Steven T. Kolyer, a leading securitization and structured products lawyer specializing in commercial real estate finance, has joined Cadwalader as co-head of the firm’s CRE CLO practice, based in New York. Steven will co-head the practice with Jeffrey Rotblat, a senior Cadwalader partner who is also a leader in commercial real estate securitization.

“We are very excited to welcome Steve to our firm,” said Cadwalader Managing Partner Pat Quinn. “Like many of our partners, Steve has played a leading role in the development of many securitization products dating back to the origins of the market in the U.S. and abroad. It’s not every day that a ‘hall of fame’ partner joins an industry-leading practice. This is great for our Capital Markets and Real Estate teams and, ultimately, an unbeatable combination for Cadwalader’s clients.”

Kolyer has broad experience in securitizations, structured credit products, fund formation and finance, and both real estate and corporate CLOs. He has extensive experience in a variety of structured products and financings, fund formation and finance, and conventional securities offerings, including asset-based securities and a broad range of other fixed income debt products. Kolyer has represented various banks and funds in CRE CLOs and single asset/single borrower (SASB) CMBS issuances, as well as corporate CLOs, CFOs, investment funds and fund financings.

Kolyer’s innovations have included first-time structures with CRE and residential mortgages, commercial and consumer receivables and other types of financial assets, and in various types of CRE and corporate CLOs, CFOs and other actively managed fund and specialty finance products. He has been recognized as a leading securitization lawyer by numerous industry sources, including The Legal 500 U.S. (“Hall of Fame” inductee and “Leading Lawyer” in structured finance), Chambers USA (Nationwide, 2006–2025) and Chambers Global (USA, 2007–2025) (Band 1 for Capital Markets: Securitization: CRE CLOs and a “Spotlight Lawyer” for Capital Markets: Securitization – CLOs and CRE CLOs), and many other legal and business publications.

“There are so many synergies with this fantastic news of Steve joining us,” said Capital Markets Co-Chair Stu Goldstein. “As a leading CRE CLO firm, bringing Steve to Cadwalader will both add incredible value to our clients in this space and greatly enhance other ways in which we guide global businesses on related matters in private credit, creditor-side restructurings and back-leverage opportunities.”

Jeffrey Rotblat added, “Cadwalader has a leading CRE CLO practice, and bringing on a lawyer with Steve’s breadth of experience is going to help us broaden and expand our practice. It’s a big win, both for our team and for the new and existing clients that will rely on us to execute their strategic transactions.”

Kolyer, who comes to Cadwalader from a global law firm where he was a partner in its global finance department, is the latest lateral partner to join the firm in 2025 in areas of strategic importance to clients, following Bron Jones, Doug Murning and Matt Worth (Fund Finance); Dan Meade (Financial Regulation); Doug Mintz (Financial Restructuring and Special Situations); Rebecca Crowley (Infrastructure Finance); and Ed Holmes (Leveraged Finance).

“I am thrilled to join Cadwalader,” said Kolyer. “The securitization bar is a closely knit community, and there’s no greater group of hard-working, client-first lawyers than my new colleagues. We have inspired each other for decades, innovating on behalf of clients, and I can’t wait to join them in continuing this tradition of legal excellence together on the same team.”