Beatrice Lo

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told two prosecutors their careers in public service will continue on Broward County benches this week. James Robert Harris was appointed to the 17th Judicial Circuit and Jeremy Franker was named to the Broward County Court bench. Harris replaces Judge Jonathan D. Lott, who was elevated to the Fourth District Court of Appeal last year. He’s been an assistant statewide prosecutor in the Florida Attorney General’s Office since June 2020, according to his LinkedIn, and previously spent more than a decade at Cole, Scott & Kissane. The soon-to-be-judge graduated from Florida State University College of Law in 2003 and was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2004. Harris was not immediately available for an interview Friday morning and AG James Uthmeier’s office did not immediately return the Daily Business Review’s request for comment. Franker is a career prosecutor who’s had stops in the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, the Florida Office of the Attorney General and the U.S. Department of Justice. For the last year, he’s been deputy director of Joint Task Force Vulcan—the U.S. government’s efforts against the gang MS-13. He told the Daily Business Review in a phone interview Friday afternoon that his work has largely focused on large-scale investigations into organized crime and gang activity. He thinks his nearly two decades of public service is what’s best prepared him for the bench. As a judge, Franker said he will look to uphold civility and respect in his courtroom. “In my experience as an attorney, the judges I really enjoyed appearing in front of were the ones that really appreciated the lawyers that were civil to one and other, that even if they disagreed about the law or the evidence or the facts, that they could do so respectfully,” Franker said. “And that’s something that’s incredibly important to me as an attorney and I’ll carry that onto the bench with me.” Franker got the call from the governor’s office during a meeting Wednesday. The first person he phoned was his wife and high school sweetheart, Kara. The Kansas City native got his undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas and graduated from Saint Louis University School of Law in 2007. He takes the place of former Judge Mardi Levey Cohen, who resigned at the end of last year after facing suspension and reprimand for improper conduct during her 2022 reelection campaign. DeSantis made a flurry of appointments at the tail end of 2025 and in early 2026, including naming his sixth justice to the Florida Supreme Court. With less than a year left in the governor's mansion, he still has at least a few more chances to leave his mark on the state's judiciary.

Feb 27

2 min

Latham & Watkins has advised PTTEP, Thailand’s national oil and gas company, on its acquisition of a 25.5% equity stake in the Seagreen offshore wind farm from TotalEnergies, for a consideration of £522 million (US$689 million). Following completion, PTTEP will be a significant minority investor in Seagreen alongside TotalEnergies (25.5%) and SSE Renewables (49%). The Seagreen offshore wind farm is located in the North Sea, approximately 27 kilometers off the coast of Scotland. With a total capacity of 1,075 MW, Seagreen is the world’s deepest fixed bottom wind farm. Fully operational since October 2023, Seagreen is comprised of 114 turbines which can provide enough electricity to power more than 1.6 million homes, equivalent to two-thirds of all homes in Scotland. In addition, PTTEP and TotalEnergies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore joint opportunities in the development of renewable energies. The Latham team was led by London corporate partner Beatrice Lo and Singapore corporate partner James Clayton-Payne, with associates Andrew Lee, Yiheng Luo, and Elliot Brownlee. Advice on antitrust and FDI matters was provided by Brussels partner David Little and London partner Jonathan Parker, with associates Edd Rarity and Panya Baldia; on project development and finance matters by associates Vanessa McLellan and Ali Stopford; and on tax matters by London partner Karl Mah, with associates Aoife McCabe, Lina Le Roux, and Nicole Lim.~~

Dec 22

1 min

Latham & Watkins has advised Grupo Financiero Galicia, the largest private financial group in Argentina, on the acquisition of HSBC’s Argentina business, which includes more than 100 branches and provides banking, asset management, and insurance services. The deal is worth US$550 million, subject to certain price adjustments. The Latham team was led by London corporate partners Beatrice Lo and Neil Campbell, with New York partner Tony Del Pino and London associates Leah Adeniran, Kit Adamson, and Angus Baird. Advice was also provided on tax matters by London partner Aoife McCabe and counsel James Leslie; and on DTT matters by London partner Fiona Maclean and associate Grace Erskine. Latham & Watkins also worked closely with the Beccar Varela team who advised on Argentine law matters.~~

Apr 12

1 min

Latham & Watkins has advised Helios Investment Partners, an Africa-focused private investment firm, on the sale of a 25% interest in Axxela, the largest private sector gas distributor in Nigeria, to Sojitz Corporation. This transaction marks Sojitz’s first significant equity investment in Africa, indicating its growth ambitions on the continent and serving as a blueprint for future collaboration in Africa between Helios and Sojitz across a range of sectors. Latham previously advised Helios on its acquisition of a majority interest in Axxela in 2016 and its subsequent acquisition of the remainder of the company in 2019. The Latham team was led by London corporate partners Kem Ihenacho and Beatrice Lo, with London corporate associate Jon Fox.~~

Mar 31

1 min