NEW YORK (April 3, 2024) – Paul Hastings LLP announced today that leading structured finance lawyer Shawn Kodes has joined the firm as a partner in New York and co-chair of its asset-backed finance practice. 

Kodes advises clients in all aspects of domestic and cross-border complex structured finance transactions across asset types. He joins from Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP.

“Shawn is a premier structured finance lawyer and his arrival bolsters our asset-backed financing and capital markets securitization offerings,” said firm Chair Frank Lopez. “His addition further strengthens our leading finance platform by expanding our capabilities to handle complex alternative financing transactions.” 

Kodes’ clients have included AIG, Apollo, Atlas SP, Blackstone, Brigade, Carlyle, Credit Suisse, CFG Partners and Group 1001. He is a go-to counsel for large asset manager clients looking to establish asset-backed financing and credit opportunities for their investors, such as Blackstone and Carlyle. 

Matthew Nemeth, a long-time colleague of Kodes, has also joined the firm as a partner from Weil. Nemeth’s practice focuses on securitization of a broad range of asset types and diverse bespoke securitization and private credit structures, representing a wide range of clients, including asset managers, issuers, sponsors, underwriters, placement agents, investors, and lenders in all aspects of their transactions.

“Paul Hastings is a powerhouse firm with a market-leading platform and strong structured credit and CLO practices,” said Kodes. “The firm provides the ideal environment to collaborate with my new colleagues and continue building the preeminent asset-backed finance practice and offering for clients.” 

Kodes is recognized by Chambers USA as a leading lawyer for Securitization and as an “Up & Coming” lawyer in Chambers Global.  He is a “Next Generation Partner” for Structured Finance in The Legal 500 U.S., and is “Highly Regarded” for Structured Finance and Securitization in the U.S. in the IFLR1000. In 2019, Kodes was named a “Rising Star” for Securitization by Law360 and “Best in Structured Finance” by Euromoney Legal Media Group in the 2019 Americas Rising Star Awards. Nemeth is recognized by IFLR1000 as a Rising Star for Structured Finance and Securitization.

About Paul Hastings

With widely recognized elite teams in finance, mergers & acquisitions, private equity, restructuring and special situations, litigation, employment, and real estate, Paul Hastings is a premier law firm providing intellectual capital and superior execution globally to the world’s leading investment banks, asset managers, and corporations.