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Clifford Chance

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Lee Askenazi

Lee Askenazi

Partner

Partner
Lee Askenazi

Lee Askenazi has extensive experience in structured capital markets, including all aspects of commercial and residential mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, collateralized loan obligations, collateralized debt obligations, re-REMICs, repurchase facilities and other structured products.

  • Lee regularly represents the main participants in domestic and international commercial and residential real estate financing transactions, including sponsors, issuers, underwriters, investors, asset managers, sellers and purchasers. In addition, he advises clients in connection with other types of secured financings, including those structured as repurchase transactions and warehouse lending lines. He also represents sellers and purchasers in the disposition of real estate-related assets, including whole loans, participations, mezzanine loans, preferred equity, CMBS, RMBS and CLO securities. His practice also includes all aspects of the acquisition, disposition and financing of servicing advances, mortgage servicing rights and associated servicing platforms, consumer and marketplace loans, and aircraft equipment and leases.
  • Lee also represents various U.S. government agencies and their efforts to restore the financial markets for a range of financial products and situations, including the U.S. Department of Education in connection with the FFELP Student Loan Commercial Paper Conduit and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and JPMorgan Chase in connection with the Maiden Lane I commercial trust. He represents various sellers, servicer and investors in Freddie Mac's Small Balance Loan securitization program and other GSE-sponsored risk sharing programs. 
  • Lee additionally advises clients on the formation of investment funds and joint ventures, particularly those focused on the acquisition of distressed assets, and has experience working with derivatives, total return swaps and related products. Lee also has experience representing acquiring companies in negotiated acquisitions of other privately held companies.

News and client work

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Contact details

Career and qualifications

  • Northwestern University BA, 1998
  • Fordham University School of Law, JD, 2003
  • Admitted as an Attorney-at-Law in New York 2004
  • Joined Clifford Chance 2009
  • Partner since 2015

Awards and citations

  • Lee Askenazi as a broad securitization practice in the mortgage market, regularly advising managers, and other deal parties, on RMBS and CMBS transactions."He does a great job advocating for clients." "Lee is a super smart guy, really driven and hard-working."
    Chambers USA 2022: Capital Markets: Securitization: ABS (Nationwide) – Band 3
    Chambers USA 2022: Capital Markets: Securitization: CMBS (Nationwide) – Band 2
    Chambers USA 2022: Capital Markets: Securitization: CLOs (Nationwide) – Band 2
    Chambers USA 2022: Capital Markets: Securitization: RMBS (Nationwide) – Band 2
  • Lee Askenazi has been ranked in Chambers USA: Capital Markets - Secutisation. Clients describe Lee Askenazi as a "super high-quality lawyer," according to one impressed market commentator. In his broad securitization practice he works on matters relating to mortgage-backed securities, CLOs and ABS, with another interviewee saying he is "great to work with."
    Chambers USA 2019 - Capital Markets: Securitisation (Nationwide)
  • Lee Askenazi has been ranked as an 'Up and Coming' lawyer in Chambers USA – Capital Markets: Secutisation (Nationwide). Clients describe Lee Askenazi as "highly skilled and technical and has been very detailed and thorough," adding: "He doesn't just give us the legal and regulatory risks but also the commercial risks. He is very good at what he does." Further interviewees note his in-house experience with approval. He regularly represents non-bank lenders and asset managers in complex mortgage finance and securitization transactions.
    Chambers USA 2017 - Securitisation

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