Press Release

Morgan Lewis Adds Structured Transactions Partners Steven Becker and Alex Velinsky

Thursday, April 1, 2021

NEW YORK and WASHINGTON, DC, April 1, 2021: Morgan Lewis is further strengthening its top-tier structured transactions practice with the addition of partners Steven Becker and Alex Velinsky, who are sought after borrowers and lenders counsel. Steven and Alex, who will be resident in New York and Washington, DC, respectively, arrive from Hunton Andrews Kurth.

“The sophisticated global financial service clients we serve rely on our highly recognized structured transactions team for its exceptional understanding of the issues they face,” said Firm Chair Jami McKeon. “Steven and Alex’s superior skill sets with diverse financing structures will bolster our work in the residential mortgage loan finance space. Their existing relationships and collaboration with our team will expand and deepen our banking relationships and enhance our full suite of structured transaction services.”

Steven focuses on residential and commercial mortgage related collateral and advises clients on deals involving a variety of loan asset classes. He represents both buyers and sellers of performing and nonperforming residential and commercial mortgage loans, and he has closed multiple public and private securitizations. Steven also has in-depth knowledge of the fintech and consumer lending industries, having worked with electronic vaults and issues dealing with electronically delivered collateral and blockchain technology. He represents lenders and loan sellers in the financing of various products and assists in the development of flow purchase programs to online lending platforms.

Alex handles an array of financing transactions for borrowers, lenders, and servicers involving residential and commercial mortgage loans, residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS), commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS), servicing advances, and servicing rights. In addition to warehouse lines, he frequently counsels hedge funds, investment banks, and other financial institutions in structuring and negotiating transactions involving residential and commercial mortgage loans and asset-backed securities, including loan sales. Alex also represents investment banks in the securitizations of performing and non-performing reverse mortgage loans.

“Our team is very familiar with Steven and Alex, having worked both with them and opposite them for many years,” said Reed Auerbach, who leads Morgan Lewis’s structured transactions practice. “We are confident that our clients will benefit from their collective strength in mortgage finance, whole loan purchases, repurchase agreements and acquisition financings. Their strong strategic alignment in nonsecuritization financing work will also complement our securitization experience and the other financings that our clients often turn to us for guidance.”