Morrison & Foerster Adds Market-Leading Agency Finance Team in Washington, D.C.; Further Strengthens Firm's Cross-Border Finance Capabilities

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 7, 2021) – Morrison & Foerster, a leading global law firm, is pleased to announce the addition of a new Agency Finance team to its Finance Department in Washington, D.C. Led by Greg Smith and Ann Lilienthal, the team handles complex financing transactions for development finance institutions, multilateral agencies, regional development banks, and export credit agencies around the world.

Mr. Smith and Ms. Lilienthal’s practice focuses on complex cross-border financing transactions in emerging markets worldwide, with a particular focus on Latin America, Central and South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East. The team advises agency lenders in their funding of essential infrastructure and other developmentally significant projects, with collective experience on transactions for such clients in over 80 countries. Their practice spans multiple sectors, including energy (conventional power and renewable energy), financial services, housing, education, hospitality, manufacturing, microfinance, mining, petrochemicals, telecommunications, and transportation.

“We’re incredibly excited to welcome this market-leading team to the firm,” said Jennifer Marines, co-chair of Morrison & Foerster’s Finance Department. “Greg and Ann are widely regarded as global leaders in finance. They provide elite service to agency and other lending institutions on some of the most complex and sophisticated projects around the globe. Adding Greg and Ann’s team presents tremendous opportunities for MoFo, particularly in connection with our existing energy and infrastructure projects platforms in the U.S., Asia, and Latin America.”

Mr. Smith’s practice is ranked Band 1 by Chambers USA in the Projects: Agency Financing category and has been similarly recognized as a global leader by Chambers, Legal 500, Latin Lawyer, Best Lawyers in America, and other ranking organizations for many years. Historically, some of Mr. Smith’s key clients have included the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC, successor-in-interest to Overseas Private Investment Corporation), Export-Import Bank of the United States (U.S. Ex-Im Bank), the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IDB Invest), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM), Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI), Nederlandse Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden N.V. (FMO), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), CDC Group plc, and African Development Bank.

Ms. Lilienthal has worked with Mr. Smith for over eight years. She is widely regarded as one of the leading agency finance lawyers of her generation and is capable of managing and negotiating complex transactions in English, Spanish, and French.

“I am thrilled to join Morrison & Foerster,” said Mr. Smith. “My first opportunity to work with the firm came very early in my career, and ever since I have always been impressed by the professionalism, collegiality, and ability to navigate complex, cross-border projects of the MoFo attorneys I have known. MoFo has long been regarded as a firm of exceptional sophistication, and a leader in the international transactional space in particular, and as a result it provides a perfect home for the continued growth of our group and an ideal place for us to continue serving the agency lender community.”

“I look forward to bringing my international financing experience and multilingual skills to the firm and working closely with MoFo colleagues around the globe to assist clients with their most complex matters,” said Ms. Lilienthal. “The firm’s genuine focus on diversity and inclusion and collaboration were also big draws for me.”

Mr. Smith and Ms. Lilienthal join Morrison & Foerster along with other members of their team, all of whom focus on agency finance.

The team’s arrival further strengthens Morrison & Foerster’s cross-border Finance & Projects capabilities, following the recent addition of several Finance partners in New York, California, and Asia. The addition of Mr. Smith and Ms. Lilienthal also underscores the continued expansion of the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. Since the start of 2021, Morrison & Foerster has added seven partners in Washington, D.C., including Mr. Smith and Ms. Lilienthal, Stacy Cline Amin, Brian Kidd, Alexander Okuliar, David Shaw, and Brandon Van Grack.

Mr. Smith earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and his A.B. from Georgetown University. He is admitted to the bar in the District of Columbia and Illinois.

Ms. Lilienthal received her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and her B.A. in International Economics, summa cum laude, from the American University of Paris. She is admitted to the bar in the District of Columbia and New York. Ms. Lilienthal is fluent in Spanish and French.