Spencer Fane LLP is pleased to announce the addition of two partners to the firm’s Kansas City office. Brent Erwood joins the Banking and Financial Services practice group, while Jessica Merrigan joins the Environmental and Energy practice group.
“Brent and Jessie bring strong legal skillsets and a proven track record of prioritizing client relationships in their work,” said Patrick J. Whalen, managing partner at Spencer Fane. “We look forward to the opportunity to strategically grow two very important practice groups at the firm and maintain our commitment to providing comprehensive legal services for our clients’ most important matters.”
Erwood represents banks, commercial finance companies, factors, asset-based lenders and borrowers with complicated commercial lending matters involving structuring, documenting, negotiating and monitoring credit relationships. His diverse range of practice includes unsecured loans and middle market lending to agented credits with multiple credit facilities, multiple interest rate options and collateral. Erwood’s industry experience includes manufacturing, distribution and service businesses.
In addition, Erwood works with lenders and borrowers from proposal and commitment letter development through loan closing, and afterward on subsequent loan administration matters. He spends significant time counseling clients regarding all aspects of Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code, including the creation, attachment, perfection and priority of security interests.
Merrigan counsels clients on environmental matters regarding regulatory requirements and represents them in litigation of environmental claims, including contribution claims under the federal Superfund law. She has significant experience helping clients in administrative negotiations with both the U.S. EPA and state agencies and advises them on additional or equivalent state law requirements and assists with facility audits, compliance initiatives and waste reduction programs.
Throughout her career, Merrigan has worked with clients to monitor the ongoing changes in chemical regulations and implement programs to manage evolving state, local and federal requirements for chemical management, disclosure and research. She also helps clients with environmental issues involved in property redevelopment and real estate transactions, including review of environmental assessments, evaluation of potential environmental liabilities associated with transactions.
Erwood completed his undergraduate education and obtained his Juris Doctor from the University of Iowa. Merrigan obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of San Diego and earned her Juris Doctor from Washington University School of Law.