Effective structured finance representation involves more than just efficient transaction execution. An effective structured finance lawyer must understand how each transaction fits the client’s overall business objectives. While rooted in the fundamentals of traditional structured finance, securitization, capital markets, real estate finance, tax planning and bankruptcy practices, our structured finance practice is distinguished by a long history of innovative and creative transactions designed to achieve our clients’ objectives.

Integrated infrastructure

Our group of more than 45 full-time structured finance lawyers draws on our extensive experience with securitization and other finance transactions involving a wide range of asset classes. We collaborate effectively with colleagues in our regulatory, real estate, tax, banking and finance, energy, infrastructure, private equity and bankruptcy practice groups to solve diverse problems and to efficiently staff transactions. We pride ourselves on bringing the right deal team to each matter.

Industry longevity

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP is a long-standing market leader in structured finance and securitization. Over the past 35 years, we have represented issuers, underwriters, trustees, asset managers, servicers, originators, lenders, investors, insurance companies and derivatives providers in structured finance transactions totaling hundreds of billions of dollars.

We earn top rankings from clients, peers and media and are recognized, particularly, for our facility in handling innovative transactions. Our structured finance practice is ranked nationally in Band 1 by Chambers USA and also ranked nationally in Tier 1 by Legal 500 USA. Additionally, in Asset-Backed Alert’s 2023 league table rankings, Hunton Andrews Kurth ranked second place for issuer’s counsel and third place for underwriters’ counsel for US asset-backed securities and mortgage-backed securities. 

We consider each new matter with a seasoned perspective and an open mind, working with our client to structure and execute the transaction in a manner that best achieves the client’s objectives. Our experience includes:

• Asset-Backed Securities (ABS)
• Commercial Real Estate Finance
• Consumer Finance Regulatory and Litigation
• Credit Risk Transfer
• Derivatives and Structured Products
• Direct Lending Vehicles
• Energy Finance and Securitization
• Manufactured Housing Finance and Securitization
• Marketplace Lending and FinTech
• Mortgage Loan Servicing and Mortgage Servicing Rights (MSR) Acquisitions
• Public Utility Securitization
• Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
• Repackagings of ABS
• Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities (RMBS)
• Reverse Mortgage/HECM Financing and Securitization
• Servicer Advance and Mortgage Servicing Rights (MSR) Financing and Securitization
• Single-Family Rental (SFR) and Lease-to-Own Financing and Securitization
• Trade Receivables
• Warehouse and Structured Lending, Gestation Finance and Early Buyout (EBO) Facilities
• Whole Loan Trading

• Served as issuer’s and initial purchaser’s counsel to J.P. Morgan Mortgage Acquisition Corp. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (together, “J.P. Morgan”) in connection with the development and execution of a securitization program involving the issuance of $186.4 million in securities backed by a fixed pool of participation interests in home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) originated by third parties.

• Counsel to regulated financial institutions, REITs and other issuers in the design and implementation of RMBS programs involving virtually all loan types, including first and junior liens, home equity loans, high LTV loans, home improvement loans, manufactured housing contracts and government-insured loans (nonconventional)
• Counsel for the only REMIC programs involving full faith and credit guarantees of the United States
• Underwriters’ counsel on the first structured credit risk transfer issuance in 2013 and subsequent transactions in this GSE program
• Represent issuers, underwriters and other participants in term and revolving ABS and structured credit facilities involving numerous asset types, including railcar trade receivables, credit card receivables, equipment leases, franchise loans, aircraft lease payments, insurance products, oil and gas receivables, small business loans and toll road receivables
• Counsel to banks, hedge funds, and other lenders and investors in structuring warehouse and other secured lending facilities involving a variety of financial assets, including single-family, multifamily and government-insured mortgage loans, RMBS, CMBS and residential tax liens
• Represent issuers of public and private prime and subprime auto loan term securitizations, including the first prime auto loan securitization involving an offshore issuer for U.S.-originated auto loans
• Represent issuers, mortgage servicers, bank lenders and placement agents in connection with servicer advance financing facilities, including transactions involving the issuance of term ABS notes and revolving variable funding notes, master trust vehicles and revolving lines of credit
• Counsel to leading mortgage loan servicers in connection with servicing portfolio acquisitions and structuring of related acquisition financing
• Advise trustees, master servicers, securities administrators and servicers regarding numerous issues related to the administration of outstanding RMBS, ABS and other transactions, including enforcement of repurchase remedies related to breaches of representations and warranties, compliance with mortgage foreclosure and loss mitigation programs (including the U.S. Treasury HAMP initiative and other governmental programs), pool insurance rescission claims and related issues
• Represent monoline financial guaranty insurers in connection with tender offer programs and other initiatives designed to commute obligations on more than $10 billion of insured RMBS and ABS
• Serve as issuer's counsel on synthetic securitizations referencing various asset pools, including mortgage loans, prime auto loans, subprime auto loans and other consumer receivables
• Represent collateralized debt obligation (CDO) managers in restructurings of trust preferred securities and other debt instruments, and represent purchasers and sellers of CDO management rights
• Represent purchasers and sellers of all types of residential mortgage loans (including prime, Alt-A, subprime, performing, reperforming and nonperforming mortgage loans), RMBS (including subordinated securities and REMIC residual interests), and related mortgage and mortgage derivative products
• Represent underwriters, structuring advisors and electric utilities in connection with dedicated utility rate securitization transactions
• Counsel issuers and underwriters of public and private securitizations of manufactured housing installment sales contracts, and represent originators and servicers of manufactured housing contracts in various matters, including working capital and inventory warehouse financing transactions
• Represent sponsors in connection with organizing, structuring, marketing and operating private equity funds created to invest in mortgage loans, RMBS, CMBS, ABS and related assets and products
• Represent lenders and borrowers in syndicated loan facilities with borrowers in the financial services industry, in partnership with our lending practice group
• Provide special counsel role in numerous high-profile financial services and servicing industry mergers and acquisitions