The NABL Member Spotlight initiative is a volunteer-based program. All featured members participate voluntarily and are selected to highlight their contributions and achievements within our community. Participation in the spotlight does not imply endorsement by NABL. If you would like to be featured, please contact us! Now, let’s meet Sani Williams and learn more about his public finance journey:

What inspired you to become a NABL member and how did your career in Public Finance start?

I became a NABL member because I wanted to be part of a community of professionals who truly care about what they do and understand the unique challenges and rewards of public finance law. Early in my career, I often felt like this niche practice was hard to explain to others…in fact, I’ve always called it the “CIA of Law Practice” because nobody knows – unless we tell them – what we do or why. So, NABL gave me a place to connect with folks who share the same passion and take pride in the work we do for communities all across the country. Being surrounded by that kind of knowledge, camaraderie and energy was what really drew me in…and has kept me there!

My Public Finance career actually started before I even attended Boston U. School of Law. I was a paralegal at the iconic Wall Street firm Mudge Rose Guthrie Alexander & Ferdon, and I had an offer to join the firm after graduation, but the firm actually collapsed and dissolved when I was a 3L in 1995 (so…my post-grad offer went “poof”). So, after doing some trial work for a couple of years in “the trenches” of Boston – which I hated – I was lucky enough to reconnect in 1998 with some former Mudge Rose partners who had moved on to a firm that later became Nixon Peabody, and they needed bodies to work on a complicated $1.3 billion financing that, among other things, helped to shut down a defunct nuclear power plant in Long Island, NY. So, I got the offer, and the rest, as they say, is bond history.  

You currently serve on NABL’s Board of Directors, what part of this experience has been most meaningful to you?

It’s been an honor and real pleasure serving on the Board with such phenomenal bond lawyers who are even better human beings. It’s fantastic to serve as an ambassador of NABL, promoting its mission, maintaining high standards of professionalism in the municipal bond industry, and fostering inclusivity and diversity within the profession. I think the most meaningful part of the experience, thus far, has been being on the frontlines with my fellow Board members and our incredible Chief Policy Officer Brian Egan, in the months’ long fight to protect and save municipal bonds from the Congressional chopping block earlier this year.

What advice would you give to new or aspiring public finance attorneys?

Hmm, ok, here are my words of wisdom: I would say that rookie muni attorneys should focus on mastering the fundamentals of municipal finance law (or “Essentials” as we call it in NABL Land) and developing strong writing and analytical skills, as clarity and precision are critical in our field. Also, build relationships with mentors and colleagues, and stay curious about the policy and financial context behind the transactions you work on…that helps in getting the “Big Picture.” Ask a LOT of questions because the absolute worst thing is for a senior attorney to think you got it…and you don’t! Approach each deal with attention to detail and ownership, as your work directly impacts your growth and success as a public finance attorney. Oh yeah, most importantly, enjoy the ride!

What has been the most enjoyable NABL project or panel you’ve participated in?

That’s a hard one…I would have to say that three projects/panels stand out for me (for different reasons). The first was chairing the 2021 Virtual Essentials, which was 100% remote and allowed me to work super-close with really dedicated and incredible practitioners, brilliant NABL staff and our phenomenal Chief Operating Officer, Linda Wyman, in pulling off an extremely challenging conference in a seamless manner. The second would be participating in the “Diversity & Implicit Bias” panel at the Workshops, which examined implicit biases and how certain biases can lead to unintentional discrimination in law practice (and society in general) …that panel opened a lot of eyes, and I’m proud that I was a part of it. Last-but-not least, it would have to be the “Tying It All Together” panel, which is the last session at every Essentials conference. It’s the highlight of Essentials for many and allows all of us frustrated actors to play various roles to act out some of the legal issues that attendees have learned about in prior sessions. The three times that I have been a cast-member, have all been a blast!

What is a fun fact that people might not know about you?

I’ve got a couple of stories that have definitely turned heads over the years:

Fact #1 — Back when I was a young bond lawyer, I was part of the bond counsel team on what turned out to be the only municipal bond deal that actually closed on the morning of 9/11 — a $361 million financing for NYC’s municipal water system. Yep… 9/11. Picture this: we’d just put the closing documents on the table when the first plane hit the North Tower. Our midtown office had a clear line of sight downtown, and we watched the whole tragedy unfold in real time. Everyone was freaking out — and no one signed a thing for over a week. But here’s the wild part: thanks to DTC and Fedwire still processing early settlement instructions before the markets fully shut down, the deal actually closed that morning. Unreal. One of those moments you never forget.

Fact #2 — I’m 100% sure I’m the only bond attorney to have ever appeared on an episode of American Idol (Season 2: NYC auditions)! Happy to tell that story over a drink sometime — it’s as ridiculous as you’d imagine!