Jackson Walker is pleased to announce the addition of Lindsey Berwick and Kirk Rasmussen as partners in the San Antonio and Austin offices, respectively.
“As we close out a strong year, we’re excited to have Lindsey and Kirk join the Firm. They each bring a wealth of experience in their respective practice areas and will enable us to expand our footprint in the finance and regulatory spaces in Texas,” Managing Partner Wade Cooper said.
Meet Lindsey
As a previous senior vice president and corporate counsel to one of the 60 largest banks in the nation, Lindsey B. Berwick concentrates her practice on commercial and corporate transactions. Leveraging her prior experience working in-house and as a commercial real estate and finance attorney, Lindsey is uniquely positioned to represent both borrowers and lenders with large and complex financing transactions ranging from term loans and revolving lines of credit to complex credit facilities for multimillion-dollar real estate portfolios.
“Lindsey is a perfect addition to our Finance team and we are thrilled that she chose to join us,” said Dallas partner Debbie Robinowitz, who chairs the Firm’s Finance & Banking practice. “Her experience not only complements the work we do but will also expand the expertise we can offer as a result of her work as in-house counsel at a prestigious lending institution.”
On entering private practice at Jackson Walker, Lindsey said, “With experience on both sides of the table as in-house and outside counsel, I look forward to offering a unique, dual-lens perspective to businesses. Jackson Walker allows me to build upon that experience while growing in the legal profession.”
San Antonio Managing Partner Julia Mann added: “Lindsey’s addition not only strengthens our relationships within the finance industry, but also helps build on the work that our transactional attorneys are doing for our regional and national clients.”
Lindsey received her J.D. from St. Mary’s University School of Law and her B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin.
Meet Kirk
Joining Jackson Walker’s growing Electric Utility practice in Austin, Kirk D. Rasmussen advises private and public businesses regarding state and federal regulatory matters. A board-certified administrative lawyer, Kirk is involved at nearly every stage of the utility regulatory process as counsel to some of the nation’s largest electric generators, investor-owned and public transmission and distribution utilities, retail electric providers, and large consumers of electricity.
“Kirk is an exemplary lawyer with decades of experience representing clients before the Public Utility Commission of Texas in electric utility and regulatory matters. Kirk’s exceptional experience will enhance our growing electric utility regulatory practice,” said Leonard Dougal, who chairs the Firm’s environmental and regulatory practice group. “With Kirk’s addition, we’re primed to expand our service to clients in these complex utility matters, which are changing rapidly with the growth in energy needs of Texas.”
“Jackson Walker has a strong reputation in Texas for handling regulatory matters. I am confident that this move allows me to provide enhanced service to my clients while allowing me to grow and develop my practice,” Kirk said.
In recognition of his experience, Kirk has been named among Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business since 2018 in the area of Energy: State Regulatory & Litigation (Electricity) for Texas; Thomson Reuters’ “Texas Super Lawyers” list since 2017 in the area of Administrative Law; and Texas Monthly‘s “Top Lawyers” list in 2018.
Kirk graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.S. in Conservation Biology, and from Duke University’s graduate school and law school with his J.D. and an M.A. in Resource Economics and Policy.
Meet Craig
Also joining the Austin office’s environmental and regulatory section is senior counsel Craig R. Bennett, who brings 18 years of experience as a Master Administrative Law Judge with the Texas State Office of Administrative Hearings. In his practice, Craig counsels clients on administrative and regulatory law matters related to compliance, enforcement, litigation, and judicial review of administrative agency decisions.
Outside of his practice, Craig serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas School of Law, where he has taught Texas Administrative Law since 2007. He received his J.D. from Baylor University School of Law and his B.S. from Indiana University.
“With both Kirk and Craig joining our Austin office, we will continue to grow our robust electric utility and regulatory practice and fortify our expertise in handling complex utility and administrative law matters,” Austin Managing Partner Matt Dow said.
Meet JW
Founded more than 130 years ago, Jackson Walker has played a vital role in the growth and development of Texas business. With more than 400 attorneys across seven Texas-based offices, the Firm represents Fortune 500 companies, multinational corporations, major financial institutions, insurance companies, and a wide range of public companies and private businesses around the globe. The Firm is ranked nationally in 27 practice areas in the U.S. News’ “Best Law Firms” rankings, has nine Chambers USA-ranked practices and 16 practice areas with Chambers-ranked attorneys, and has been recognized on the BTI Client Service A-Team since 2014.
