NEW YORK, July 17, 2008 – LAWFUEL – Law Firm Newsiwre – Kaye Scholer LLP announced that William J. “Butch” Cullen and Janet A. Barbiere have joined the firm’s Corporate & Finance Department, as Partners in its New York office, effective today.
Mr. Cullen and Ms. Barbiere concentrate their practice in securities and corporate finance, with an emphasis on commercial mortgage backed securities and structured finance, including securitizations, secondary market transactions, real estate syndications and the purchase, sale and workout of commercial real estate debt.
Steve Gliatta, co-chair of the Kaye Scholer’s Real Estate Practice Group and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee stated, “We are thrilled that Butch and Janet will be joining us.” Mr. Gliatta continued, “Kaye Scholer remains committed to the structured finance market and the addition of Butch and Janet will compliment our well-recognized real estate capital markets debt origination team. As a result, we believe that Kaye Scholer now has the premier full-service real estate capital markets platform in the United States.”
Margot Schonholtz, co-chair of Kaye Scholer’s Business Reorganization and Creditors’ Rights Practice Group, added, “Butch and Janet are a tremendous addition to our firm. They will significantly enhance our ability to serve our clients’ needs, particularly in light of their expertise with a vast array of structured vehicles. These are the very products that are at the core of many of the restructuring and recapitalization transactions that have arisen as a result of the unprecedented disruption in the global financial markets.”
Henry Morriello, co-chair of the firm’s Structured Finance Practice Group, added, “Butch and Janet will add considerable strength to our well-established Structured Finance Practice, particularly in the area of public and private term securitization transactions, as well as restructurings of structured investment vehicles which have high concentrations of mortgage-backed securities.”
Mr. Cullen and Ms. Barbiere said, “Kaye Scholer’s existing and highly regarded real estate debt origination, bankruptcy and reorganization and structured finance groups are a perfect fit for our practice and experience.” Mr. Cullen and Ms. Barbiere continued, “We are excited to be joining the firm and look forward to providing clients with the full complement of services for financial institutions offered at Kaye Scholer.”
Mr. Cullen received a B.A. (summa cum laude) from Colgate University in 1982 and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1985. Ms. Barbiere received a B.A. from Brooklyn College in 1975, a M.A. from Columbia University (magna cum laude) in 1976 and a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law in 1983.
Mr. Cullen and Ms. Barbiere join Kaye Scholer from Thacher Proffitt & Wood LLP, where they were partners in the firm’s Structured Finance Practice Group.
About Kaye Scholer LLP
Kaye Scholer’s Structured Finance Practice Group brings together a team of financing lawyers with extensive experience not only in asset securitization transactions, but also in the related fields of tax, public offerings, regulatory matters, real estate and certain specialized industries. The Group represents many leading commercial banks (both US and international), as well as investment banks, finance companies and corporations, in all aspects of securitization, including structuring and documenting transactions, forming multi-seller conduits and special purpose vehicles, obtaining ratings, representing providers of liquidity and credit enhancement, and representing issuers, trustees, underwriters and investors. The Group’s work includes transactions in the United States, as well as cross-border and international transactions.
Kaye Scholer’s Real Estate Practice Group has extensive experience in representing a number of the largest investment banks in the origination of commercial mortgage loans through conduit entities for securitization as well as institutional lenders in all types of real estate financing transactions, including acquisition financings, permanent financings, mezzanine loans/preferred equity investments, bridge to perm loans and construction lending transactions. In addition, the Group has considerable experience in combining all types of hedging products with real estate financing transactions.
In addition, the firm’s Business Reorganization and Creditors’ Rights Practice Group has been at the forefront of handling distressed structured product matters arising from the unprecedented dislocation of the financial markets. The Group represents several highly sophisticated, global financial institutions, working with them to develop and implement strategies that deal with the restructuring, recapitalization or liquidation of numerous types of structured products (e.g., SIVs, CDOs, CLOs, market value swaps, repurchase agreements). The Group also advises many of these financial institutions in connection with potential claims against monoline insurers involved with distressed structured products transactions. In addition to its market-leading work with distressed structured products, the Group has been involved with a significant number of mortgage-related insolvency proceedings and restructurings, advising creditors on the exercise of their remedies both in and out of court, working with repurchase participants to maximize returns and addressing servicer and other matters relating to purchased and financed assets.
Kaye Scholer refers to Kaye Scholer LLP and its affiliates, with offices in Chicago, Frankfurt, London, Los Angeles, New York, Shanghai, Washington, DC, and West Palm Beach. Founded in New York City in 1917, Kaye Scholer now includes more than 500 lawyers and represents public and private companies, governmental entities, financial institutions, and other organizations in matters around the world.
