First-chair litigator and trial lawyer with extensive experience representing plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal courts, arbitrations, bankruptcies and trust instruction proceedings.
Advises on disputes related to private credit, structured finance, complex financial products, special situations, distressed corporate debt and commercial real estate.
Represents investment funds, private equity firms, venture capital firms, real estate developers and investors, investment banks and family offices.

Uri is a nationally recognized complex commercial litigator, trial lawyer and advisor in Akin’s investment funds litigation practice. He regularly represents investment funds in disputes related to private and structured credit, private equity, venture capital, real estate, energy and biotechnology.

Uri is equally adept in the courtroom and out-of-court workouts. He represents clients on both sides of the “v.” in state and federal courts, arbitrations and trust instruction proceedings across the country.

Uri’s work has been widely recognized through industry honors and awards. In the Chambers USA Guide, clients say that he “is exceptionally creative, delivers results and his passion is infectious.” Clients also describe him as an “analytical lawyer with a broad range of financial and commercial knowledge,” who is “really great at getting things done.” (Chambers USA). “He gets to the bottom of complex issues quickly and is a great communicator who explains convoluted legal matters in simple terms.” (Chambers USA).

Uri has also been recognized as a Plaintiffs’ Lawyer Trailblazer from The National Law Journal, one of Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers in America and a Benchmark Litigation Future Star. He has also earned multiple Litigator of the Week “shout-outs” from The American Lawyer Litigation Daily.

Uri maintains an active pro bono practice and is fluent in Russian.

Representative Work

Representing an investor in trust instruction proceedings in New York and California concerning the treatment of hundreds of millions of dollars in proceeds kept in dozens of residential mortgage-backed security (RMBS) deals.
Representing an investor in a trust instruction proceeding in New York concerning the management of proceeds from student loan collateral securing over $1 billion of auction rate notes.
Representing affiliates of a bankrupt collateralized loan obligations (CLO) manager in New York federal court in connection with disputes arising from the hold-back of funds following redemption of several CLOs.
Representing lenders in Utah federal court in a dispute arising from the default of a $42 million EB-5 construction loan and guaranty issued in connection with the development of Powder Mountain.
Advising family office in joint venture and financing matters in connection with the development of a condominium building in Manhattan.

Represented lenders in a Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) foreclosure and enforcement of guaranty in New York State court in connection with a defaulted mezzanine commercial real estate loan.
Represented investment banks in connection with advisory fee disputes.
Represented leading investment managers in trust instruction proceedings in California and Minnesota concerning settlements of over $1 billion in claims arising out of residential mortgage-backed securitizations.
Represented an investor in a New York trust instruction proceeding filed by the securities administrator of an RMBS trust, where the court approved the investor’s proposed clarification to waterfall provisions in order to correct a significant interest distribution shortfall.
Represented an investor in proceedings concerning its rights as the controlling certificate holder with respect to the special servicer’s proposed sale of a $90-million commercial loan out of a commercial mortgage-backed security (CMBS) trust.
Represented a group of noteholders in the multibillion-dollar National Collegiate Student Loan Trusts in litigations nationwide concerning the management and control of the Trusts, and as interested parties in Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) enforcement proceedings against the Trusts.
Represented a leading real estate developer in a multimillion-dollar dispute concerning the transfer of air and development rights on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
Represented collateralized debt obligation (CDO) manager in a contractual dispute concerning the administration of a CMBS CDO.
Represented a prominent New York real estate family in multiple trusts and estates-related disputes.
Represented an investor group in obtaining a favorable settlement of their objection to the estimation of billions of dollars of RMBS claims in the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy.
Represented indenture trustees in obtaining multimillion-dollar settlements of representations and warranties claims related to residential mortgage-backed securitizations.
Represented a liquidation trustee in obtaining a favorable settlement in arbitration against an accounting firm on behalf of a bankrupt beverage company.
Represented an investment manager in obtaining a favorable settlement of claims against a global banking institution arising out of a distressed corporate debt CDO structure.
Represented a real estate asset manager in successfully avoiding arbitration.

List may include matters worked on prior to joining Akin.

Represented lenders in a Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) foreclosure and enforcement of guaranty in New York State court in connection with a defaulted mezzanine commercial real estate loan.
Represented investment banks in connection with advisory fee disputes.
Represented leading investment managers in trust instruction proceedings in California and Minnesota concerning settlements of over $1 billion in claims arising out of residential mortgage-backed securitizations.
Represented an investor in a New York trust instruction proceeding filed by the securities administrator of an RMBS trust, where the court approved the investor’s proposed clarification to waterfall provisions in order to correct a significant interest distribution shortfall.
Represented an investor in proceedings concerning its rights as the controlling certificate holder with respect to the special servicer’s proposed sale of a $90-million commercial loan out of a commercial mortgage-backed security (CMBS) trust.
Represented a group of noteholders in the multibillion-dollar National Collegiate Student Loan Trusts in litigations nationwide concerning the management and control of the Trusts, and as interested parties in Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) enforcement proceedings against the Trusts.
Represented a leading real estate developer in a multimillion-dollar dispute concerning the transfer of air and development rights on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
Represented collateralized debt obligation (CDO) manager in a contractual dispute concerning the administration of a CMBS CDO.
Represented a prominent New York real estate family in multiple trusts and estates-related disputes.
Represented an investor group in obtaining a favorable settlement of their objection to the estimation of billions of dollars of RMBS claims in the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy.
Represented indenture trustees in obtaining multimillion-dollar settlements of representations and warranties claims related to residential mortgage-backed securitizations.
Represented a liquidation trustee in obtaining a favorable settlement in arbitration against an accounting firm on behalf of a bankrupt beverage company.
Represented an investment manager in obtaining a favorable settlement of claims against a global banking institution arising out of a distressed corporate debt CDO structure.
Represented a real estate asset manager in successfully avoiding arbitration.

List may include matters worked on prior to joining Akin.

"Exceptionally creative, delivers results and his passion is infectious."

Chambers USA, 2022

Languages
Russian

Education
J.D., Northwestern University School of Law, 2008
B.S., University of Maryland, College Park, 2003

Bar Admissions
New York

Recognitions

Chambers USA, Securities: Institutional Plaintiffs: Mainly RMBS Litigation, 2021-2024.
The Legal 500, Plaintiff Securities Litigation, General Commercial Disputes, Next Generation Lawyer, 2021-2022; Securities Litigation: Defense, 2022, 2024.
The National Law Journal, Plaintiffs’ Lawyers Trailblazers, 2022.
Benchmark Litigation, Future Star, 2023.
Benchmark Litigation, 40 and Under Hot List, 2021.
Euromoney, Expert Guides, Litigation Rising Star, 2020-2021.
Lawdragon, 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers in America, 2020-2023.
Law360, Rising Star in Asset Management, 2018.
Super Lawyers, New York, New York, Securities & Corporate Finance, 2023.
Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2015-2019.

Affiliations and Public Service

Member, 2021 Law360 Securities Editorial Advisory Board

Speeches and Publications

Panelist, “CMBS and B-Piece Market Update and Associated Distressed Investment Opportunities,” New York City Distressed Commercial Real Estate Virtual Forum, January 2021.
Panelist, “BI Analyst Briefing: Financial Institutions/Products Litigation in the Wake of the Pandemic,” Bloomberg Intelligence, September 2020.
Panelist, Advanced Legal Strategy Litigation Summit, February 2020.