Ericka Curls-Bartling

Career

Ericka counsels businesses and governmental entities on corporate transactions of varying complexities and helps organizations tackle strategic initiatives to reach their operational objectives and organizational milestones.

Clients often regard Ericka as the “first call” when faced with mission-critical challenges. She views law as a tool and has a practical perspective on utilizing it to accomplish successful outcomes. Ericka is adept at leading commercial transactions and business initiatives for her clients and has significant experience in providing strategic counsel to founders, directors, executives, and project leads, advising on proposed collaborations, corporate structure and governance, financing, shifting priorities, employee relations, and areas of risk. Skilled at bridging business and legal issues, she excels at the details and also with holding a client’s vision and goals. Ericka has an innate ability to listen, facilitate, contextualize, and build trust with stakeholders and across constituency groups. Ericka’s transactional practice includes business and IT transactions, entity structuring and corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, and general counsel services.

Her clients span multiple industries, including education, healthcare, professional services, financial services, nonprofits, and technology.

Ericka also has deep experience in public finance, specifically as it relates to the issuance of general obligation bonds, project revenue bonds, and lease revenue bonds. She has significant experience with new money and refunding transactions (both variable and fixed rate). While serving as issuer, co-bond, disclosure or underwriters’ counsel, Ericka has advised on a broad range of bond financings, including those related to the acquisition and construction of general infrastructure and real property; the development or funding of affordable housing; the generation or transmission of power; and the provision of water, wastewater, and transportation services (transit and airports).

Ericka is passionate about transforming organizational culture and driving meaningful social practices and change. She has a sophisticated understanding of how to operationalize Environmental, Social, & Governance (ESG) initiatives that address a range of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) goals, including the development of supplier programs and business collaborations and approaches that enhance the hiring, retention, and advancement of employees of color and the creation of firm cultures that support diverse employees.

Ericka has served as general counsel and chief operating officer to an emerging asset management firm, where she, among other things, reviewed investment advisor activities for legal compliance and engaged with executive leadership on issues related to financing and growth strategies. She began her legal career as an attorney with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), where she investigated charges of unfair labor practices.

Professional Memberships

Women in Public Finance, Northern California Chapter, Board Member

How Women Lead, Leadership Committee

National Association of Bond Lawyers

California Minority Counsel Program

American Health Lawyers Association