William D. Morris focuses on credit agreements, prime brokerage agreements and derivative transactions. He has extensive experience in the energy and investment fund industries and in cross-border transactions.
Practice & Background

Mr. Morris has represented borrowers, issuers, sponsors and financial institutions in debt and related transactions with commitments and issuances totaling in excess of $85 billion and over 50 families of funds in connection with debt, prime brokerage and derivatives matters and controversies related to such matters.

In addition to counseling both corporate and fund clients on risk management matters, he is a frequent speaker on derivatives and regulation of derivatives.

Mr. Morris has served as managing partner of Akin Gump’s Moscow office and a member of the firm’s management committee.
Representative Matters

Mr. Morris’s recent experience includes:

representing Laredo Petroleum, Inc. in connection with its $1 billion revolving credit agreement
representing Memorial Production Operating LLC in connection with its $1 billion revolving credit agreement and related hedging agreements
representing VCA Antech, Inc. in connection with its $706,250,000 senior secured credit facilities
representing Trinity Opportunities Limited as the administrative agent in a $275 million term loan to an Australian media production company
representing four investment funds in an aggregate of $250 million dollars of structured loans supported by credit default swaps written by special purpose subsidiaries
representing Ashford Hospitality Limited Partnership in connection with its $105 million revolving credit agreement
representing an independent power producer in connection with its $50 million synthetic letter of credit facility and in connection with the purchase of up to 12,000 MMBtu a day of gas for 10 years and related hedging
representing CHx Belize LP in connection with its $22,500,000 revolving credit facility and €14,300,000 term loan facility and related hedging agreements
advising clients with respect to derivatives for which various Lehman Brothers entities and General Motors entities were the counterparties
advising investment funds proactively with respect to mitigating counterparty credit risk.

Community Involvement

Mr. Morris is actively involved in civic activities. His community service has included:

serving as an advisory member of the Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund
serving as a member of the board of directors and investments committee of the Houston Ballet
serving as general counsel of the Houston Katrina Relief Fund.