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Overview

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 & acquisitions and general counsel services.

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). Ericka has been involved in a broad range of financings, including those related to the generation or transmission of power, the provision of water, wastewater, and transportation services, the acquisition and construction of general infrastructure and real property, and the development of affordable housing.

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

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.

Industries

Services

Recognition

  • Kaiser Permanente© Exceptional Partner Award, 2017
  • Kaiser Permanente© Exceptional Innovator Award, 2017

Education

  • J.D., Washington University in St. Louis School of Law
  • B.S., Northwestern University
    • Political Science

Admissions

  • California
  • Missouri

Professional Memberships and Certifications

  • Women in Public Finance, Northern California Chapter, Board Member
  • American Bar Association
  • National Bar Association
  • California Minority Counsel Program
  • National Association of Bond Lawyers
  • Bar Association of San Francisco
  • How Women Lead, Leadership Committee
Experience

Corporate Transactions and Related Advice

  • For national healthcare client, structured and negotiated multi-million dollar three-party agreement with a diverse staffing agency and a global human resources company for onboarding and management of multiple suppliers in client's contingent talent program nationwide. Addressed client's strategic initiative to engage diverse businesses and stakeholders' desires for clear articulation of responsibilities, performance expectations and risk reduction.
  • Led the review and negotiation of multi-million-dollar acquisition by nonprofit client of "troubled" company located in target area with desired customer base. Structured and negotiated asset purchase agreement with a phased, milestone-based closing, satisfying client's need to quickly consummate takeover with protections and outs for unexpected liabilities and certain contingencies.
  • Held and developed the business and finance functions of the "general counsel" role and legal department for a community college district with four distinct colleges:
    • Advising Chancellor and executive team regarding strategic collaborations and financing (grants and public finance), review and negotiate, or manage negotiation of, high exposure or complex agreements.
    • Coordinating with purchasing, finance and general services across departments and campuses to provide training and to create processes to improve contract review, documentation and negotiation and to facilitate compliance with client's policies and industry best practices.
    • Reviewing items agendized for the Board of Trustees meetings and advise Board Officers and Chancellor.
    • Coordinate with co-counsel and outside legal firms.
  • In light of the public health emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic, reviewed and analyzed national client's multi-million-dollar sponsorship portfolio consisting of sponsorship agreements with sports teams, leagues/associations and talent on the issue of nonperformance, force majeure and termination. Advised executive leadership and strategized with marketing stakeholders and external ad agencies on options. Negotiated and/or drafted amendments for substitute assets, extension of timeframes and other terms to better ensure client receives desired value given future uncertainty.
  • Teamed with in-house counsel for major international airport client to quickly effectuate the extension or replacement of multiple letters of credit supporting its $600 million commercial paper program. Reviewed and commented on letter of credit documents, coordinate with tax counsel, bank counsel and issuing and paying agent on client and program requirements and notices, review related offering memorandum and prepared, or coordinated the preparation of, the requisite closing documentation for each extension/replacement.

Public Finance

Issuer Counsel:

Served as special counsel to the issuer in connection with the sale and issuance of:

  • Southern California Public Power Authority $79,305,000 Milford Wind Corridor Phase II Project, Refunding Revenue Bonds, 2021-1 (Green Bonds). (April 2021).
  • Peralta Community College District $43,175,000 Taxable 2005 Limited Obligation OPEB (Other Post¬ Employment Benefit) Bonds, Series B-3. (July 2020).
  • Peralta Community College District $53,625,000 2020 General Obligation Bonds, 2006 Election, Series E-1 (Tax-Exempt), $11,375,000 2020 General Obligation Bonds, 2006 Election, Series E-2 (Taxable) and $50,000,000 2020 General Obligation Bonds, 2018 Election, Series A. (April 2020).

Underwriters' Counsel:

Served as counsel to the underwriters in connection with the sale and issuance of:

  • The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California $279,570,000 Water Revenue Refunding Bonds, 2022 Series B (July, 2022). Underwriting Group Representative: Morgan Stanley & Co, LLC. (July, 2022).
  • San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District $686,730,000 General Obligation Bonds (Election of 2016), 2022 Series D-1 (Green Bonds) and $13,270,000 General Obligation Bonds (Election of 2016), 2022 Series D-2 (Federally Taxable) (Green Bonds). Underwriting Group Representative: Stifel, Nicolaus and Company, Incorporated. (July, 2022).
  • Oakland Unified School District $150,240,000 General Obligation Bonds (Election of 2020), Series 2021A and $34,760,000 General Obligation Bonds (Election of 2020), Series 2021B (Federally Taxable). Underwriting Group Representative: Siebert Williams Shank and Co LLC. (November 2021).
  • Ravenswood City School District $21,875,000 General Obligation Bonds, Election of 2018, Series 2021A and $3,125,000 General Obligation Bonds, Election of 2018, Series 2021B (Federally Taxable). Underwriting Group Representative: Siebert Williams Shank and Co LLC. (May 2021).

Co-Bond and Disclosure Counsel:

  • County of Alameda $340,000,000 General Obligation Bonds (Measure A1) 2022 Series B (Federally Taxable) (Social Bonds). (August, 2022) (Role: Disclosure Counsel).
  • Public Utilities Commission of the City and County of San Francisco $137,080,000 Wastewater Revenue Bonds, 2022 Series B (July, 2022) (Role: Co-Bond Counsel).
  • East Bay Municipal Utility District $133,950,000 Water System Revenue Bonds, Series 2022A (Green Bonds), $72,105,000, Water System Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2022B-1 and $103,850,000 Water System Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2022B-2. (June 2022) Role: Co-Bond Counsel).
  • City of Oakland $198,645,000 General Obligation Bonds (Measure KK, Series 2022C-l) (Tax-Exempt) and $13,670,000 City of Oakland General Obligation Bonds (Measure KK, Series 2022C-2) (Taxable). (March 2022) (Role: Disclosure Counsel).
  • City and County of San Francisco, California $40,776,000 Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds (SFHA Scattered Sites), Series 2022A-l (Tax-Exempt) and $7,057,736 Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds (SFHA Scattered Sites), Series 2022A-2 (Taxable). (February 2022) (Role: Co-Bond Counsel).
  • City and County of San Francisco $86,905,000 General Obligation Refunding Bonds, Series 2021-R2. (Forward Purchase Transaction: Closing Date: May 6, 2021. Settlement: September 16, 2021) (Role: Co-Bond Counsel).
News Releases | September 07, 2022
Husch Blackwell Expands Healthcare and Corporate Law Teams in California

Ericka Curls Bartling will join Husch Blackwell as a partner in the firm’s San Francisco Bay Area office, and Andrew J. Demetriou will join the firm’s Los Angeles office as senior counsel, bolstering the firm’s capabilities and presence in California.

Community Leadership
  • Girls Inc. of Alameda County, Board Member