Ms. Murakami is a member of the firm’s infrastructure procurement, contract and finance group advising public agencies and leaders in developing public works projects on an alternative delivery and P3 basis. She is currently assisting with the firm’s representation of the project owner on the progressive design-build-operate-maintain delivery of the South Coast Water District Doheny Ocean Desalination Project and the progressive design-build delivery of the Town of Paradise sewer project. Melanie also is part of the team of attorneys at Hawkins working with the USEPA on its WIFIA Program providing loans to municipalities for water and wastewater projects.

In addition to her infrastructure procurement practice, Ms. Murakami has over twenty years of experience in a broad variety of public finance transactions, particularly in California, and in particular has specialized in the representation of credit and liquidity providers. She has extensive public finance experience in short-term financings, including variable rate demand obligations and commercial paper, both as counsel to the credit and liquidity providers and as bond counsel, in a broad variety of public finance transactions, including lease revenue, assessment, special tax, teeter obligation, sales tax revenue, pension obligation, enterprise revenue bonds, certificates of participation, bond anticipation notes and commercial paper, and tax-exempt financings for universities, museums and hospitals. Ms. Murakami’s practice also includes the representation of commercial banks in loans, lines of credit and private placement purchases.

Ms. Murakami joined the firm as a partner in 2009 and is based in the firm’s Los Angeles office.

Professional Membership

  • National Association of Bond Lawyers