Paul Hastings Expands Premier Asset-Backed Finance Platform With Addition of Leading Partner in Chicago

CHICAGO – In a move that further enhances its top-ranked structured finance offerings across asset classes, Paul Hastings LLP announced today that Megan Roberts has joined the firm as a partner in Chicago.

Joining from Sidley Austin LLP, Roberts advises issuers, underwriters and investors on asset-backed finance transactions, including both capital markets and private securitizations, and acquisitions of consumer assets, including forward flows and portfolio acquisitions. Her asset experience includes student loans, unsecured consumer loans, including fintech, auto loans and leases, equipment loans and leases, trade receivables, data centers and many other traditional and non-traditional asset classes.

“With the number one CLO practice in the U.S. and the U.K., we have experienced great strategic success in expanding our market share with leading asset manager and investment bank clients in asset-backed finance and believe Megan is a premier talent positioned to help us continue to take more market share,” said firm Chair Frank Lopez.

Roberts’ practice is highly synergistic with Paul Hastings’ existing platform. Her clients have included a number of marquee financial institutions, large asset managers and others that are existing Paul Hastings clients, including Barclays, Blackstone, Bracebridge, Carlyle and KKR, as well as Cadma Capital Partners and OneMain Finance Corporation. She represented Carlyle and KKR in the acquisition of a portfolio of prime private student loans from Discover Bank with a principal balance of approximately $10.1 billion. Additionally, Roberts represented KKR’s credit funds and accounts in connection with the purchase of a $7.2 billion portfolio of super-prime recreational vehicle loans from BMO Bank National Association.

“I’m excited to be the newest member of Paul Hastings’ leading Asset-Backed Finance practice and look forward to collaborating with colleagues to meet the growing needs of our clients for more sophisticated and customized asset-backed financing solutions,” said Roberts.

The Paul Hastings structured credit practice excels in securitization and other asset-backed and specialty finance products, including CLOs, for which it is Chambers USA Band 1-ranked and most recently ranked No. 1 most active Global and U.S. CLO Arranger Counsel by Creditflux for 2024. Roberts’ addition is the latest in the continued expansion of the global team, which gained further market share in asset backed finance with the recent additions of partners Shawn Kodes, Matthew Nameth and John Murphy in New York and Brian Maher in London.

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