Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP has snagged well-known layer John Williams from Allen & Overy, where he headed the firms U.S. derivatives practice, and he brings with him his heavy credentials for his work managing the special regulations of the financial crisis. Williams specializes in complex transactional and regulatory work in the derivative space, and his range of experiences touch on some of the biggest events in managing the financial crisis, in America and elsewhere.
“John brings a hybrid transactional and regulatory derivatives practice at the highest level of the global derivatives market, handling not only the most complex and innovative transactions but mastering the changed regulatory structure of the sector. He is a lawyer at the very top of his game,” said Milbank Chairman Scott Edelman.
Mr. Edelman also said that, “John saw the financial crisis as the game-changing event it was, and realized that a top-tier transactional practice would now depend on offering comprehensive regulatory counsel as well. Our banking and financial institutions clients will benefit from John’s tremendous range of experience across the vital transactional and regulatory functions of the derivatives space.”
In other words, where the world saw a financial crisis, John saw golden opportunities. His most successful work has been in dealing with the crises these last few years, including being principle U.S. counsel to the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) as it revised its credit derivate products in 2009; he advised leading clearing members of ICE Clear Credit and ICE Clear Europe, some of the largest clearinghouses for credit default swaps on the world; and he counseled individual clearing institutions who are ICE Clear members.
In 2007-2009 he played a key part in the largest restructuring of synthetic structured credit products in a $32 billion rescue of Canada’s asset-backed commercial product market. In all this, he certainly saw opportunities in battling the stipulations of the financial crisis, and brings that experience with him to Milbank, in New York, along with everything else he picked up along the way, since he got his undergrad and JD from Yale.
“Milbank has long been known as a global powerhouse in its representation of leading banks and financial institutions, and offers a terrific platform and extension for our mutual practices,” said Mr. Williams. “As the regulatory ground continues to shift within the derivatives industry, I looked for a firm with a premier financial practice that could provide the room for growth that the derivatives field demands. I also look forward to contributing to related practice strengths at Milbank such as financial restructuring. I’m thrilled to join Milbank.”