Alston & Bird LLP announced today that a group of five partners, previously at Dentons, will join its capital markets practice. Four partners will be based in New York, and another based in Washington, D.C.
“This is a significant strategic move for our capital markets practice and demonstrates Alston’s ongoing commitment to the continued growth of our corporate and finance practices and providing our financial services clients with the highest levels of expertise,” said Alston & Bird Managing Partner Richard Hays. “Adding to our already considerable strength in global finance, financial services and real estate finance, these new partners will add depth and breadth to the finance practices we are building in New York and add new capabilities to our financial services regulatory practice in Washington.”
The move will consolidate the leading position of Alston & Bird’s Global Finance & Debt Products Group, which provides expertise in virtually every aspect of the debt capital markets to guide debt finance transactions from initial structuring through closing across a full spectrum of transaction types and settings.
“Alston & Bird has made significant progress in growing our presence in the capital markets sector, particularly in New York,” said Bob Sullivan, partner and co-chair of the Global Finance & Debt Products Group at Alston & Bird. “Our clients will benefit immediately from the experience this team brings.”
The additions will strengthen the firm’s Financial Services & Products Group, which, with approximately 59 lawyers firm-wide, represents many of the leading U.S. banks, investment firms and insurance companies on a variety of regulatory and transactional matters ranging from corporate governance concerns to strategic mergers and alliances. In addition, these new partners will add depth to the firm’s Real Estate Finance Group, which, with more than 50 lawyers, has sophisticated practices on both the debt and equity sides—representing lenders and servicers, as well as institutional investors, owners and developers (both public and private) in commercial mortgage loan workouts, CMBS transactions, subordinate B-notes or mezzanine debt with intercreditor, participation and co-lender arrangements. The group has the most active practice in the United States representing non-listed REITs and limited partnership programs in best efforts public offerings.
The five lawyers joining Alston & Bird are:
Richard Simonds, based in New York, focuses his practice on the representation of issuers and underwriters in mortgage- and asset-backed securitizations. Mortgage types include primarily residential, multifamily and small-balance commercial mortgage loans. Asset types include equipment leases, personal unsecured loans and SBA loans. In addition, Richard has extensive experience related to issues involving mortgage REITs.
Stephen Ornstein, based in Washington, D.C., is one of the country’s leading authorities on federal and state regulation of real estate, as well as residential and commercial mortgage finance. He counsels national mortgage companies, mortgage insurers, financial institutions and others in complying with mortgage and consumer lending regulations.
Scott Samlin, based in New York, works with Steve Ornstein in counseling national mortgage companies, mortgage insurers and other financial institutions regarding compliance issues such as RESPA, Truth in Lending and Equal Credit Opportunity issues, among others. He is the former executive director for the residential mortgage and lending compliance business at Morgan Stanley, where he helped oversee the operations of Morgan’s whole loan trading desk and its affiliated mortgage loan servicer, Saxon.
A. James Cotins, based in New York, specializes in structured finance, including all aspects of the securitization of loans and securities backed by commercial real estate, with a primary focus on CMBS and CRE CLOs.
Matt Lyons, also based in New York, works with Jim Cotins in representing the main participants in CMBS, CRE CLOs and other commercial real estate-related financing transactions, including sponsors, issuers, underwriters, collateral managers, advisors, loan sellers, bond insurers and rating agencies.
