Biography: Capital Markets

Edward J Fine is a partner in Sidley's New York office, where he is co-head of the firm's New York structured finance and securitisation practice and a member of the firm's executive committee. Mr Fine has more than 25 years of experience representing issuers, underwriters and purchasers of mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities in the public and private markets. Mr Fine has also represented companies and underwriters in their general capital markets activities.

Mr Fine's practice is focused on real estate finance. He has extensive experience working with commercial and investment banks, mortgage REITs, hedge funds, mortgage banking companies and insurance companies in their securitisation and non-securitisation activities. As one of the early participants in the securitisation industry, he has been involved in many innovative transactions and has played a role in the development of an array of structural features that are now standard in the market.

Mr Fine has also been actively involved in assisting clients on a range of matters arising out of the financial crisis and the dislocation in the residential mortgage markets. These matters include strategies for monetising, servicing and investing in distressed and non-performing assets; questions relating to loan servicing and loan modifications; and litigation counselling. Mr Fine also advises clients on regulatory reform initiatives in the financial sector, as well as on programmes promulgated by the federal government in response to the financial crisis.

Prior to joining the firm in 1982, Mr Fine spent three years with the US Treasury Department as a member of the general counsel's honours programme, where he concentrated on federal financial bailout initiatives and bank regulatory reform.

Mr Fine received his JD (cum laude) in 1979 from the Temple University - James E Beasley School of Law, where he was an editor of the Temple Law Review and his BA (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of Pennsylvania in 1976. He is admitted in New York.