Robert A. Walder is a partner in Seward & Kissel's Corporate Finance Group. Bob has practiced at the Firm since 1978, and has been a partner since 1987. He is currently the head of the Corporate Finance Group.
Bob specializes in the areas of corporate finance and asset securitization, with a particular emphasis on commercial paper financing. He frequently represents investment banking firms which act as dealers, placement agents and advisors, issuers, issuing and paying agents and credit enhancers in a wide variety of commercial paper financing programs including direct issued, credit supported and asset-backed commercial paper. Bob participated in the structuring of a number of the earliest asset-backed commercial paper programs and since that time has represented domestic and foreign bank clients and the special purpose conduits which they sponsor in connection with a wide variety of securitization transactions involving many diverse asset types including trade receivables, credit card receivables, equipment lease receivables, motor vehicle lease receivables, delinquent tax receivables, lottery award receivables, pharmaceutical receivables, oil and gas receivables and commercial loans.
Following the onset of the financial crisis, Bob was involved in the structuring and establishment of a number of the government initiatives designed to provide liquidity to the commercial paper, term asset and student loan markets. More recently, Bob has been involved in the structuring of certain of the new conduit programs that are being developed in response to the regulatory and accounting changes that have arise in the aftermath of the financial crisis.
Bob recently advised the asset-backed commercial paper dealer community comprising the Financial Intermediary Subforum of the American Securitization Forum (the "ASF") with respect to the issues raised by changes in the regulations governing swaps and commodity pools and the relief granted by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission with respect to such changes, as they would impact the asset-backed commercial paper market. Bob previously advised the same group with respect to the comment letter submitted by the ASF to the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding the proposed amendments to Regulation AB. Bob has served as a lecturer at the ASF Institute in the past.
Bob is a member of the American Bar Association Section of Business Law.