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Cadwalader Finance Forum 2023
Date: October 19, 2023
Location: The Ritz Carlton Charlotte, NC
We invite you to join us for our annual Finance Forum.
We've taken this year's Finance Forum to a whole new level. In its 7th annual iteration, we're introducing an innovative format that will closely connect you with the thought leaders molding the financial landscape. Intimate fireside chat discussions will provide the opportunity to dive into the latest market trends in addition to a number of distinguished panels covering challenges and opportunities in commercial real estate, fund finance, leveraged finance, middle market lending, private credit, securitization and more.
Current panel topics include:
- Coming of Age: What’s Next for a Maturing Fund Finance Industry?
- What’s Really Going On: A Close Look at the CRE Market
- The Intersection of Traditional Banking and Private Credit
- The New Chapter in Fund Finance
- Market Update: Distressed CRE and Workout Trends
- A Conversation With the Chief Risk Officer
- Structured Finance Solutions for Fund Sponsors and LPs
- Sultans of Swing: What’s (and Who’s) Groovin’ in CMBS?
- Distressed Credit and Special Situations: Liability Management Transactions
- Not-So-Risky Business: Keys to the Effective Structuring of Capital Relief Trades
- Setting the C-Pace in the CRE Market
- Financing the Financiers: Bank Leverage of Private Credit Originators
- NAVer Fear: New Approaches in the NAV and Secondary Market
- Getting to Yes: Terms and Trends in CRE Lending
- All About the Assets: From Franchise Fees to Royalties to Infrastructure
A detailed schedule featuring our panel line-up and speakers is below. Please check back as we continue to add speakers.
Agenda
12:00 PM: Registration Opens - Urban Garden, Third Floor
12:30 PM: Program Begins
5:30 PM: Cocktail Reception - Urban Garden, Third Floor
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12:30 PM - 1:15 PM: Welcome Remarks and a Conversation With Michael DrydenWelcome Remarks
Partner
CadwaladerWesley MissonPartner
Cadwalader×Wes Misson is Head of Fund Finance, co-chair of Cadwalader’s Finance Group, and a member of the firm’s Management Committee. He leads the largest and most experienced fund finance team in the market, a trans-Atlantic group which represents credit providers on Subscription Credit Facilities, NAV-Facilities, Hybrids, Pref Equity Structures, GP Financings, Venture Debt and Capital Relief and Risk Transfer Trades for private equity, real estate and other investment funds of all sizes and vintages sponsored by many of the world’s preeminent fund sponsors. Wes has represented financial institutions as lenders and lead agents in hundreds of Subscription Credit Facilities, Hybrid Facilities, NAV Facilities and other types of fund financings during the course of his career. His experience also encompasses being a market leader on ESG facilities while serving on the firm’s ESG Task Force and being a problem solver for more than a decade-plus working with fund-related borrowers on the negotiation of third-party investor documents with institutional, high net worth and sovereign wealth investors.
Wes was featured in the Financial Times North America Innovative Lawyers 2021 Report in the “Sustainability” category for his representations on nine environmental, social and governance (ESG)-related fund facilities in the U.S., including his work advising Bank of America on a $4.1 billion ESG-linked credit facility tied to Board diversity for funds managed by The Carlyle Group.
Wes was a recipient of the Fund Finance Association’s “Annual Contribution to the Industry Award” for 2023. The FFA noted that he “leads the largest and most experienced team in the U.S. market and has served as lead counsel on thousands of transactions, including many of the largest and most sophisticated fund financings ever consummated.” The FFA added that his “innovative work and commercial approach has had a profound impact on the fund finance industry.”
In addition, Wes was named a “Most Effective Deal-Maker” as part of the 2023 ALM Southeastern Awards. In its selection, ALM referenced Wes as being “the most prominent lender-side fund finance lawyer in the industry.” Wes was also named to the 2025 Lawdragon “500 Leading Dealmakers in Americas”, a 2024 “Leader in the Law” by North Carolina Lawyers Weekly and was recognized as a leading practitioner in Banking by IFLR1000 .
Wes has served as lead counsel on many of the largest and most sophisticated fund financings ever consummated. Over the past two years alone, he has advised more than 40 banks as lead or syndicate lender in transactions valued in excess of $200 billion in terms of lender commitments.
Beyond his client work, Wes is very active in broader industry initiatives, as a prolific author and educator on fund finance, including as a regular contributor to the firm’s weekly newsletter, Fund Finance Friday. He is also a year-round speaker at and participant in related events, including as part of the Fund Finance Association, the industry’s main networking association, for which he serves as a member of the U.S. Advisory Committee. He is also deeply involved in charitable work as chairman of the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, and enjoys spending time with his family.
Wes has a J.D. from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
A Conversation With Michael Dryden
Partner
Sixth StreetMichael DrydenPartner
Sixth Street×Prior to joining Sixth Street in 2022 as a Partner, Mr. Dryden was a Managing Director at Credit Suisse and the Global Head of Securitized Products Finance, within the Credit Division. Formerly, he was the co-head of Residential Mortgage Finance, Head of European Asset Finance and the Global Head of Specialty Situations. Mr. Dryden was part of the Credit (Fixed Income) Management Committee, the Global Markets Operating Committee, the Chair of the Asset Finance Capital Commitments Committee, and a member of the Credit Investment Committee. Mr. Dryden was also a member of the board of Sector Financial (Credit Suisse middle market lending business) having established it in 2017, and Select Portfolio Servicing (SPS, Credit Suisse’s mortgage servicing business) where he leads the strategic and capital management of the business. Mr. Dryden joined Credit Suisse in May 2011 from Barclays Capital where he was responsible for the mortgage, real estate and government advisory business within the Securitized Products Origination group.
Partner
CadwaladerStuart GoldsteinPartner
Cadwalader×Stuart Goldstein is the Managing Partner of Cadwalader’s Charlotte office, co-chair of the firm’s Capital Markets Practice and a member of the firm’s Management Committee.
Stuart concentrates his practice on structured finance, primarily commercial mortgage-backed and CRE CLO securitization transactions, structured mortgage loan participations and warehouse lending, as well as advising servicers and lenders in the workout and restructuring of securitized and other financial assets. In addition, Stuart has broad experience representing issuers and underwriters in both public and private offerings of RMBS, corporate CLOs and other structured finance products including synthetic securitizations, credit-linked notes, credit default swaps (including tranched portfolio CDS), derivative product companies (DPCs) and other credit-risk transfer (CRT) products.
He also represents clients in the purchase and sale of commercial and multifamily mortgage loans, mezzanine debt, subordinate debt, and residential first and second mortgage loans (including FHA, VA, conventional, and manufactured housing) in whole loan and participation structures. In addition, he has extensive experience in secured lending and represents lenders in structuring and negotiating finance facilities.
Stuart was named a BTI Consulting Group Client Services All-Star, an honor recognizing lawyers who “deliver outstanding legal skills enveloped in a rare combination of practical business knowledge, extraordinary attention to client needs and noteworthy responsiveness,” and who “instill a confidence and trust reserved only for the most valued and strategic business partners.” One of only 176 attorneys in the nation recognized by BTI, Stuart was also designated an “MVP” for being among only 28 lawyers named for at least two consecutive years. Nominations for inclusion on the BTI list are made by clients. Stuart was named Lawyer of the Year in Securitization and Structured Finance by Best Lawyers in America, and is regularly recognized in Chambers USA, Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in the East, Legal 500, IFLR 1000 and Who’s Who in American Law.
Stuart received the 2019 Alzheimer's Association Award of Excellence for his ongoing support of the organization’s Western Carolina Chapter. He has been involved with the Alzheimer's Association for nearly 10 years, serving in a number of leadership roles, including Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors. Stuart has also served on boards and in leadership roles with several other community organizations, including Misty Meadows Mitey Riders, the Jewish Community Center of Greater Charlotte and The Charlotte Dance Theater.
Stuart received a B.S. from Cornell University and his J.D. from Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California at Berkeley. He is admitted to practice in the states of New York and California, and is a member of the American Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association.
1:15 PM - 1:30 PM: Networking Break
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM:T1.1: Fireside Chat: Coming of Age: What’s Next for a Maturing Fund Finance Industry?
Partner
Cadwalader
CoHead of Fund Finance
EverBankJeff JohnstonCoHead of Fund Finance
EverBank×Jeff Johnston is Senior Vice President, Co-Head of Fund Finance, for EverBank.
Prior to joining the bank, Mr. Johnston was a Managing Director and the Head of Asset Management within Wells Fargo’s Corporate & Investment Banking group with oversight of a nearly $100 billion portfolio of bank commitments.
Prior to founding the Subscription Finance business at Wells Fargo in 2010, Mr. Johnston was responsible for the portfolio and workout of over $10B of legacy structured products for the bank, including cash and synthetic ABS and CRE CDO’s, total return swaps, and RMBS positions. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, Mr. Johnston served in Bank of America’s Global Structured Products group.
Mr. Johnston is a Co-founder and Chairman of the Board for the Fund Finance Association, a global industry association for constituents in the fund finance space, is considered an original thought leader of fund finance and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences.
Mr. Johnston is a CFA charter holder and is a graduate of the University of South Florida.
T2.1: Fireside Chat: What’s Really Going On: A Close Look at the CRE Market
Partner
CadwaladerT3.1: Fireside Chat: The Intersection of Traditional Banking and Private Credit
Partner
Cadwalader
Managing Director and Head of Capital Markets
Wells Fargo Strategic CapitalJohn AlbrightManaging Director and Head of Capital Markets
Wells Fargo Strategic Capital×John Albright is a Managing Director and Head of Capital Markets for Wells Fargo Strategic Capital. John helps originate and structure deals across all sectors for WFSC and specializes in executing private capital solutions for our clients who have capital needs that exceed WFSC’s appetite or are not well suited for commercial banks, WFSC or the broadly syndicated markets. John originally joined Wachovia Securities in 2002 and has spent the majority of his career executing non-investment grade capital raises for businesses across virtually all industries. Since 2013, John has been focused on sourcing and structuring direct lending and other private capital solutions for Wells Fargo’s clients, through his vast network of private institutional investor relationships.
John received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2002 from Colgate University. John resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife, daughter, and two sons.
2:05 PM - 2:35 PM:T1.2: Fireside Chat: The New Chapter in Fund Finance
Partner
Cadwalader
Senior Managing Director
Huntington BankBradford BolandSenior Managing Director
Huntington Bank×Brad Boland is a Senior Managing Director and Head of Fund Finance at The Huntington National Bank. Prior to joining Huntington, Brad had been active in the fund finance space for 17 years having most recently worked at Signature Bank as a Managing Director in the bank’s Fund Banking Division from May 2019 through May 2023. Prior to Signature, Brad worked for nine years in Wells Fargo’s Subscription Finance Group where he was the second team member in what grew into the largest lender in the sector. At the time of his departure from Wells, Brad was the head of the group’s U.S. originations team. Before joining Wells Fargo, Brad spent ten years at Bank of America in various areas including the Healthcare Finance, Sports Finance & Advisory and Global Structured Products groups. During his time in the Global Structure Products group, Brad led the effort to build out the group’s subscription finance platform. Brad has a B.A. degree from Davidson College.
Senior Managing Director
Huntington BankCharles OwensSenior Managing Director
Huntington Bank×Charlie Owens is a Senior Managing Director within The Huntington National Bank’s newly formed Fund Finance group. Prior to joining Huntington in June of this year, Charlie was one of the founding members of Signature Bank’s Fund Banking Division where he was a Managing Director originating over $17Bn in loan commitments from many of the private equity industry’s leading sponsors, including subscription, hybrid and management company facilities. Prior to joining Signature, Charlie worked in Wells Fargo’s Subscription Finance Group for over 7 years where he joined in the group’s infancy and helped grow the group to be the largest bank lender in the fund finance industry. Before Wells Fargo, he was with Bank of America for 12 years within their Global Structured Products group, responsible for both public and 144A term ABS issuance as well as lending off the bank’s balance sheet. During this time, Charlie was part of the lending team’s efforts to build the subscription finance platform and grow it to ~$20Bn. Charlie has a B.S. degree with a concentration in Finance from the University of Central Florida and has lived in Charlotte for over 20 years with his wife and 3 sons.
T2.2: Fireside Chat: Market Update: Distressed CRE and Workout Trends
Partner
Cadwalader
Principal
Iron HoundRobert VerronePrincipal
Iron Hound×Principal owner Robert Verrone drew from his 23 years experience in the commercial real estate industry to found Iron Hound in 2009. His goal: to answer the changing needs of under-served commercial real estate owners in a down economy. Robert began his career at Bear Stearns, where he spent several years in the Commercial Real Estate Group. In 2002, he went on to develop and manage Wachovia’s Large Loan Group, which he grew to over $20 billion in loan originations by 2007. Prior to founding Iron Hound, Robert also served as Co-Head of Wachovia’s Real Estate Group, where he was responsible for managing approximately 600 employees and oversaw a debt portfolio valued in excess of $80 billion. Robert received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Moravian College.
T3.2: Fireside Chat: A Conversation With the Chief Risk Officer
Managing Partner
Cadwalader
Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Risk Officer
Wells FargoDerek FlowersSenior Executive Vice President, Chief Risk Officer
Wells Fargo×As Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer, Derek Flowers is accountable for the effective governance of the company’s risk programs. As the leader of the independent corporate risk function, he oversees all financial and non-financial risks, including compliance risk management. Derek’s leadership team includes chief risk officers for each of the five business groups and Finance, and risk officers overseeing risk management programs by risk type. Derek serves on the Wells Fargo Operating Committee and is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Derek most recently served as the head of Wells Fargo’s Strategic Execution & Operations Office, responsible for driving transformation and achieving operational excellence across all the company’s businesses to enable the company to better execute against regulatory priorities. Prior to that, Derek was Wells Fargo’s chief credit and market risk officer, responsible for oversight of all credit, counterparty, and market risk undertaken throughout
the company. He also chaired the Credit Risk Management and Market Risk Committees, and assisted management and the Board of Directors in identifying and monitoring credit, counterparty, and market risk.Before that role, Derek was chief credit and market risk officer for Wells Fargo Securities and Wells Fargo’s Corporate Banking groups, which include the company’s corporate, energy, power and utilities, gaming, restaurant, and sponsor finance businesses. He also led the corporate credit group within Wells Fargo Securities Principal Investment Group.
Derek began his career in Wholesale Banking where he served in various lending and strategic planning roles. He received his B.S. degree in finance and entrepreneurship from the University of Arizona and earned his MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
2:35 PM - 3:00 PM: Networking Break
3:00 PM - 3:45 PM:T1.3: Panel: Structured Finance Solutions for Fund Sponsors and LPs
Principal and Investment Professional
Neuberger Berman Private EquityJeremy DeutschPrincipal and Investment Professional
Neuberger Berman Private Equity×Jeremy Deutsch is a Principal and Investment Professional at Neuberger Berman Private Equity. Prior to joining Neuberger Berman Private Equity in 2019, Jeremy worked in Financial Sponsors Investment Banking at Barclays, where he advised private equity clients and their portfolio companies on M&A and financing transactions. Prior to Barclays, he worked as an Investment Associate at Neuberger Berman on the Multi-Asset Class team, where he focused on investment research and portfolio management across global asset classes. Jeremy began his career at AQR Capital Management. He received an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and a BA in Economics and Environmental Studies from Amherst College.
Partner
CadwaladerGregg JubinPartner
Cadwalader×Gregg Jubin is a partner in the Capital Markets Group, Managing Partner of the Washington, D.C., office and a member of the firm’s Management Committee. He practices in both Washington and New York. Gregg has 29 years of experience in corporate and finance transactions, with particular emphasis in transactions involving hedge funds and private equity fund of funds, structured funds, collateralized loan obligations, collateralized fund obligations, derivatives, synthetic structured products, and other types of structured products. Gregg represents the managers of hedge funds and private equity fund of funds, collateral managers, investment banking firms, commercial banks, broker dealers, and other financial institutions.
Gregg's practice involves structuring and organizing onshore and offshore hedge funds (including commodity pools, fund of funds, and master/feeder funds), private equity fund of funds and other investment vehicles, developing, negotiating and documenting a wide variety of financial products, and providing advice to clients with respect to compliance with the Commodity Exchange Act, the Investment Company Act, the Investment Advisers Act, the Securities Act of 1933, and other federal and state securities and commodities laws and regulations. Gregg is recognized as a leading lawyer in securitization by Chambers USA and Chambers Global.
Gregg co-led the Cadwalader team in connection with its representation of Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC in the BlackRock DLF-VIII-L CLO Trust transaction, which was recognized in 2022 by GlobalCapital as “Middle Market CLO Deal of the Year” in its annual U.S. Securitization awards.
He received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Syracuse University College of Law, where he was a member of the Law Review and Moot Court Board.
Executive Director
Morgan StanleySeth PerlmanExecutive Director
Morgan Stanley×Seth Perlman is an executive director at Morgan Stanley. He is part of the Securitized Products Capital Markets group, focusing on transactions backed by limited partnership interests in funds. In this role, he provides firm-wide structuring solutions to clients across lending, trading, and investment banking. Seth joined Morgan Stanley in 2014 as a member of the Securitized Products Group Structuring desk. He has since helped structure more than $17Bn in debt backed by LP interests, consumer loans, and esoteric assets. Seth holds a B.A. in Physics from Princeton University.
T2.3: Panel: Sultans of Swing: What's (and Who’s) Groovin’ in CMBS?
Partner
Cadwalader
Managing Director, Real Estate Structured Finance
BofA Securities, Inc.Leland F. Bunch, IIIManaging Director, Real Estate Structured Finance
BofA Securities, Inc.×Mr. Bunch joined Bank of America in late 2007 and currently oversees CMBS structuring, distribution, securitization, pricing, large loan structuring and warehouse finance. He also has been responsible for $15.0bn+ of large loan CMBS 2.0/3.0 originations and is the GSE relationship manager for Agency CMBS. Prior to joining the bank, Mr. Bunch was the Head of European CMBS at UBS Investment Bank and he started his Wall Street career with JPMorgan in New York and finished in London overseeing CMBS capital markets
Executive Director – CMBS Capital Markets
J.P. MorganHarris RendelsteinExecutive Director – CMBS Capital Markets
J.P. Morgan×
Managing Director - Credit and Underwriting
Prime FinanceLyndsay StephensonManaging Director - Credit and Underwriting
Prime Finance×Lyndsay Stephenson is a Managing Director and Head of Real Estate Credit for Prime Finance’s CMBS Investments group in the New York office. Prior to joining Prime in 2016, Lyndsay was a Vice President at Starwood Mortgage Capital in its credit and underwriting group. During her five-year tenure at Starwood, Lyndsay underwrote over 140 CMBS loans with an aggregate face value of $1.65 billion. Prior to Starwood, Lyndsay spent five years working at RREEF, where she was responsible for sourcing, underwriting and asset managing mezzanine and B-note investments for transitional properties. Lyndsay began her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she was involved with the valuation of regional shopping malls. Lyndsay graduated from the University of Connecticut with a B.S. in Real Estate and Urban Economic Studies.
T3.3: Panel: Distressed Credit and Special Situations: Liability Management Transactions
Partner
Cadwalader
Managing Director and Senior Analyst
Mudrick Capital ManagementScott BynumManaging Director and Senior Analyst
Mudrick Capital Management×Scott is a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager at Mudrick Capital Management, L.P., where he is responsible for managing the Stressed Credit Funds. Prior to joining Mudrick Capital, Scott served as a co-Portfolio Manager of the Global Credit Opportunities Fund and related SMA’s at CVC from 2013 to 2021. He was also responsible for building the Global Special Situations strategies, for which he served as a member of the Investment Committee. Prior to joining CVC, Scott was a Vice President at Goldman Sachs in the Global Bank Loan Distressed Investing group and was responsible for hedging and portfolio analytics as well as leading investments across the capital structure in public and private companies. Scott graduated magna cum laude with a BSE from Princeton University.
Managing Director
Churchill Asset ManagementBrent ChaseManaging Director
Churchill Asset Management×Brent joined Churchill Asset Management in 2020 and currently serves as a Managing Director in the underwriting and portfolio management group. Previously, he worked in a similar capacity at Siemens Financial Services within the middle market commercial lending platform. Prior to that, Brent worked at GE Capital in various credit roles across the firm’s underwriting, distressed debt investment and workout teams, including both middle market and broadly syndicated transactions. He began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he was a manager in audit & assurance services.
Brent earned his B.S. in accounting from Penn State University and his M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He is also a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Pennsylvania.
Managing Director - Head of Restructuring & Special Situations
First Eagle Investment ManagementZoltan DonovanManaging Director - Head of Restructuring & Special Situations
First Eagle Investment Management×
Senior Director - Capital Solutions
BaringsSteve JohnsonSenior Director - Capital Solutions
Barings×
Partner
CadwaladerJared ZajacPartner
Cadwalader×Jared Zajac is a partner in Cadwalader’s Finance practice resident in the Charlotte office. Jared is active in Cadwalader’s leveraged lending, alternative capital, and financial restructuring practices, where he brings a unique blend of traditional finance and restructuring experience to advance and protect the interests of clients.
Jared represents financial institutions, investment funds, lenders, and borrowers in leveraged finance, acquisition financings, first and second lien financings, syndicated credit facilities, and debtor-in-possession financings. Jared's restructuring experience includes representing secured creditors, DIP lenders, and acquirers of distressed businesses.
Jared has been named one of the “500 Leading Dealmakers in America” by Lawdragon in 2024 and 2025.
3:50 PM - 4:35 PM:T1.4: Panel: Not-So-Risky Business: Keys to the Effective Structuring of Capital Relief Trades
Partner
Cadwalader
Global Head of Capital Markets
Värde PartnersMissy DolskiGlobal Head of Capital Markets
Värde Partners×Missy Dolski is a Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Capital Markets. Missy joined Värde in 2017 and is responsible for managing relationships with key capital markets accounts globally. She is also responsible for the debt advisory and financing execution needs of the firm’s investment book in both public and private debt markets, as well as for the firm’s fund financing needs.
Prior to joining Värde, Missy was a Director at Wells Fargo Securities in the Commercial Real Estate Capital Markets & Finance group where she focused on capital markets financing for a variety of non-bank lender clients. Throughout her career she held multiple roles at Wells Fargo within its structured finance, principal investing and corporate credit divisions in New York, London and San Francisco.
Missy graduated from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management with a B.S. in Business Administration and received an M.B.A. with distinction from London Business School.
Director – Tactical Situations Group
ATLAS SP PartnersAleksandr EpshteynDirector – Tactical Situations Group
ATLAS SP Partners×Aleksandr is a Director in the Tactical Situations Group at ATLAS SP. Aleksandr is responsible for coverage of bank and FinTech capital optimization, intellectual property, sports finance, fund finance and early stage/venture capital.
Prior to joining ATLAS SP, Aleksandr was a Director in the Securitized Products Tactical Situations Group at Credit Suisse, which he joined in 2015. Before this, he worked as an Analyst in Asset Backed Finance and Securitization at Wells Fargo.
Aleksandr received his BBA in Finance, Information Systems and Operations Management, and Economics from Emory University.
Managing Director
Seer CapitalTerry LansonManaging Director
Seer Capital×Terry Lanson is a Managing Director at Seer Capital Management responsible for investments in bank regulatory capital relief transactions. Seer has invested more than $1 billion across more than 50 reg cap transactions. Terry joined Seer in 2008 after two years at Citigroup in London, where he structured and traded esoteric structured credit related assets. He spent 9 years at Deutsche Bank in New York and London, where he was part of the team responsible for Deutsche's market leading balance sheet securitization/reg cap program. He also structured and executed some of the first securitizations in the European markets for auto loans, trade receivables, and Pan-European corporate bonds. Terry holds an undergraduate degree from Harvard College.
Managing Director
Goldman SachsDerek LiManaging Director
Goldman Sachs×Derek is head of Real Assets and Esoterics within the Alternative Markets Group (AMG), which is responsible for servicing key Alternatives clients through financing, sourcing and solutions transactions in the private markets. Prior to his current role, he was co-head of Credit Structuring in the Americas, where he led the execution of customized investing and hedging solutions for financial institution, hedge fund, and asset manager clients. Derek joined Goldman Sachs in 2006 as an analyst and was named managing director in 2021.
Derek earned a BS in Business Administration, with a concentration in Finance, from Carnegie Mellon University.
T2.4: Panel: Setting the C-Pace in the CRE Market
Partner
Cadwalader
Senior Vice President
DBRS MorningstarKevin AugustynSenior Vice President
DBRS Morningstar×Kevin Augustyn is a Senior Vice President in the North American CMBS, Global Structured Finance group at DBRS Morningstar. DBRS Morningstar is a credit rating agency and investment research firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. In his role at DBRS Morningstar, Mr. Augustyn covers overall credit practices for DBRS Morningstar’s commercial real estate ratings work and has lead Morningstar’s effort to provide credit ratings for CPACE (Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy) loans on a national basis. He also served on the firm’s ESG methodology subcommittee and leads other sustainability and resiliency initiatives.
Before joining DBRS Morningstar, Mr. Augustyn’s career has been focused on urban infill development in Chicago, leading teams responsible for the redevelopment of Piper's Alley and the North Pier as well as the development of River East Center and other large projects. He has over 25 years of real estate development and finance experience with several national real estate development firms and financial institutions including Bank of Montreal, Trammell Crow Companies, OPUS and CIII Capital Partners.
Mr. Augustyn began his career as a city planner, reflecting his passion for community economic development and historic preservation. His first professional assignment was to return to his hometown of Hammond, Indiana, where he served initially as the Land Use Planner and eventually as the Director of the Planning Department.
He has a long-standing interest in the private use of capital for the public good and corporate sponsored urban economic development programs.
Boards and Professional Organizations
Illinois Green Alliance, Board Member
Urban Land Institute, Responsible Property Investment Council Member
Education
Bachelor of Arts in Urban Planning, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.
MBA with a concentration in finance, Kellogg School of Management, Evanston, IL
Senior Vice President - Partner Management and Originations
Petros PACE FinanceRachel DavisSenior Vice President - Partner Management and Originations
Petros PACE Finance×
Senior Director, Private ABS
Nuveen Equities & Fixed IncomeKenneth PriceSenior Director, Private ABS
Nuveen Equities & Fixed Income×Ken Price is a senior director on Nuveen’s private placements team where he is focused on the origination and portfolio management of the Private ABS portfolio. Ken invests in a variety of largely investment grade rated deals across many sectors including CPACE, music royalties, oil & gas royalties, insurance linked ABS, and digital infrastructure. Ken graduated with a B.S. in Financial Economics from Binghamton University and is also a CFA charterholder.
Managing Director and Head of ABS Banking
TruistBrock WolfManaging Director and Head of ABS Banking
Truist×Brock Wolf joined Truist Securities in 2019 and currently serves as Head of ABS Banking. Brock leads a team responsible for both warehouse lending and term ABS distribution on behalf of the firm’s ABS issuing clients. Brock has 20+ years of experience as an ABS banker, advising clients across a broad range of securitization asset classes, including consumer loans, credit cards, auto loans/leases, rental car, equipment loans/leases, small business loans, insurance premium finance, and PACE.
Prior to joining Truist, Brock worked in ABS investment banking with Natixis, UBS, and Lehman Brothers. Brock graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts in History. Brock lives in Westchester County, New York and enjoys spending his free time with his wife and two daughters.
T3.4: Panel: Financing the Financiers: Bank Leverage of Private Credit Originators
Partner
Cadwalader
Managing Director, Head of Structured Products
Golub CapitalAlan GeorgeManaging Director, Head of Structured Products
Golub Capital×Alan George is a Managing Director and Head of Structured Products of Golub Capital, a market-leading, award-winning direct lender and experienced credit asset manager. As of July 1, 2023, Golub Capital had over $60 billion of capital under management, a gross measure of invested capital including leverage. Golub Capital partners with institutional investors and family offices, offering tailored solutions for investors’ credit asset strategies. The Firm specializes in delivering reliable, creative and compelling financing solutions to companies backed by private equity sponsors. Golub Capital has been a top 3 U.S. Middle Market Bookrunner each year from 2008 through Q2 2023 for senior secured loans of up to $500 million for leveraged buyouts. Golub Capital has been consistently recognized with industry awards, including Lender of the Year, Americas (Private Debt Investor, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022) and Senior Lender of the Year, Americas (Private Debt Investor, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020).
Mr. George joined Golub Capital in 2008 and is a Managing Director and the Head of Structured Products. He is responsible for structuring and executing collateralized loan obligations, lines of credit and other structured debt financings for the Firm. He also helps oversee Golub Capital’s investment portfolio of third party securitization liabilities. Prior to joining Golub Capital, Mr. George worked at LaSalle Bank, where he specialized in real estate-focused collateralized debt obligations.
Mr. George earned his BS degree in Finance from the University of Pittsburgh.
Principal
Blue OwlMatthew LaurinoPrincipal
Blue Owl×Matt Laurino is a Principal at Blue Owl and member of the Structured Products and Fund Finance Team. In his role, Matt is a member of the Structured Products Team where he co-leads the team’s capital markets effort and has a primary focus on securitized private credit formation and execution. Based in New York, Matt spearheads the firm’s Private Credit CLO business and has a key focus on structuring other structured credit transactions including structured insurance solutions, warehouse lines, and other capital markets transactions.
Before joining Blue Owl in 2019, Matt was a Deputy Portfolio Manager and Structurer at UNTL Capital LLC, a macro product focused managed account fund. Prior to that, he was an Associate at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in its Global Capital Markets Division where he started his career as an Analyst in its Derivative Origination and Solutions Group.
Matt received a BA in Finance from Villanova University and MBA from Cornell University.
Managing Director
CitizensPete RogersManaging Director
Citizens×Pete has over 25 years of structured finance experience across multiple platforms and asset classes. He is a Managing Director for Citizens Capital Markets Corporate Credit Securitization Team in Charlotte, where he focuses on the origination and execution of financing facilities for the Bank’s private credit client base. Prior to joining Citizens, Pete was a Managing Director on Fifth Third’s Securitization Team which was preceded by over 13 years on Wells Fargo’s ABS desk, where he focused on commercial assets, including container and railcar leasing, general equipment, billboards, cell towers and whole business securitizations, among others. Pete has a BS in Economics from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and holds the CFA designation.
Managing Director
Wells Fargo SecuritiesAllan SchmittManaging Director
Wells Fargo Securities×Allan Schmitt is the head of Corporat Debt Finance with Wells Fargo Securities located in Charlotte, NC with more than 15 years of experience in financial services. Allan has spent his entire career focused on providing clients with financing solutions for portfolios of non-investment grade leveraged loans. These financing solutions have predominately consisted of asset-based lending facilities for the bank and capital markets transactions through the execution of collateralized loan obligations. Allan acts as a relationship manager for a large portion of the group’s direct lending client base across both US and Europe with a focus on providing financing solutions to asset managers and investors within the direct lending market.
Allan also spearheads the groups CLO origination and execution efforts which includes arranging middle market and broadly syndicated CLOs for asset managers, insurance companies, hedge funds and finance companies. In this role, Allan works on the origination, structuring and overall execution of asset backed finance solutions.
4:35 PM - 4:45 PM: Networking Break
4:45 PM - 5:30 PM:T1.5: Panel: NAVer Fear: New Approaches in the NAV and Secondary Market
Partner
Cadwalader
Managing Director
Ares ManagementAndie GohManaging Director
Ares Management×Ms. Goh is a Managing Director in the Ares Credit Group, where she is based in New York. She focuses on alternative credit investments across fund finance, consumer, and commercial financial and operating assets. Prior to joining Ares in 2015, Ms. Goh was at Credit Suisse and prior to that she was at UBS, focused on securitized products. Ms. Goh holds a B.S. from New York University Leonard N. Stern School of Business in Finance and an M.A. from Columbia University in Mathematics. She serves on the Board of the Out Investors New York Chapter.
Head of Insurance Solutions
Morgan StanleyMichael VasseghiHead of Insurance Solutions
Morgan Stanley×
Head of Alternative Investment Solutions
MassMutualDadong YanHead of Alternative Investment Solutions
MassMutual×Dadong is the Head of Alternative Investment Solutions at MassMutual. He is focused on private bespoke investment opportunities and building strategic partnerships with alternative asset managers globally. Prior to joining MassMutual, Dadong was an investment professional with experience investing across the capital structure in both public and private asset classes at Blackstone, Altai Capital, and Coatue Management. Previously, he was an investment banking professional at J.P. Morgan in the Financial Institutions Group. Dadong graduated magna cum laude from the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business and LSA Honors College with a triple major in Business, Biophysics, and Honors German, where he was a Martin Haller Award recipient.
T2.5: Panel: Getting to Yes: Terms and Trends in CRE Lending
Partner
Cadwalader
Managing Director & Head of Commercial Real Estate
ATLAS SP PartnersStefanos ArethasManaging Director & Head of Commercial Real Estate
ATLAS SP Partners×Stefanos is responsible for all activities within the group including Principal Lending, Warehouse Finance, Securitization/Syndication and CRE Advisory. Previously, Stefanos was a Managing Director and Head of Originations within the Commercial Real Estate Finance team at Credit Suisse. Additional past experiences for Stefanos include roles as a lead ratings analyst in the Structured Finance Group at Moody’s Investors Services and a lender at Truist Bank on the Commercial Real Estate finance team. Over his 20 year career in real estate finance Stefanos has also guest lectured on Real Estate Finance at Georgetown University, George Washington University and Columbia University. Mr. Arethas received his B.S. in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and his Masters in Real Estate from Georgetown University.
Head of Large Loan Originations
Morgan StanleyGary CurwinHead of Large Loan Originations
Morgan Stanley×Gary P. Curwin is Head of Large Loan Originations for the Commercial Real Estate Lending Group at Morgan Stanley. In this position, he is involved in the origination, structuring and distribution of all forms of senior and subordinate commercial real estate debt, for both the firm’s balance sheet and capital markets. He has been an active participant in many of the largest public-to-private REIT financings over the past 25 years.
Mr. Curwin was previously a co-founding principal of Tellus Investors, a New York based investment firm that originated and managed subordinate debt investments on behalf of Prudential Investment Management. From 1993-2000, Mr. Curwin was an attorney the real estate department at the New York law firm of Shearman & Sterling. Gary received a J.D. from Harvard Law School and an S.B. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Senior Director, Debt Originations
Nuveen Real EstateBryan DarchSenior Director, Debt Originations
Nuveen Real Estate×
Assistant General Counsel
Simon Property GroupKevin KellyAssistant General Counsel
Simon Property Group×Kevin M. Kelly is Assistant Secretary and Assistant General Counsel for Simon Property Group where he is responsible for various legal aspects of the Company. Simon Property Group is real estate investment trust engaged in the ownership of premier shopping, dining, entertainment and mixed-use destinations and an S&P 100 company.
T3.5: Panel: All About the Assets: From Franchise Fees to Royalties to Infrastructure
Partner
Cadwalader
Managing Director, Structured Capital Markets
KKR & Co.Lawrence CyrlinManaging Director, Structured Capital Markets
KKR & Co.×
Managing Director, Head of ABS
Kuvare Insurance ServicesFaisal KassamManaging Director, Head of ABS
Kuvare Insurance Services×5:30 PM - 6:30 PM: Cocktail Reception
Featured Panelists
John Albright
Managing Director
Wells Fargo Strategic Capital
Stefanos Arethas
Managing Director & Head of Commercial Real Estate
ATLAS SP Partners
Kevin Augustyn
Senior Vice President
DBRS Morningstar
Bradford Boland
Senior Managing Director
Huntington Bank
Matthew Brest
Managing Director
Blackstone
John Brown
Managing Director
The Carlyle Group
Leland F. Bunch, III
Managing Director, Real Estate Structured Finance
BofA Securities, Inc.
Scott Bynum
Managing Director and Senior Analyst
Mudrick Capital Management
Chris Campbell
Managing Director
Eastdil Secured
Brent Chase
Managing Director
Churchill Asset Management
Gary Curwin
Head of Large Loan Originations
Morgan Stanley
Lawrence Cyrlin
Managing Director, Structured Capital Markets
KKR & Co.
Bryan Darch
Senior Director, Debt Originations
Nuveen Real Estate
Rachel Davis
Senior Vice President - Partner Management & Originations
Petros PACE Finance
Jeremy Deutsch
Principal and Investment Professional
Neuberger Berman Private Equity
Missy Dolski
Global Head of Capital Markets
Värde Partners
Zoltan Donovan
Managing Director - Head of Restructuring & Special Situations
First Eagle Investment Management
Michael Dryden
Partner
Sixth Street
Aleksandr Epshteyn
Director – Tactical Situations Group
ATLAS SP Partners
Derek Flowers
Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Risk Officer
Wells Fargo
Alan George
Managing Director, Head of Structured Products
Golub Capital
Andie Goh
Managing Director
Ares Management
Sean Griffin
Managing Director
J.P. Morgan
Steve Johnson
Senior Director - Capital Solutions
Barings
Jeff Johnston
CoHead of Fund Finance
EverBank
Faisal Kassam
Managing Director, Head of ABS
Kuvare Insurance Services
Kevin Kelly
Assistant General Counsel
Simon Property Group
Terry Lanson
Managing Director
Seer Capital
Matthew Laurino
Principal
Blue Owl
Derek Li
Managing Director
Goldman Sachs
Parker McKee
Director
Société Générale
Charles Owens
Senior Managing Director
Huntington Bank
Seth Perlman
Executive Director
Morgan Stanley
Julia Powell
Director
ATLAS SP Partners
Kenneth Price
Senior Director, Private ABS
Nuveen Equities & Fixed Income
Harris Rendelstein
Executive Director – CMBS Capital Markets
J.P. Morgan
Pete Rogers
Managing Director
Citizens
Salina Sabri
Managing Director
Barclays
Allan Schmitt
Managing Director
Wells Fargo Securities
Lyndsay Stephenson
Managing Director - Credit and Underwriting
Prime Finance
Paul Vanderslice
Head of CMBS
Bank of Montreal
Michael Vasseghi
Head of Insurance Solutions
Morgan Stanley
Robert Verrone
Principal
Iron Hound
Scott Waynebern
President
Limekiln Real Estate
Brock Wolf
Managing Director and Head of ABS Banking
Truist
Dadong Yan
Head of Alternative Investment Solutions
MassMutualRelated Attorney(s)
Related Practice(s)
- CLOs
- Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities
- Commercial Real Estate CLOs
- Financial Regulation
- Financial Restructuring
- Fund Finance
- Securitization & Asset Based Finance
- Strategic Risk Transfers & Capital Relief Trades
Related Office(s)
