syndicated bank financings, including secured and unsecured acquisition financings, working capital credit facilities, bridge loans and other lending transactions. He also has extensive experience representing issuers and underwriters in high-yield debt offerings, as well as issuers and institutional investors in connection with private placements of securities.

“Sidley is one of the world’s leading law firms, and its finance practice is second to none,” said Mr. Hamner. “The considerable depth and breadth of Sidley’s finance platform will enable me to deliver exceptional service to my borrower and financial institution clients. I am thrilled to join such an outstanding group of lawyers, and look forward to working closely with the Houston partners to broaden the firm’s footprint in Houston and in the energy space around the world.” 

“Herschel is a talented finance lawyer with a great reputation in the Houston market,” said Ken Anderson, leader of the firm’s Houston-based finance group. “He will be a superb addition to our expanding energy finance team.”

Chambers USA listed Mr. Hamner in 2012 and 2013 for Texas: Banking & Finance (Up and Coming).

In February 2012, Sidley opened its office in Houston, Texas, which represents a significant expansion of the firm’s service to energy-based clients. Since opening, the office has grown from an initial seven lawyers to 28, including the addition of Mr. Hamner. The lawyers in Houston work closely with firm colleagues around the globe, including the energy regulatory and environmental practices in the Washington, D.C. office.

With approximately 1,700 lawyers in 19 offices worldwide, Sidley has built a reputation as a premier legal advisor for global businesses and financial institutions. For the third consecutive year, Sidley received the most first-tier national rankings of any U.S. law firm in the 2013 U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” survey, making it the only law firm to receive this recognition since the survey’s inception. Sidley was also named the U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Law Firm of the Year” in both Commercial Litigation and Securities/Capital Markets Law in the 2013 survey. On Law360’s list of Global 20 Firms, Sidley was ranked among the top 10 law firms with the greatest global reach and expertise. To stay up-to-date with the latest Sidley news, please follow us on Twitter at @SidleyNewsroom.