Milbank LLP is pleased to announce the arrival of a team of three highly regarded structured finance partners led by market-leading partner Michael L. Urschel to the Alternative Investments Practice in New York. The team joins the firm from King & Spalding LLP and includes partners Martin Y. Eid and Kathryn (Katie) Weiss.
Mr. Urschel is a preeminent attorney in the esoteric structured finance market. He has extensive experience with debt capital markets, securitizations, hybrid finance and structured lending. He has led the financing for the majority of recent franchised whole-business securitizations and several dozen transactions involving cell tower, data center, fiber and other digital infrastructure assets, among other asset classes.
Together, Mr. Urschel, Mr. Eid and Ms. Weiss focus their practice on asset financing and acquisition financing of complex assets. Among other matters, they have advised on multiple first-of-their-kind hybrid whole-business securitizations and digital infrastructure securitizations, including transactions that leverage the securitization of a business as acquisition financing.
“We are delighted to welcome Michael, Katie and Martin to Milbank,” said Milbank Chairman Scott A. Edelman. “This uniquely talented team commands a high degree of respect in the structured finance field, and we know their collective work ethic makes them a perfect fit for the firm.”
Mr. Urschel, Mr. Eid, Ms. Weiss and other colleagues built a top-tier structured finance practice at King & Spalding LLP with a specialty in whole-business transactions, which Chambers USA ranked in Band 1 in the Whole Business category in 2021 and 2022. Mr. Urschel also earned a Band 1 ranking in the category, and Ms. Weiss and Mr. Eid are recognized as “Up and Coming” attorneys. Legal 500 also recognized their practice for its “business-focused mindset” and creative approach to client matters.
“Michael and the team’s prowess in the structured finance space will be an invaluable addition to our practice,” said Sean M. Solis, partner and member of the Alternative Investments Group. “We also see a tremendous opportunity for the team to cross-collaborate with our top-flight Global Project, Energy and Infrastructure Finance Group, given their strong experience with digital infrastructure securitizations and other complex transactions in relevant industries.”
Mr. Urschel said: “Milbank’s platform gives our team the opportunity to take our structured finance practice to a new level. We look forward to collaborating with our new colleagues across the firm’s global offices and practices.”
The team joins Milbank from the New York office of King & Spalding LLP. Mr. Urschel was head of the firm’s Structured Finance Practice and member of its Financial Services Leadership team. He received his J.D. and an M.B.A from the from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Ms. Weiss and Mr. Eid were partners in the Structured Finance practice. Ms. Weiss received her J.D. from Harvard University and Mr. Eid received a B.A., Law from Trinity College, Cambridge University.
