Reed Smith has recently enhanced its financial industry group by bringing on Peter Williams as a partner in the New York office. This strategic move was announced by the firm Wednesday, emphasizing Reed Smith’s commitment to expanding its capabilities in structured finance and securitization.
Peter Williams joins from Linklaters, focusing primarily on securitizations and structured finance transactions, with particular expertise in collateralized loan obligations (CLOs). His role is expected to heavily involve advising clients on regulatory issues concerning U.S. securities law, U.S. risk retention regulations, the Volcker Rule, and other complex matters under the Dodd-Frank Act. In addition to this regulatory advisory work, Williams also represents financial institutions in connection with cash, hybrid, and synthetic collateralized debt obligation transactions, derivatives, asset-repackaging programs, and insurance-linked products.
Williams is not the only addition to Reed Smith’s team; Elizabeth Walker also joins the firm as counsel, bringing additional depth to the practice. Both Williams and Walker’s transition from Linklaters to Reed Smith highlights the competitive movement within the legal industry’s financial services sector.
The decision to strengthen Reed Smith’s presence in New York reflects the firm’s ongoing strategy to bolster its structured finance and securitization practice, positioning itself to better serve clients navigating the intricacies of financial products and regulatory requirements globally. More details about this development can be found on Bloomberg Law’s report of the announcement here.