Partner Tony Toranto Brings Real Estate, Corporate & Energy Expertise to Sheppard Mullin San Diego

SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwire - Mar 29, 2012) - Tony Toranto has joined Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP as a partner in the firm's Real Estate, Land Use and Environmental practice group, based in the firm's San Diego office. Toranto will also be in Sheppard Mullin's Corporate and Energy groups. Toranto joins from McKenna Long & Aldridge in San Diego.

Toranto specializes in real property, business, and energy transactions. He brings a strong financial and business orientation to each engagement and advises clients across a wide range of complex transactional issues, having previously worked in private equity and having been a corporate and real estate client. Toranto regularly counsels clients on the acquisition, disposition, development, financing and leasing of real property. His expertise includes advising lenders, borrowers, and guarantors on loan documentation, workout and loan enforcement issues across loans totaling billions of dollars.

Toranto also advises clients on general business, corporate and transactional matters, from entity formation to complex contractual negotiations. He advises energy clients on real estate, financing, and other transactional matters, including the negotiation of power purchase agreements.

"Tony's energy industry and clean tech expertise dovetails well with our existing practices and expands our existing capabilities. He brings a valuable educational and professional background, which includes a mix of significant business and legal experience and accomplishments," said Guy Halgren, chairman of Sheppard Mullin.

"I am thrilled to join Sheppard Mullin and am impressed by the firm's considerable footprint firmwide, across a range of practice areas. The firm has excellent real estate and corporate practices, and I look forward to helping Sheppard Mullin strengthen and continue to build its energy and clean tech practices," Toranto commented.

"We are excited to have Tony join us in our premier real estate and land use practice in California and we think many of his national clients will be able to benefit from our growing and talented real estate group on the East Coast," said Domenic Drago, Sheppard Mullin's Real Estate, Land Use and Environmental practice group leader.

Toranto received his J.D. from Stanford Law School, as well as his MBA, M.A. and A.B., Phi Beta Kappa, from Stanford University.

Sheppard Mullin has 80 attorneys based in its San Diego offices. The firm's Real Estate, Land Use and Environmental practice group includes 70 attorneys firmwide.

About Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP
Sheppard Mullin is a full service Global 100 firm with more than 580 attorneys in 14 offices located in the United States, Europe and Asia. Since 1927, companies have turned to Sheppard Mullin to handle corporate and technology matters, high stakes litigation and complex financial transactions. In the U.S., the firm's clients include more than half of the Fortune 100. For more information, please visit www.sheppardmullin.com.