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Skyscrapers and Sky
FINANCING INSTRUMENTS
Practice Area

Our team brings decades of experience in prime finance, public finance and municipal bonds, real estate finance, trade finance, and syndicated and leveraged loans.

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By leveraging industry-leading insights and deep knowledge of complex financial structures, our experts provide comprehensive support for litigation and dispute resolution. With deep experience across major financial institutions, investment banks, and regulatory bodies, SEDA Experts delivers rigorous analysis and insights to support litigation, dispute resolution, and advisory needs in finance. Explore our areas of expertise below to see how we can guide you through the intricacies of today’s financing landscape.

SEDA Experts financing instruments practice expertise covers a variety of different finance activities using different financing instruments as listed below.



EXPERTISE

Prime Finance

Prime finance is a critical service for institutional clients, as it provides them with the infrastructure, financing, and services necessary to support the unique needs of hedge funds and other large investors in managing and scaling their investment activities, and to execute sophisticated trading strategies. Our experts throughout their senior careers supported the various aspects of prime finance activity and services such as securities lending, margin lending, collateral management, custody, clearing and settlement, prime brokerage, risk management among other.

Public Finance and Municipal Bonds

SEDA Experts offers in-depth knowledge across various aspects of public finance and the municipal bond market. Their expertise includes underwriting, regulatory issues, industry best practices, understanding the roles and responsibilities of key market participants in the origination process, tax considerations, as well as the issuance and trading of municipal bonds.

The team consists of professionals who previously led public finance and municipal bond divisions at major investment banks, served on the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB), and currently act as arbitrators for FINRA.

Trade Finance

SEDA Experts includes former senior executives who led trade finance and international finance operations at various banks and financial institutions, with a strong focus on Europe, the Middle East, and North-East Asia markets. Their work involved collaborating with traders and managing commodity flows, as well as offering financing, liquidity, working capital solutions, and risk management. Additionally, they contributed to establishing best practices as Chinese and other Asian regulators enhanced governance and oversight for foreign bank subsidiaries.

Real Estate Finance

Our experts have experience in commercial real estate financing and lending via securitization, warehouse facilities and or raising capital for real estate projects.

Syndicated Loans and Leverage Finance

Our experts have extensive experience in the leverage loan, syndicated loan, and high yield loan markets, non-performing loans, distressed loans and pay-in-kind loans (PIK), including origination, trading, underwriting, work outs, valuation and credit analysis.

 

SEDA´s experts ran the leverage loan and syndicated loan practices at various investment banks, and former executive director at the Loan Syndication Trading Association (LSTA). They also ran buy side firms such as large portfolio managers with heavy exposure to various types of loas and credit facilities. Our experts are experience negotiating loans provisions, covenants as well as reps and warranties, and assist with the restructuring, bankruptcy and work out processes for distressed loans, debt in possessions and other types of loans and corporate credit work out resolutions.



RELATED EXPERTS

Richard A. Marin

Richard A. Marin

Bio

Managing Director

Richard Marin as a former finance senior executive with over 40 years of investment banking industry experience, and as a former clinical professor at Cornell University is a world class testifying expert in asset management, alternative investments, private equity investments, securities lending, retirement and pensions, and real estate / project financing.

Former 

Bear Stearns Asset Management - Chairman and CEO  Chairman and CEO 

Deutsche Asset Management - Chairman and CEO  Chairman and CEO

Expertise

Asset Management, Alternative Investments, Private Equity Investments, Securities Lending, Retirement and Pension, ERISA Funds Investment Standards, Real Estate / Project Financing

Peter U. Vinella, Ph.D.

Peter U. Vinella, Ph.D.

Bio

Managing Director, Advisor to the Board

Peter U. Vinella has more than 30 years of experience in the financial industry as a consultant and an executive with leading financial institutions. Mr. Vinella has extensive testifying experience acting as an expert for both plaintiff and defendant, involving more than 25 matters and including seven cases with more than $1 billion at stake.

Former 

Berkeley Research Group - Managing director

Wilmington Trust Conduit Services, LLC - President and CEO

Expertise

Trading and Investments, Risk Management, Operations, FinTech and Project Management, Quantitative Analysis, Custody, Trust, and Fund Administration, Repo and Securities Lending

Lisa Robins

Lisa Robins

Bio

Managing Director

Lisa Robins is a Senior Executive and Board Director, recognized globally for her deep experience and expertise in transaction banking and trade finance. In recent years, she was based in Asia (separately Hong Kong, China, and Singapore) where she effectively led organizations with diverse teams focused on developing technology, digitization, and risk management.

Former

Standard Chartered Bank (Singapore) - Head of Global Transaction Banking

Deutsche Bank - Managing Director, Head of Asia Transaction Banking

Expertise

Transaction Banking, Trade Finance, International Banking, Risk Management

Sameer Govil

Sameer Govil

Bio

Managing Director

Sameer Govil has over 30 years experience in payment network platforms, emerging electronic commerce solutions and consumer banking across diverse geographies. During his career, Sameer has served on the executive leadership team at Visa and led areas of high strategic and financial importance to the company.

Former

Visa Inc. - SVP, Global Head USA; Country Manager, Dubai; Country Leadership, South Asia

ANZ Banking Group - General Manager, Consumer Finance, Australia

Expertise

Digital Payments, Network Operating Regulations, Fintech

Peter Selman

Peter Selman

Bio

Managing Partner

Peter Selman, as the former Head of Global Equities at Deutsche Bank, and the Co-head of Global Equity Trading at Goldman Sachs, is a world-class expert in all aspects of equity products including cash equities, OTC options, listed derivatives, equity valuation, securities lending and prime finance, ETFs and structured products.

Former

Deutsche Bank  - Global Head of Equity 

Goldman Sachs - Co-Head of Global Equity Trading 

Expertise

Cash and Derivatives Equity, Equity Valuation, Exchanges, Indices, OTC and Listed Derivatives, Prime Finance, Structured Products and Annuities

Mark J. Buono

Mark J. Buono

Bio

Managing Director

Mark Buono is a CMBS and CRE industry pioneer. He is a former Managing Director at Goldman Sachs where he held various roles in the commercial real estate business for 20 years, and a Managing Director and CRE Portfolio Manager at the Global Atlantic Financial Group. He is an expert in CMBS, CRE CDOs, and REITs, CRE Portfolio Management, and Risk Management.

Former 

Goldman Sachs  - Managing Director, Special Asset Group

Freddie Mac - Vice President, Mortgage Trading

Expertise

CMBS, CRE CDOs, and REITs, Commercial Real Estate Lending, CRE Portfolio Management, CRE Portfolio Risk Management

Blake Mather

Blake Mather

Bio

Managing Director

Blake Mather, as a Partner and former Head of Bank Loan Sales, and Co-Head of High Yield and Distressed Sales at Goldman Sachs, is an expert in capital markets across multiple fixed-income products, including high-yield debt, loans, and distressed assets, as well as valuation and pricing across the capital structure.

Former

Goldman Sachs - Head of Bank Loan Sales 

Goldman Sachs - Co-Head High Yield and Distressed Sales

Expertise

High Yield and Distressed Debt, Performing and Non-performing  Leveraged Loans, Leveraged Finance Syndication, Corporate Valuation, Leveraged Buyouts, Illiquid Securities, Credit Analysis

Ian Mote

Ian Mote

Bio

Managing Director

Ian Mote has over a quarter-century of expertise in international finance and banking, with a focus on Structured Trade and Commodity Finance, treasury management, and trade finance within global markets. Ian spent 20 years working with Standard Chartered Bank, where his career included significant roles in Europe, the Middle East, and Greater China.

Former 

Standard Chartered Bank (China) - Executive Director, Head of Multinational Corporates

Senior Credit Officer, Commodities & Trade Finance

Executive Director, Head of Commodity Traders & Agribusiness

Expertise

International Finance and Banking Trade Finance and Commodities Treasury, Compliance, and Corporate Finance Liquidity and Working Capital solutions. Risk Management

Arthur Miller

Arthur Miller

Bio

Managing Director

Arthur Miller has over 43 years of experience in public finance and municipal bonds serving as Managing Director and Co-Head of Public Finance Strategies & Analytics Groups at Goldman Sachs. He covered leading roles at industry organizations including Vice Chair and Member of the Board of Directors at the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board. He currently acts as an Arbitrator at FINRA.

Former 

Goldman Sachs - Managing Director, Co-Head, Public Finance Strategies & Analytics Groups

Expertise

Municipal Securities, Tax Policy, Public Finance, Fixed Income

Philip A. Olesen

Philip A. Olesen

Bio

Managing Director

Philip Olesen is a global credit sales and trading professional with over 25 years of leadership and expertise in credit trading, risk management, and investment banking. With a distinguished career primarily at UBS Investment Bank, he has been involved in all credit products including bonds, loans, CDS and structured credit products including correlation risk.

Former

UBS Investment Bank - Managing Director, Global Head of Credit Trading

Managing Director, Head of Global Correlation

Managing Director, Global Risk Manager - Credit

Expertise

Global Credit Sales & Trading (including Emerging Markets), Credit Derivatives, Risk Management, Credit Research, Liability Management, Capital Markets

Debbie Bigman, CPA

Debbie Bigman, CPA

Bio

Managing Director

Debbie Bigman has over 36 years of experience in financial product valuation, enterprise risk management and financial reporting. Her deep knowledge in credit, pricing and transaction analysis spans decades of market cycles and disruptions. Debbie has helped banks, specialty lenders, insurance companies, and funds navigate complex challenges arising from market and regulatory driven change.

Former

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP - Partner, Financial Markets Co-Founder

Expertise

Valuation and Governance of Financial Products, Enterprise Risk Management for Financial Transactions and Products, Financial Reporting for Financial Instruments


Paul Morgan

Paul Morgan

Bio

Managing Director

Paul Morgan is a seasoned expert in structured products, securities trading, investment management, and capital markets. With over 30 years of experience, he has led and advised FCA-regulated entities, managed proprietary trading portfolios, and built high-performing investment teams. As a trusted advisor to financial institutions and boards, he provides strategic guidance on market volatility, risk management, and strategic growth.

Former

Morgan Capital Advisors LLP - Founder, CEO

Royal Bank of Scotland - Proprietary Trader

Morgan Stanley International - Executive Director


Expertise

Interest Rate, Cross-Currency Swaps and the ISDA/CSA Framework, Exchange Traded Derivatives, Exotic Options for Speculative and Hedging Purposes, Debt and Equity Capital Markets Financing, Structured Note Risk and Portfolio Management, Special Purpose Vehicles and Leveraged Finance


T. S. Shankar

T. S. Shankar

Bio

Managing Director

Shankar is a highly experienced global payments professional with over two decades in Correspondent Banking covering Cross Border Payments and Trade Finance. His career included stints at Bank of America and Standard Chartered Bank, where he was the Global Product head for Financial Institutions – Payments. In this role his focus was on currency clearing including USD, EURO, RMB, GBP and Continuous linked settlement (CLS).

Former

Standard Chartered Bank - Managing Director, Global Head-Payments and Liquidity, Product Management

Bank of America (Singapore) - Senior Vice President - Southern Asia, Trade Finance and Payments 

Expertise

Cross Border Payments, Trade Finance, Currency Clearing, Compliance, Risk Management

R. Bram Smith

R. Bram Smith

Bio

Managing Director

Thanks to 40 years of experience in the US corporate loan market, both as the Executive Director of the Loan Syndications and Trading Association (LSTA) and senior executive in three leading financial institutions such as Bear Stearns, Morgan Stanley, and Bankers Trust, Bram Smith is a world-class expert in loan syndications, sales and trading, and capital markets.

Former

LSTA - Executive Director

Bear Stearns - Senior Managing Director

Expertise

Loan Syndications and Distribution, Loan Sales & Trading, Leveraged Loans Transactions, Loan Capital Markets, Debt Underwriting

Kurtis S. Plumer

Kurtis S. Plumer

Bio

Managing Director

Kurtis S. Plumer is a seasoned leveraged finance executive with over 30 years of experience in bankruptcy, restructuring and workouts. He has a deep expertise in managing investments across various asset classes, including leveraged loans, high-yield bonds, distressed debt and structured products. His career spans roles in credit portfolio management, distressed investing, and restructuring.

Former 

WhiteStar Asset Management – Managing Director Head of Restructuring and Workout

Highland Capital Management – Partner Portfolio Manager

Expertise

Restructuring Workout Private Credit CLOs High Yield Bonds Leveraged Loans Asset Management

James O'Connor

James O'Connor

Bio

Senior Advisor

Mr. O’Connor has over 30 years of experience in global financial markets, with unique expertise in prime brokerage, inventory management, securities lending, repo, asset-based financing, and liquidity and counterparty risk management. His career spans senior leadership roles at major investment banks and asset managers across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Former

Aperture Investors LLC - President, Chief Operating Officer

Och-Ziff Capital Management - Head of Business Management, Head of Portfolio Finance

Goldman Sachs - Managing Director

Expertise

Prime Brokerage, Securities Lending & Repo Markets, Treasury Operations, Liquidity and Counterparty Risk Management, Inventory Management and Asset Financing

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