Global law firm Reed Smith has announced that structured finance attorneys Peter Williams and Elizabeth Walker have joined its Financial Industry Group, based in the New York office. Williams joins as partner and Walker joins as counsel. Both lawyers were formerly with Linklaters.
“Peter and Elizabeth bring to our firm highly regarded structured finance practices that complement our existing capabilities in the US as well as our acclaimed European CLO practice, allowing us to meet client demands across multiple jurisdictions,” said Jodi Schwimmer, global co-chair of Reed Smith Financial Industry Group. “As we continue to grow our global CLO practice with leading practitioners in the field, we are very excited to unlock the enormous potential of our structured finance lawyers to serve clients around the world.”
Williams’ practice focuses on securitizations and structured finance transactions, with an emphasis on collateralized loan obligations (CLOs). Since 2003, he has advised on more than $40 billion in transactions advising arrangers, collateral managers and investors in connection with CLOs backed by portfolios of broadly syndicated loans and middle market loans, as well as structured lending facilities backed by portfolios of corporate loans. Additionally, Williams regularly advises clients on regulatory issues relating to U.S. securities laws, U.S. risk retention regulations, the Volcker Rule and other matters under the Dodd-Frank Act. He also represents financial institution counterparties in connection with cash, hybrid and synthetic collateralized debt obligation transactions, derivatives, asset-repackaging programs and insurance-linked products.
Walker focuses her practice on securitization and structured finance transactions, with an emphasis on CLOs. She represents arrangers, collateral managers, issuers and investors in connection with CLOs and secured lending facilities.
“We continue to execute on our strategy of adding top talent in New York, and we are very excited about these two hires,” said John Scalzo, Reed Smith’s New York office managing partner. “Peter and Elizabeth are exceptional lawyers who bring deep expertise and strong client relationships to our finance practice and add to the deep bench of structured finance talent we've assembled here.”
Williams’ and Walker’s arrival is the latest in a series of notable joiners to Reed Smith’s global structured finance practice over the past year. In July, the firm announced that Jeff Stern, former co-head of Winston & Strawn’s structured finance practice, joined the firm’s New York office. Stern’s arrival followed that of London-based partner Mark Drury, who was also previously with Linklaters, in December 2023.
Reed Smith’s global structured finance team features one of the broadest and most dynamic practices in the industry. The firm’s structured finance lawyers advise on a wide variety of structured products, taking into account significant cross-border and cross-jurisdictional issues, including bonds, commercial paper and medium-term notes, securitizations involving a wide variety of assets (including commercial and residential mortgage backed securities, whole-business, CLOs, and collateralized debt obligations), intercreditor arrangements and operating advisory issues, project bonds, Islamic bonds, high-yield debt products, convertible and exchangeable securities, and structured note programs.
“I am excited to join Reed Smith and collaborate with such a talented and dynamic structured finance team,” said Williams. “I am eager to contribute to the continued success of the practice and to help our clients navigate the complexities of the financial markets.”