Michael J. Ruder 

Partner – Charlotte
T.+1 704 348 5303
michael.ruder@cwt.com
650 South Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28202 V-CARD

Michael Ruder has earned a reputation as a trusted advisor to financial services companies for innovative real estate capital markets transactions and other securitizations.

Michael frequently represents issuers, underwriters and loan sellers in connection with agency and private label commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) securitizations, including single-asset/single-borrower (SASB) transactions. He has securitized CMBS loans secured by a variety of property types, including multifamily, office, retail, hospitality, industrial and assisted living. Michael has experience with securitizations involving hybrid ARM mortgage loans, mezzanine loans, junior liens, tax-exempt loans, participation interests and future funding. He has counseled new entrants into both the agency CMBS and private label CMBS space, and is experienced with the formation of securitization depositors. He also advises on regulatory compliance matters related to securitizations, including Exchange Act Rule 15Ga-1 and Rule 192.

Michael Ruder is a trusted advisor to financial services companies on innovative real estate capital markets transactions and securitizations. Michael advises issuers, underwriters, and loan sellers on commercial mortgage-backed securitizations, including agency CMBS and private label CMBS and single-asset/single-borrower (SASB) transactions. Michael is a leading attorney in the GSE multifamily securitization space, having worked on hundreds of agency CMBS offerings and having helped to create the legal structures and documentation for multiple successful issuance programs in that space. His work spans a broad range of property types, including multifamily, office, retail, hospitality, industrial, and assisted living assets.

His practice covers the full range of CMBS loan types, including hybrid ARM mortgage loans, mezzanine loans, junior liens, tax-exempt loans, participation interests, and loans with future funding. His work spans a broad range of property types, including multifamily, office, retail, hospitality, industrial, and assisted living assets. Michael advises on regulatory compliance matters related to securitizations and is an expert on Exchange Act Rule 15Ga-1 compliance. He has counseled new entrants into both agency and private label CMBS markets, including on the formation of securitization depositors.

In addition to his core securitization practice, Michael advises clients on sustainable finance matters, including green bonds, social bonds, sustainability frameworks, second party opinions, and C-PACE. He has acted as underwriters' counsel on Rule 144A securitizations of commercial property-assessed clean energy assessments, bringing together his structured finance and sustainability expertise to support clients in this developing market.

Michael is an active contributor to market discussions on sustainable finance and securities regulation, having co-authored work on green bond standardization published in the International Financial Law Review and written on SEC climate risk regulation for Columbia Law School's CLS Blue Sky Blog.

Recognition

  • Charlotte Business Journal – 40 Under 40 (2024)
  • Law360 – Rising Star, Structured Finance (2023)
  • CREFC – 20 Under 40 (inaugural) (2022)
  • National Law Review – Go-To Thought Leader, Securities Law (2022)
  • Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch – Securities/Capital Markets Law (inaugural) (2021)
  • Advising depositors and initial purchasers on hundreds of tranched agency CMBS multifamily securitizations, including the first SOFR-indexed transaction, named CMBS Deal of the Year by GlobalCapital.
  • Advising depositors and initial purchasers on dozens of agency CMBS SASB securitizations involving multiple “towers” of certificates backed by large loans or single-borrower pools of loans.
  • Advising on an agency CMBS sustainability-bonds securitization awarded CMBS/CRE CLO Deal of the Year by GlobalCapital.
  • Advising depositor, initial purchaser and loan seller on a first-of-its-kind agency CMBS securitization secured by transitional housing properties, nominated for ESG Deal of the Year by GlobalCapital.
  • Advising underwriters on an agency CMBS securitization of tax-exempt bonds backed by affordable multifamily housing properties.
  • Advising the issuer on multiple synthetic GSE-multifamily credit risk transfer transactions.
  • Advising the issuer on one of the largest-ever SASB securitizations in one of the first CMBS transactions labeled as green bonds; nominated for CMBS Deal of the Year by GlobalCapital.
  • Advising the issuer on a US$975m SASB CMBS securitization backed by an office complex in California.
  • Advising as green bonds consultant to a CMBS issuer on a SASB mortgage loan backed by a life sciences property.
  • Advising as social bonds consultant to a CMBS issuer on the first private label CMBS offering labeled as social bonds.
  • Advising a new loan seller on a SASB securitization backed by a super-regional mall, in the loan seller’s first such transaction.
  • Advising a loan seller on a SASB securitization backed by a New York City office property.
  • Advising the initial purchasers on a SASB securitization backed by a Hawaiian resort property.
  • Advising a loan seller on its first data-center CMBS SASB securitization.
  • Advising the initial purchasers on multiple Rule 144A C-PACE securitizations; advising an investor in a rated feeder fund on C-PACE eligibility criteria.
  • Advising placement agents on multiple Rule 144A re-REMIC resecuritizations of CMBS certificates.
  • Advising an investor on the restructuring of defaulted asset-backed securities and lending facilities, including servicer replacements and excess servicing fee arrangements.
  • Advising multiple organizations on all aspects of Exchange Act Rule 15Ga-1 compliance processes for CMBS and ABS; advising banks on 15Ga-1 compliance policies and procedures.
  • Advising a commercial mortgage loan servicer on preparation of responses to borrower demand letters, alleging breaches of fiduciary and contractual duties.
  • Advising on the creation of a factoring facility involving airline ticket receivables.

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Michael J. Ruder 

Admissions

  • New York
  • North Carolina

Education

  • Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
    J.D., 2010, cum laude
  • Texas Tech University
    B.B.A., 2007, summa cum laude, with honors