Latham & Watkins LLP¹ is pleased to announce that Catherine Ozdogan has joined the firm as a partner in the Finance Department of the Houston office, adding significant capabilities to the firm’s burgeoning energy industry practice group.

Ozdogan advises on commercial lending and financial transactions, representing commercial banks, finance companies, mezzanine funds and borrowers in a wide variety of commercial lending transactions, with a focus on financings in the oil and gas sector. Notably, she has advised borrowers and the nation’s largest commercial banks in connection with syndicated credit facilities, particularly secured leverage transactions. She joins from the Houston office of Bracewell & Giuliani.

The addition of Ozdogan brings the partner total in Houston to 13 and the office attorney headcount to 47, reflecting the robust activity and growth in the firm’s energy industry practice since the Houston office was launched in early 2010 with eight founding partners.

Michael Dillard, Office Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins in Houston, said: “Catherine adds additional depth to our energy industry practice in very specialized commercial lending areas that are often vital to the success of our clients’ business plans. Few, if any, firms can match the oil and gas expertise we possess in Houston, combined with the global reach and diverse capabilities of the firm across markets and practice areas. We are excited to welcome Catherine to the firm and know that that our clients and colleagues will find her to be valuable resources in a number of important areas.”

Craig Kornreich, Chair of the firm’s Finance Department in the Houston office, said: “Lenders and borrowers in the oil & gas sector are demanding an ever increasing level of sophistication, market knowledge and commercial savvy from finance counsel. Catherine has proven over her career that she consistently meets and exceeds these client demands. Catherine also has deep contacts in oil & gas finance arena in Houston and beyond. For all of these reasons, we are thrilled about Catherine joining our rapidly growing Houston finance practice .”

Ozdogan added: “I was attracted by the opportunity to contribute to the continued growth of the Latham’s energy industry practice, and I look forward to working with my new colleagues to offer creative and dynamic financing solutions to our clients.”

Ozdogan received a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1994, and a bachelor’s degree from Rice University in 1991.

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