Kutak Rock public finance attorney assumes chair role

Kutak Rock LLP public finance attorney John Petr took over as firm chair this month after Jay Selanders’ five-year term expired.

Petr, a partner who had been serving as vice chair, is based in the Omaha headquarters where he’s a member of the public finance department. Petr joined Kutak Rock in 1987 and has held the vice chair post since 2019.

Petr, who earned his law degree from the University of California at Berkeley School of Law, has represented issuers, credit enhancers, lenders and underwriters in connection with taxable and tax-exempt financings in the housing, military housing, higher education, electric energy and project finance sectors.

“For the past 35 years, I have been privileged to work alongside my Kutak Rock colleagues in the shared spirit of our founders — Bob Kutak and Harold Rock,” Petr said in a statement. “In my new role, I am committed to honoring these traditions, executing the firm’s strategic plan and helping our people navigate a post-pandemic economic and business landscape with our clients’ best interests at the center of our service mission.”

Hilary Jackler, a partner in the corporate and government services department and the current managing partner of the Washington, D.C., and Richmond offices, was named vice chair. Jackler is based in D.C. where her practice focuses on representing governmental entities in the implementation of public-private partnerships, developing real estate, and establishing programs and policies.

Jackler joined the firm in 2005 as a summer associate/clerk and was soon hired as an associate. She earned her law degree from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.  “I am honored to have the opportunity to serve our firm in this new capacity and look forward to collaborating with our members to continue expanding strategically upon our current success,” Jackler said.

Kutak Rock operates 19 offices in 14 states and the District of Columbia with 550 lawyers across more than 25 areas of focus and dozens of discrete specialties. Kutak Rock ranked second last year among bond counsel nationally working on 525 deals valued at $25.4 billion and ranked second for the first quarter of this year, according to data from Refinitiv.