Alston & Bird has expanded its finance capabilities with the addition of three partners and two counsel in the firm’s New York office. Joining Alston & Bird are partners David Hoyt, Kenneth Rothenberg, and Russell Chiappetta, along with counsel Mathew Gray and Jason Cygielman. All arrive from Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP.
“This is a dynamic group of attorneys who have practiced together for decades,” said Richard Hays, Alston & Bird managing partner. “Led by David and Ken, the team gives us an exciting opportunity to expand our Finance Group and deepen our corporate debt bench strength while adding to our client capabilities in related practices such as bankruptcy and investment products.”
The new partners and counsel bring national prominence and strategically significant experience guiding clients through the secondary trading market for par and distressed bank loans, bankruptcy claims, and other assets and portfolios traded in distressed and special situations.
Hoyt and Rothenberg advise some of the market’s largest and most active market makers, sellers, and buyers investing in distressed and bankrupt companies. Their clients include investment banks and hedge funds purchasing and selling loans and securities of distressed and bankrupt companies, including bank debt, notes, trade claims, and accounts receivable, both domestically and in Europe.
Both Hoyt and Rothenberg are active members of the Loan Syndications and Trading Association (LSTA) and Loan Market Association. Their team regularly advises the LSTA on market-wide issues. Most recently, they assisted the group with updating both its par and distressed secondary loan trading documentation in 2017.
“Market instability can be unnerving to some investors while creating significant opportunities for others,” said Shanell Cramer, Alston & Bird partner and co-chair of the firm’s Finance Group who is based in New York. “David and Ken and the other team members excel in helping clients effectively size up a distressed investing situation, act quickly while minimizing risk, and navigate the complex issues that often arise in distressed and special situations.”
Also joining from Andrews Kurth are partner Russell Chiappetta and counsel Mathew Gray and Jason Cygielman.
•Russell Chiappetta advises investment banks and other financial institutions in buying and selling domestic and international par and distressed assets, including primary and secondary loans, loan participations, bankruptcy trade claims, and derivative structured products. He also focuses on representing buy-side and sell-side clients in connection with private transfers of debt and equity securities, special situations investments, and transactional matters relative to in- and out-of-court restructurings.
•Mathew Gray focuses on distressed loan and other transactional matters. He advises investment banks and hedge funds on legal issues relating to the purchase and sale of loans, as well as equity and debt securities of distressed and bankrupt companies.
•Jason Cygielman advises investment banks and hedge funds on legal issues related to the purchase and sale of loans and equity and debt securities of both par and distressed companies, primarily in the area of bank debt.
“Our New York office is home to a large contingent of finance attorneys who are part of a national, market-leading practice with major hubs in Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, and Los Angeles,” said Jamie Hutchinson, partner in charge of Alston & Bird’s New York office. “We have been expanding recently in New York and several other offices, focusing not only on finance, but also related practices such as M&A, bankruptcy and financial restructuring, investment products, and other high-value areas that are critical to our clients.”,
The team’s arrival continues the momentum behind Alston & Bird’s expansion of its Finance Group. Other recent additions to the group include partner Paul Hespel in New York, partner Mike Parisi and counsel Jordan Myers in Atlanta, counsel Nikki Ott in Charlotte, and an eight-member team, including four partners, in Dallas.
Source: www.alston.com
