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Curriculum Vitae - Pamela W. Peterson

 

 

UBS Financial Services/UBS Securities LLC                                                                                                   2002-April 2015  

 

Associate General Counsel - Senior Attorney  / Past Chair of SIFMA Municipal Legal Advisory Committee  

 

  • Drafted and implemented comprehensive municipal due diligence policies for UBS; counseled underwriting commitment committee and municipal derivatives appropriateness committee over a 13-year period, approving (and sometimes rejecting) hundreds of transactions with an aggregate value in the billions.  

  • Designed and implemented a groundbreaking three-step program to educate customers, train sales force about municipal bonds, and deliver point-of-sale disclosure, thereby effectively enhancing customers’ knowledge and comfort level.  Spearheaded development of integrated broker training and customer disclosure program for municipal bonds, including desktop system for CUSIP-level client-facing information, a "first" for the industry.

  • In-house counsel for response to Municipalities Continuing Disclosure Cooperation initiative.

  • As chairperson or member of SIFMA Municipal Legal Advisory Committee, motivated and oversaw creation of a Model Bond Purchase Agreement (utilized in numerous multi-million dollar financings); recommended counsel for key matters including Strand v. Escambia County (restored tax-exempt status of $12 billion outstanding debt); advised on litigation strategy; reviewed and edited various Best Practices, letters to regulators, amicus briefs in key court cases (Davis; Strand); served on various industry conference panels.

  • Retained UBS's position over a four year period (mid 2000s) as major underwriter of municipal bonds (issue size typically $100-$300 million) for the City of Chicago by supervising and completing a unique research project in response to Chicago’s “slavery era” disclosure requirements.  Project involved highly sensitive issues, required utmost accuracy, honesty, and cost effectiveness. 

  • Created and negotiated a first-of-its-kind contract to provide continued access for UBS retail customers to new-issue bonds. Several thousand UBS client transactions every month are made possible by this contract.

  • Averted some of the inevitable litigation against UBS in 2008 by dozens of municipalities when auctions for auction rate securities failed across the board and many municipal governments saw their interest rates jump from 2-3% annualized to 12-15%.  Through outside counsel, approached the SEC and proposed a new method to allow issuers to bid legally in auctions for their own securities.  Ultimately SEC issued a No-Action Letter allowing issuers to retire such securities with full value paid to investors previously "stuck" in auction rate securities.

 

Greenberg Traurig LLP.                                                                                                                                     Jan-Nov.2002    

Senior Counsel

 

  • Counseled underwriters, performed derivatives negotiations, and advised on TOBs / structured finance.

  • Provided counsel and client education for the Treasury of a Central American country negotiating its first ISDA Master Agreement, allowing that country to hedge its significant financial exposure to government-issued bonds.  

 

Merrill Lynch Municipal Markets                                                                                                                              1995-2001    

Junior Counsel  (2000-2001)    

 

  • Counseled investment bankers on all aspects of negotiated finance, due diligence, Bond Purchase Agreements, AAUs.  Reviewed and negotiated Bond Purchase Agreements, engagement letters, contracts, indemnifications. 

  • Revised and reissued municipal underwriting compliance manual for bulge-bracket underwriting firm. 

  • Approved marketing and sales materials for complete regulatory compliance. 

  • Advised on political contributions, public official entertainment limits, lobbying laws and governmental ethics compliance. 

 

Law Clerk for Division General Counsel  (1995-2000)

 

  • Answered Requests for Proposal from municipal issuers. 

  • Drafted advisory /confidentiality agreements, engagement letters. 

 

 

Non-Legal Career Experience (1975-1992):

Broadcasting Engineer at ABC Radio Network, Technical Manager at CBS Television Network, Video Director and producer  at WMHT-TV, and Technical Director at WABC-TV.

 

 

Education, Licenses & Training  

 

Seton Hall University School of Law, Newark, NJ           J.D., summa cum laude, 1999  

                 

Cornell University, Ithaca, NY                                      B.A., English, 1971

 

Admitted to the Bar in New York and New Jersey

 

 

Publications & Awards

 

Blue Sky Bugle article, 2006:  “Secondary Market Sales of Municipal Bonds: Can I Sell This Muni Bond                                                 To A Guy In Iowa”?

Broadcast Management/Engineering, Contributor

Radio World and TV Technology,  Columnist

Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, Contributor

 

West Publishing Award, for Outstanding Scholastic Achievement 

Most Significant Student Contribution to Clinical Programs Award,  Asylum case for an Algerian refugee

 

 

 Affiliations & Industry Participation  

 

Securities Industry & Fixed Markets Association (SIFMA), Former Member and Past Chair of Municipal Legal Advisory Committee

SIFMA Fixed Income Legal & Compliance Conference, Municipal Regulatory Panel discussion, 2007, Moderator

Regional Broker-Dealers Association, Continuing Disclosure discussion, 2008, Panel Member

 

American Bar Association, Current Member  

New York Bar Association, Current Member

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