Reed Smith, a renowned legal firm, made an exciting announcement on Wednesday. The firm has brought on board partner Peter Williams and counsel Elizabeth Walker to enhance its structured finance practice. These two legal professionals, who previously worked at Linklaters, will now be based in the New York City office. They joined Reed Smith in 2022 after spending just two years at the U.K.-based firm.

Focus on Securitizations and Structured Finance Transactions

Williams and Walker's practices will primarily focus on securitizations and structured finance transactions, with a particular emphasis on collateralized loan obligations. According to a Reed Smith news release, Williams also provides valuable advice to clients on U.S. securities regulatory matters, risk retention regulations, the Volcker Rule, and other aspects under the Dodd-Frank Act. He represents financial institution counterparties on issues such as collateralized debt obligations, derivatives, and insurance-related products. In her practice, Walker represents arrangers, collateral managers, issuers, and investors.

Adding Top Talent in New York

John Scalzo, Reed Smith's New York office managing partner, expressed great enthusiasm about these two hires. He stated, "We continue to execute on our strategy of adding top talent in New York, and we are very excited about these two hires. 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 also shared his excitement over joining Reed Smith, saying he would be stepping into his new role alongside "such a talented and dynamic structured finance team." He added, "I am eager to contribute to the continued success of the practice and to help our clients navigate the complexities of the financial markets."

Noteworthy Hires in the Past Year

Reed Smith highlights that the addition of Williams and Walker complements other significant hires within the firm's structured finance practice over the past year. These include the hiring of partner Jeffrey Stern in the New York office and the addition of London-based partner Mark Drury, who also came from Linklaters. The firm has been actively building its team and capabilities in the structured finance area.

Global Perspective and Client Demand

Jodi Schwimmer, the firm's global co-chair of the Financial Industry Group, expressed pleasure over the firm's ability to secure Williams and Walker. She stated that the duo's addition is expected to complement the firm's existing capabilities in the U.S. as well as its acclaimed European CLO practice, allowing the firm to meet client demands across multiple jurisdictions. As the firm continues to grow its global CLO practice with leading practitioners in the field, it is excited to unlock the enormous potential of its structured finance lawyers to serve clients around the world.