Blake K. Wade is a partner in the Public Finance Department and a member of the Energy and Project Finance, Housing, Transactional Finance, P3/Infrastructure, and Higher Education Groups, as well as the Municipal Recovery Initiative. Mr. Wade has senior responsibility for many of the firm's bond counsel and underwriter's counsel engagements for housing, airport, higher education, student loan bonds, transportation finance, industrial development, redevelopment and tax increment financing, general obligation bonds, and lease and other revenue bond financing.
Over the past 20 years, Mr. Wade has served as bond counsel or underwriter's counsel for many student loan transactions throughout the United States. He has worked with the student loan finance industry in its efforts to restructure many of the transactions affected by the financial challenges of 2008-2009.
Mr. Wade has had senior responsibility for a number of the firm's transportation and housing engagements. His experience also includes related areas of securities, municipal, constitutional, and real estate law.
Mr. Wade is Managing Partner of Ballard Spahr's Salt Lake City office and a member of the firm's Elected Board. He is former Chair of the Public Finance Department.
Pro Bono Experience
Over the years, Mr. Wade has assisted in representing victims of domestic abuse in seeking protective orders. He recently led a cross-firm team of attorneys who worked with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law to research and draft seven special-education manuals for parents of children with disabilities in their respective states. For his work, he received the firm's 2012 Pro Bono Award.