Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP offers unmatched expertise in public finance and infrastructure development throughout the Pacific Northwest, anchored by our Seattle office since 1999. Orrick’s nationally leading public finance practice traces its history back more than a century, and for over two decades, we have been ranked first in the country as bond counsel. Our firm has served as bond, disclosure, or underwriters’ counsel on more than 70 municipal port financings, aggregating over $14 billion between 2015 to 2025.  Our practice spans traditional revenue bond programs, public-private partnerships (P3), lease revenue bonds, and other innovative structures designed to support both Port-led and developer-driven projects. We are particularly skilled at facilitating financings for key port assets such as container terminals, bulk facilities, cruise terminals, and logistics infrastructure, as well as projects that drive industrial and economic development on or near Port properties.  Our experience extends across the West Coast, including, among others, the Ports of Tacoma, Seattle and Grays Harbor, the Ports of Portland, Morrow, and Coos Bay, and the Ports of Oakland and San Francisco, and nationally with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Our team’s work with Washington ports centers on advancing regional economic and industrial growth. Through our engagements with the Port districts across the state and the Washington Economic Development Finance Authority (WEDFA), we have enabled ports to access new capital for transformative projects—including solid waste disposal, sewage treatment, and other exempt-facility financings—that revitalize waterfronts and stimulate job creation. We routinely guide clients through complex lease-revenue models and conduit bond structures, particularly advantageous given Washington’s limited bond cap environment. Led by Christine Reynolds and Les Krusen, Orrick’s multidisciplinary team integrates deep local knowledge with national best practices to deliver tailored counsel on all aspects of infrastructure finance, ensuring our clients benefit from innovative solutions that address immediate challenges and position them for future success.