Page 7 - Miami Vol 6 No 1
P. 7

Miles L. Plaskett
Finding His Niche
By Katherine Bishop
DEALMAKERS IN 2016
Corporate  nance attorney Miles Plaskett followed the example of his father’s friends into the prac- tice of law. “To me, they were the
smartest, most interesting and well-respect- ed people in our community,” he said. Plas- kett grew up watching his father’s friends become governor and lieutenant governor of the Virgin Islands, a federal bankruptcy judge, the  rst female attorney general, and even the  rst female judge.
When he became a lawyer himself, Plas- kett had the honor of working with these great role models.
He returned to the Virgin Islands follow- ing his graduation from Georgetown Uni- versity, where he completed a judicial clerk- ship and practiced for six years, before going in-house at Ocwen Financial Corporation in Palm Beach. When he joined Duane Mor- ris, he was exposed to more corporate work, including mergers and acquisitions and pri- vate-placement  nancing.
“I used my connections in the Virgin Is- lands and the broader Caribbean to develop a practice representing U.S. companies in- terested in development and the tax bene ts provided in the Virgin Islands,” he explained.
As the economy changed, Plaskett contin- ued to identify new op-
and raised that my work has an impact on these small island communities to which I have an unbreakable connection,” he added.
Last year, Plaskett was named partner at Duane Morris. He described it as one of the proudest moments of his life. “I’m ecstatic to be a role model for my two teenage sons,” he shared. “I hope they see what I have ac- complished and set their goals as high, if not even higher, as a result.”
Among his many other role models, in- cluding his father’s friends and one of his best friends from college, Plaskett feels privi- leged to be able to call on professionals such as Al Dotson, Adolfo Jimenez and Marlon Hill. “ ey are incredibly generous with their time and patience,” he said. However, he believes his partner, Lida Rodriguez- Tase , has probably been his most impor- tant mentor.
“Lida is a force of nature,” he shared. “For some reason, she decided to go out of her way to help me.”
In 2014, Plaskett began representing a cli- ent with respect to its $1.3 billion investment in a project. Rodriguez-Tase  accompanied him to the transaction’s kicko  meeting in Houston.
“We entered a room  lled with more than 50 lawyers repre-
portunities to utilize his experience and unique background. It was dur- ing one of these evolu- tions that he found his way into the energy niche.
“A close friend began
referring energy-related
matters to me,” he said.
“Once I became more
familiar with the practice
area, I found an opportu-
nity to represent the Vir-
gin Islands utility company as it began mov- ing toward renewable energy sources.”
Today, Plaskett’s practice has become very specialized in the renewable energy and in- frastructure space, particularly in small mar- kets where there may be  nancing or credit issues. He believes his practice is unique because he saw an opportunity in a mar- ket with which he was familiar and dove in ahead of the pack. “I’m thrilled I get to re- solve issues in the region where I was born
senting the largest  rms and banks in the world,” Plaskett recalled. “She was the only woman in the room and I was the only African-American.”
 is past September, Plaskett was recognized by American Lawyer when that very deal was named Project Fi- nance Deal of the Year. “It would take pages to
explain how thankful I am to her,” he said about his partner.
Already looking to the future, Plaskett plans to expand his Caribbean and Latin American practice, particularly in Central America.
Outside of the o ce, Plaskett spends most of his time with his wife and their two sons. He is also active in the Weston YMCA and the American Bar Association’s Council for Latin America and the Caribbean.
“ ... my
has an
on these
small island communities to which I have an unbreakable connection.”
work impact
Vol. 6 No. 1 Attorney at Law Magazine® Miami | 7
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