J. Shepherd Russell III is a partner in the firm’s Public Finance Practice Group where he has practiced exclusively since 1978. His practice encompasses bond and other debt offerings issued by or on behalf of the various public instrumentalities in Arkansas and elsewhere. Shep’s work is focused on the financing of public and nonprofit projects throughout Arkansas, including bonds sold by underwriters, bonds placed with governmental agencies and local banks, bonds sold at public sale, bonds rated by national rating agencies and insured bonds. The bond issues have been structured as new money issues, refunding (advance and current) issues, and a combination of new money and refunding. He has served as bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel, and trustee’s counsel in these transactions. In these capacities, he has prepared rate, election, and bond ordinances, trust indentures, resolutions, continuing disclosure statements, opinions, arbitrage certificates, official statements, escrow agreements and closing papers.
Shep previously served as the firm’s managing partner.
Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers ranks Shep in the first band (highest ranking) for Corporate/Commercial: Municipal Bonds. As a testament to the esteem in which he is held by his peers, he is listed in The Best Lawyers in America for four areas of law: Municipal Law, Project Finance Law, Public Finance Law and Structured Finance Law. Chambers notes one client described Shep as
“…the best public finance bond attorney in the state. He is the one everyone turns to, and his work is always flawless.”
