Pietro Fontana

PIETRO FONTANA has extensive experience advising on a broad range of innovative and complex structured finance transactions. He represents underwriters, initial purchasers, placement agents, and lenders in asset-backed securitizations across multiple asset classes, including auto loans and leases, auto floorplan accounts, equipment loans and leases, and other non-traditional and emerging asset types. His practice also encompasses a wide array of cross-border structured finance transactions, including secured lending facilities, offerings of asset-backed securities, and other complex financing structures.

Pietro regularly counsels clients on matters involving Articles 8 and 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) and the Hague Securities Convention, with a focus on the structuring and documentation of credit agreements, warehouse lending facilities, and other domestic and international structured finance transactions.

Before joining Sidley, Pietro served as senior counsel for Europe at General Electric Oil & Gas, where he focused on engineering, procurement, construction, financing, and sale contracts for turbines, compressors, and other sophisticated equipment used in the oil and gas sector.

• Representation of underwriters in public and private offerings of asset-backed securities (ABS) backed by auto loans and leases.
• Representation of initial purchasers in private offerings of ABS backed by floorplan accounts.
• Representation of underwriters and initial purchasers in public and private offerings of ABS backed by equipment loans and leases.
• Representation of initial purchasers in data center securitizations.
• Representation of lenders in structured finance facilities secured by art loan receivables.  
• Representation of lenders in warehouse and back-leverage facilities for auto loans and leases.
• Representation of underwriters, initial purchasers, and placement agents in public and private offerings of auto loan asset-backed securities with “off-balance sheet” structures.
• Representation placement agents in offerings of retained securities and Rule other 4(a)(2)-style offerings.
• Representation of lenders and purchasers in forward-flow purchase arrangements and whole loan purchases for auto loans and leases.
• Representation of lenders in multicurrency and multijurisdictional asset-backed facilities involving a range of asset classes, including auto and art loans.
• Representation of underwriters, initial purchasers, and placement agents in private offerings of auto loan asset-backed securities with “exchangeable notes” structures.
• Representation of initial purchasers, placement agents, and lenders in residual financing and resecuritization transactions.
• Representation of lenders in first-of-their-kind specialty lending transactions.
• Representation of initial purchasers and placement agents in securitizations of recreational vehicle receivables. 
• Advised clients on secured financings backed by digital assets.
• Representation of Lincoln Financial in the US$28 billion reinsurance transaction with Fortitude Re, Bermuda’s largest multi-line reinsurer.