New Arrivals Create One of the Largest Public Finance Practices in Minnesota

Taft, one of the fastest growing law firms in the nation, today announced the arrival of partner Rhonda Skoby and associate Rachel Lochner to the Public Finance practice in Minneapolis. With their arrival, Taft’s Public Finance practice represents one of the largest in Minnesota and has also earned a number of recent industry accolades across the country.

“We are thrilled to welcome Rhonda and Rachel to Taft, as they are an excellent fit for our team, bringing extensive experience in navigating a wide range of complex public finance transactions and issues,” said partner Catherine Courtney, who leads Taft’s Public Finance practice in Minneapolis. “As we continue to grow, we are proud our group has one of the largest number of public finance lawyers in-market and on the ground in Minnesota, where our team includes seven lawyers and four professional staff.”

Rhonda joins Taft after nearly two decades in the public finance industry, including ten years with another Am Law 100 law firm in Minneapolis. Her practice focuses on assisting issuers, borrowers, and underwriters in public finance transactions of all sizes. As bond counsel, Rhonda helps municipalities, non-profits and other entities meet their financing goals for health care facilities, multifamily housing or senior living facilities, tax-exempt manufacturing projects, and governmental projects including transportation projects, streets, sewers, capital improvement projects, and economic development. Rhonda has also served extensively as underwriter’s counsel for projects throughout the country, including charter schools, higher education, housing, senior living, hospital and health care facilities, and recreational facilities. Rhonda earned her J.D. from the University of St. Thomas School of Law, magna cum laude, and earned her B.A., from Hamline University. In the community, Rhonda serves as Legislative Chair of the Minnesota Institute of Public Finance, as Vice President of Education for the Minnesota Chapter of Women in Public Finance, and on the Board of Directors of WomenVenture.

Rachel joins from the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, where she served as a staff attorney for nearly three years. Rachel’s practice focused on the development and preservation of affordable housing financed with federal, state, and local tax incentives. Prior to Minnesota Housing, she was in private practice at one of Minnesota’s largest law firms as an attorney in its Tax Credit Financing & Syndication Practice. Rachel earned her J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School, magna cum laude, after working for several years in the community health and housing sector in Massachusetts.

With nearly 40 lawyers across the country, Taft’s Public Finance practice recently earned a variety of top honors in The Bond Buyer, including several state and national rankings available here. Regarded among the best in the field of public finance, Taft has a long history of providing innovative financing solutions across the country. The firm has been behind the bonding of billions of dollars in municipal and public financing projects like airports, medical facilities, affordable housing, cultural centers, utilities, schools, educational institutions, professional sports facilities, convention centers, streets, highways, and transit stations.

Through a series of strategic mergers in recent years, including the most recent with public finance powerhouse Sherman & Howard in the Mountain West, Taft has become one of the fastest-growing firms in the Am Law 100, with more than 1,050 attorneys spanning from the Mountain West region to Washington, D.C. Continuing this momentum, last week Taft announced its expansion into Florida through a merger with the Mrachek Law firm, a litigation boutique based in West Palm Beach and Stuart.