People moves and key promotions in securitisation

This week’s roundup of securitisation job swaps sees Dechert make two appointments to its US asset finance and securitisation team, including the appointment of a new head. Elsewhere, Fried Frank has appointed a structured finance expert as a London-based partner, while TCW Group has appointed a former Brigade Capital Management partner to lead its newly formed asset-backed finance (ABF) business.

Global law firm Dechert has promoted global finance partner Andrew Pontano to head of its asset finance and securitisation group and hired structured and leveraged finance specialist Casey Miller as associate.

Based in New York, Pontano works on deals for both public and private securities and structured finance transactions spanning a number of asset classes. The appointment is in response to the growth of the firm’s asset finance and securitisation group in recent years. Pontano joined the firm in 2003 and was promoted to partner in 2015.

Miller joins Dechert’s Washington DC office from Paul Hastings, where she spent eight years. She works with asset managers, sponsors and issuers, primarily on broadly syndicated loan and mid-market CLO transactions.

Meanwhile, former Dechert partner Cameron Mitcham has joined Fried Frank as a partner in its finance practice, based in London. He will focus on structuring credit funds and transactions spanning securitisation, structured finance and asset-backed lending, with a focus on complying with EU risk retention rules.

Mitcham was most recently employed as special counsel at Australian law firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth. He has worked with clients including investment banks, asset managers, private equity firms, pension funds and financial institutions on structures including CLOs, CDOs, ABCP conduits, RMBS, CMBS, covered bonds and WBS.

Dylan Ross has joined the TCW Group as md and portfolio manager to lead the firm’s newly launched dedicated ABF business, based in New York. He brings to TCW almost 20 years of experience in alternative credit investing with a primary focus on structured credit and asset-backed finance. 

Most recently, Ross was a partner and portfolio manager at Brigade Capital Management, where he helped launch the firm's dedicated structured credit fund in 2014 and served as the co-head of the business from inception.

JP Morgan veteran and md Aymeric Paillat is to leave the firm after 17 years to take up a new role as a structured credit-focused portfolio manager at hedge fund Sona Asset Management, according to a report by Reuters. Citing a person familiar with the matter, the report states that Paillat will take up the new role in April and will be based in London.

Regions Bank vice president Elliott Mulkin has taken up the role of director at both Cushman & Wakefield and Greystone Servicing Company, working on their capital markets equity, debt and structured finance and loan origination groups. The dual role is part of a partnership between Greystone and Cushman & Wakefield's multifamily advisory group.

Mulkin leaves Regions Bank after five years with the business, having previously worked at CBRE and the US Senate. In his new role, he will be based in Birmingham, Alabama, and be responsible for originating and structuring senior loans including Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, bridge and private label options, the firm says. Reporting to Greystone’s Atlanta-based senior mds Charlie Mentzer and Brad Waite, he will also provide debt advisory services to clients.

Intesa Sanpaolo has promoted Joana Liachoviciute to director, based in London. She was previously vp, financial institutions solutions and financing at the firm, which she joined in January 2018. Before that, she was a financial analyst at Credit Suisse.

Former Challenger Investment Partners and CBRE executive Denee Denney has joined JLL as a director in its Australian debt and structured finance team, based in Sydney. Denney left her role as global investment manager at Challenger at the end of 2022 after four years with the firm. She was previously a director in CBRE’s Asia Pacific team.

UniCredit Bank Austria has promoted Kristina Kulya to associate director in its corporate structured finance team, based in Vienna. Kulya has been with the bank since 2016 and is promoted from associate for corporate structured finance. 

Société Générale CIB has promoted Dominique Pouani to structured finance deal manager in  its Paris office. Pouani joined the bank in 2018 having previously worked at Crédit Agricole CIB, BNP Paribas Securities and HSBC.

Luxembourg-headquartered primary debt market-focused issuer and software provider NowCM has appointed BNY Mellon structured finance and syndicated loan specialist Latoya Austin as senior transaction manager. Austin, who is based in London, leaves her role as senior transaction manager at BNY Mellon after 17 years with the bank. She previously worked at Deutsche Bank and Barclays.

And finally, Watson Farley & Williams has hired Dentons’ Anton Jarbøl as senior associate in its assets and structured finance team, based in London. Jarbøl leaves his role as associate in the banking and finance team at Dentons after six years.