William “Blake” Bennett is an experienced business lawyer based in New Orleans, helping corporate clients with a focus on sophisticated banking and finance-related issues and transactions. Blake represents businesses with interests in Louisiana and the Gulf coast in the following areas of law, such as:
- Bank and private equity funding, domestic and foreign
- Real estate
- Commercial, oil and gas and energy lending
- Marine financing
- General corporate advice on entity formation, operations and dissolutions
- Mergers and acquisitions
His clients often combine maritime interests and the energy service sector. He has, for example, handled shipbuilding, vessel support and ownership issues for clients that touch on Jones Act regulations and other protective legislation governing national security.
In addition, Blake often represents non-energy businesses such as fisheries in financing requirements and regulations for ownership, including oversight by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Clients include large domestic fleets, lift boats and service vessels on the Gulf and inland waterways.
A consummate deal lawyer, Blake sees tremendous variety – from gaming and hospitality businesses, grocery distributorships, sports franchises, newspaper publishers and oil and gas companies, in addition to his core finance work for financial institutions and business owners.
Education:
- Louisiana State University, B.S., magna cum laude, 1979
- Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University, J.D., 1982;
Clerkship: Law Clerk to the Honorable Luther F. Cole, Judge, First Circuit Court of Appeal, Louisiana, 1982 – 1983
Cost
Rate : $$$