National law firm Husch Blackwell is pleased to announce that it has been shortlisted by the Financial Times for its 2026 Innovative Lawyers Awards North America, recognizing the firm's Data Center Practice in the Innovation in Practice Management category.
The Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Awards North America recognize law firms and in-house legal teams that demonstrate leadership in digital innovation, strategic advice, talent management, and driving positive change in the legal profession. Submissions are researched and assessed by RSGI, which conducts interviews with clients, submitting lawyers, and industry leaders and scores each submission against a bespoke methodology developed for the Financial Times.
Husch Blackwell's Data Center Practice brings together a multidisciplinary team that advises on the full life cycle of data center development, financing, and operation. The practice counsels data center developers, hyperscalers, investors, lessee end-users, contractors, and energy companies on the complex business and legal challenges driving the sector's rapid growth, including land acquisition, community opposition, and power and grid constraints.
The team's work spans real estate and land use, project finance, contracts and licenses, tax strategy and incentives, environmental counseling, and energy regulatory matters, including FERC compliance and utility interconnection for large data center loads. The practice has advised on high-profile engagements, including assisting Microsoft with the construction of a $1 billion data center in Wisconsin and supporting Crusoe Energy Systems in reaching financial close on the second phase of a $15 billion joint venture with Blue Owl Capital and Primary Digital Infrastructure to fund a 1.2-gigawatt AI data center in Abilene, Texas.