Global law firm Ropes & Gray today announced the arrival of Christopher Poggi as a partner in the firm’s finance practice. He will be based in the firm’s 500lawyer New York office.
Chris will join partner Patricia Lynch, and a team of lawyers, who advise global clients on securitizations and complex financings. Chris has extensive experience in structuring and negotiating a range of securitization transactions, with a particular emphasis on whole-business securitizations and notes backed by portfolios of intellectual property. With more than 20 years of experience in this area, he has forged important and meaningful relationships with high-profile investment banks and private equity firms.
“Chris’s experience in whole-business securitizations and other complex financing structures makes him the perfect complement to our securitization practice,” said Patricia. “We’re excited to be growing the practice with him.”
“Chris is experienced at creative, complex financing arrangements. He complements our leading team of finance lawyers who have their finger on the pulse of the world’s finance markets,” said Stefanie Birkmann, co-head of the firm’s global leveraged finance practice.
“Clients have a trusted advisor in Chris. His deep knowledge of securitizations and finance fits perfectly with our finance team, widely recognized as among the best in the world,” said Julie Jones, chair.
Ropes & Gray’s global finance practice has completed thousands of financings, including securitizations, totaling hundreds of billions of dollars for a broad range of borrower/issuer, lender/arranger and investment fund clients. The firm’s lawyers have advised clients in virtually every industry across a full spectrum of securitization, leveraged finance and investment grade financing transactions.
“Ropes & Gray provides exceptional finance counsel to clients in challenging and competitive situations,” said David Djaha, managing partner. “Chris understands how to negotiate the most favorable financing terms in complex securitizations, deals and investments, unlocking value for clients. He is a perfect fit for our practice.”
“Ropes & Gray is a market leader in whole-business securitizations and similar structured finance transactions, as well as leveraged finance,” said Chris. “I’m thrilled to work with a team of lawyers who have the strongest command of finance in the market. There’s been incredible growth in the whole-business product over the past few years, led in substantial part by the Ropes & Gray team, and also ABS transactions backed by media and entertainment assets like music publishing rights.”
He continued, “Our team will be focused on advising private equity sponsors, issuers and underwriters on the most complex issues and transactions in these expanding asset classes. Ropes & Gray, with its depth of experience and expertise in intellectual property, tax, bankruptcy, real estate and other areas, will be uniquely able to support them.”
Ropes & Gray is a preeminent global law firm with approximately 1,400 lawyers and legal professionals serving clients in major centers of business, finance, technology and government. The firm has offices in New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, London, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo and Seoul, and has consistently been recognized for its leading practices in many areas, including private equity, M&A, finance, asset management, real estate, tax, antitrust, life sciences, health care, intellectual property, litigation & enforcement, privacy & cybersecurity, and business restructuring.
