Vanessa G. Tanaka has joined Blank Rome as a partner in the Finance, Restructuring, and Bankruptcy group in the Chicago office, which continues to expand following the recent additions of new partners Craig R. Culbertson and Paul H. Tzur.

Tanaka joins Blank Rome from Willkie, Farr & Gallagher.

“Vanessa is a great addition to our Firm’s strong Finance group and growing Chicago office, both of which are strategic priorities for our Firm,” said Grant S. Palmer, Blank Rome’s managing partner and CEO.

“Her experience will notably provide enhanced services and capabilities for the Firm’s Energy practice and Financial Services industry group, and further enable us to offer high-level client services across varying matters.”

Tanaka focuses her practice on energy and commodity markets and structured commodity transactions. She has extensive experience advising financial institutions, asset managers, and energy and commodity companies on a broad range of commodity finance products, including commodity repurchase agreements, intermediation arrangements, prepays and leases, and borrowing base revolving credit facilities.

She has also structured natural gas supply agreements and commodity swap transactions in tax-exempt bond financings, and regularly negotiates physical and financial master trading agreements for gas, power, renewable, and financial products.