Atlas
Back to Specialty Finance
Strategic Advisor·Specialty Finance

Adam Barton

Partner, Asset Securitization Department at Chapman and Cutler LLP

San Francisco, CA

AB
LinkedIn
Why they matter

Rare dual perspective: he built securitization programs in-house at nonbank lenders before advising issuers and investors on ABS deals from outside counsel.

Background

Adam Barton is a Partner in the Asset Securitization Department at Chapman and Cutler LLP in San Francisco, which he joined in October 2025. He previously made partner in Sheppard Mullin's Finance and Bankruptcy practice group (effective March 2024) and, before private practice, served as senior counsel in the capital markets groups of two nonbank consumer lenders, where he helped lead securitization programs including multiple first-of-its-kind term securitizations. He holds a J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law (2012) and a B.B.A. from the University of San Diego (2009).

Notable deals

  • 2024
    Promoted to partner in Sheppard Mullin's Finance and Bankruptcy practice group, effective March 1, 2024
  • 2025
    Joined Chapman and Cutler LLP as a partner in the Asset Securitization Department

Call-prep brief

Background

  • Partner, Asset Securitization Department, Chapman and Cutler LLP (San Francisco); joined Oct 2025.
  • Prior: Partner, Finance and Bankruptcy group, Sheppard Mullin (partner effective Mar 2024); before that, senior counsel/in-house at two nonbank consumer lenders leading securitization programs, incl. "first-of-its-kind" term deals.
  • J.D. Santa Clara University (2012); B.B.A. University of San Diego (2009).

Current focus

  • Structured credit, ABS, warehouse facilities, cash-flow loans, acquisition financings.
  • Broad asset classes: auto leases, mortgages, timeshare receivables, healthcare receivables, personal/point-of-sale loans, litigation finance, film royalties, renewable energy.
  • Fintech and marketplace lending — both former in-house counsel and now outside counsel, a rare dual vantage point.

What he cares about

  • Self-described "get the deal done" mentality shaped by in-house experience; understands issuer-side pressure, not just law-firm process.
  • Engaged with structured finance industry bodies, staying close to ABS market trends.

Recent moves

  • Lateral move from Sheppard Mullin to Chapman and Cutler (Oct 2025) — a bet on a specialist securitization platform over a full-service AmLaw 100 shop.

Potential sensitivities

  • Very recent lateral move; may be navigating client-transition or non-solicit constraints from Sheppard Mullin — avoid referencing specific prior clients.
  • Former in-house employers are not publicly named in bio materials — confirm directly rather than assuming.

Questions to ask

  1. What drove the move to Chapman and Cutler specifically — platform depth, client conflicts, or specialty focus?
  2. Of the first-of-its-kind securitizations he led in-house, which asset classes were genuinely novel, and where does he see similar white space today?
  3. Which fintech/marketplace lenders is he currently seeing raise warehouse or term ABS facilities, and how have structuring terms shifted over the past year?

Outreach draft

Subject
Quick call: ABS and lending market outlook?
Hi Adam, Congratulations on your move to Chapman and Cutler — asset securitization is clearly where you've built real depth, from in-house work on first-of-its-kind term securitizations to your ABS and marketplace lending practice at Sheppard Mullin. We're a private equity team evaluating opportunities in specialty finance and lending platforms, and your mix of issuer-side and outside-counsel experience across auto, consumer, and fintech ABS would be genuinely useful to us. Would you be open to a 20-30 minute call to share your read on current warehouse and term securitization market dynamics? Happy to work around your schedule. Best, [Placeholder Name]

Sources

Strongest evidenceStructured data5 public sourcesVerified2026-08-06How the grades work