2025 Annual Conference

Registration Sponsored by WilmerHale

Continental Breakfast Sponsored by Finastra

Speaker

• SEAN GRIFFIN, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, LSTA, Inc.

The US economy has continued to show resilience—but challenges from tariffs, policy uncertainty, and geopolitical developments remain in play.  The next couple of quarters may see some turbulence, but the economy’s underlying flexibility, Fed rate cuts, and the emerging AI revolution are likely to provide support over the medium term.

Speaker

• NATHAN SHEETS, Global Chief Economist, Citi Research

While the broadly syndicated primary loan market experienced a series of fits and starts across 2025, record secondary trading activity supported a spike in volatility and the V-shaped recovery that ensued thereafter.  Through it all, the one constant was the market’s largest liquidity provider, CLOs.  Panelists will discuss these trends and opine on the latest market developments that will define lender, manager, and investor activities into 2026.

Moderator

• TED BASTA, Executive Vice President, Analytics and Investor Strategy, LSTA, Inc.

Speakers

• HARPREET S. ANAND, Portfolio Manager & Partner, Oak Hill Advisors
• JOHN EANES, U.S. Chief Investment Officer, Redding Ridge Asset Management
• ALEX NABOICHECK, Managing Director, Head of US Loan Trading, Bank of America
• TODD ROTHMAN, Managing Director, Leveraged Debt Capital Markets, J.P. Morgan

Sponsored by Alston & Bird

Private equity sponsor activity drives much of the corporate lending market deal flow.  Our sponsor roundtable brings leading private equity firms together to discuss factors impacting the market and its direction in 2026 and beyond. 

Moderator

• SEAN GRIFFIN, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, LSTA, Inc.

Speakers

• JONATHAN KAUFMAN, Sr. Managing Director, Blackstone Capital Markets, Blackstone
• DHRUV SARNA, Head of Capital Markets, Stone Point Capital
• MATTHEW SAVINO, Global Head of Capital Markets, The Carlyle Group
• CADE THOMPSON, Partner, Global Co-Head of KKR Debt Capital Markets, U.S. Co-Head Credit Solutions Group, KKR

As the author of Apple in China, Patrick McGee delivers a deeply researched, behind-the-scenes look at how the world’s most valuable company became entwined with America’s biggest rival—including the complex supply chain that underpins its global operations. With his engaging storytelling and sharp analysis, Patrick provides event attendees with thought-provoking perspectives on technology, business, and global markets.

Speaker

• PATRICK MCGEE, San Francisco Correspondent; Author of Apple in China: The Capture of the World's Greatest Company, Financial Times

Sponsored by Fried Frank

Private credit is no longer an alternative, it’s a central force in global capital, reshaping M&A, redefining the role of banks, and blurring the lines between public and private markets. But with capital chasing fewer quality deals, underwriting discipline and investor alignment are under pressure. This panel will push senior leaders from global platforms for specifics on where they’re deploying today, how they’re managing risk in an increasingly borrower-friendly market, and the decisive moves that will define the next era of performance.

Moderator

• ERICA FRONTIERO, Chief Executive Officer, EF Advisors

Speakers

• TOM BLOUIN, Senior Managing Director, Blackstone Credit and Insurance (BXCI)
• GREG CASHMAN, Co-Head of Direct Lending, Golub Capital
• STEPHAN R. KUPPENHEIMER, Partner, Portfolio Manager & Head of Private Credit, Lord Abbett & Co.
• DAVID PEARSON, Managing Director, Leveraged Finance, Global Credit, OMERS Administration Corporation
• DANIEL PIETRZAK, Partner, Global Head of Private Credit, KKR

As the Chief AI Architect at NYU Stern School of Business, Conor Grennan has developed a unique AI Mindset Framework, tying technology and behavior. He empowers audiences with both expertise on generative AI and a new way of thinking with broad applications to change the way they live, work, and “do pretty much everything.”

Speaker

• CONOR GRENNAN, Chief AI Architect, NYU Stern School of Business

Sponsored by Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP

Private credit has come a long way from its direct lending roots. As investor inflows outpace corporate lending opportunities private credit has found a new frontier in specialized strategies. Investors now access a broad range of risk-return profiles in unconventional lending, including royalties, litigation, sports/media, data centers, and the list goes on. Join us for an in-depth look at underwriting and investing in the new credit frontier.

Moderator

• TESS VIRMANI, Deputy General Counsel, EVP - Head of Policy, LSTA, Inc.

Speakers

• HARLAN CHERNIAK, Head of Infrastructure Debt – Americas, Macquarie Asset Management
• BENJAMIN FUND, Partner, The Carlyle Group
• JOSH UFBERG, Senior Managing Director, Alternative Credit, Blue Owl Capital
• ERAN ZUR, Head of Intellectual Property Investments, Fortress Investment Group

Public markets are said to be characterized by liquidity, accessibility, and transparency, while private markets are said to offer higher returns in exchange for illiquidity.  Panelists will discuss this paradigm, and how it might be shifting during a discussion on liquidity trends across today’s corporate loan market.  The conversation will then shift to the “retailization” and possible convergence of the broader corporate credit markets, a trend that is leading to further innovations in fund structures and a fresh new look at what it means to be liquid.

Moderator

• TED BASTA, Executive Vice President, Analytics and Investor Strategy, LSTA, Inc.

Speakers

• DAN DERMAN, Managing Director and Head of Sales & Trading, Golub Capital
• ANDREW GOSDEN, Partner, Apollo Global Management
• REED VAN GORDEN, Managing Director, Head of Origination, Deerpath Capital
• PATRICK WALLACE, Managing Director, Antares Capital

With AI, blockchain, smart contracts, and tokenization poised to reshape corporate credit, the real challenge lies in integrating these innovations into the infrastructure of today’s financial institutions. Our panelists will explore how emerging technologies can transform loan origination, data flow, trading, and settlement across the syndicated loan ecosystem.  From distributed infrastructure and smart contract automation to real-time data analytics and secondary market innovation, they will discuss both the opportunities and integration hurdles facing the market. This session will offer a unique blend of technological insight and practical perspective from firms building the digital backbone of the next-generation corporate lending market.

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Moderator

• ELLEN HEFFERAN, Executive Vice President of Operations and Accounting, LSTA, Inc.

Speakers

• STEVEN HUNTER, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, 9fin
• DAVID KAMP, Chief Technology Officer, Versana
• VITALIY KOZAK, Chief Product Officer, Octaura
• VIKRANT NISHANDAR, Managing Director, Head of Product, Lending Solutions, S&P Market Intelligence
• VIVEK RAMAN, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, Etherealize

Nonbank lenders have taken an active role in providing financing to other providers of financing. This source of capital has institutionalized fund finance and balance sheet management tools such as credit risk transfers as asset classes. The panel will look at how they are shaping fundraising, portfolio construction and returns, as well as common structures, origination channels and ratings criteria.

Moderator

• ANDREW BERLIN, Vice President, Director of Policy Research, LSTA, Inc.

Speakers

• ZAHEEN MIR, Managing Director, Credit & Insurance, Blackstone
• GOPAL NARSIMHAMURTHY, Managing Director, HPS Investment Partners
• DADONG YAN, Head of Portfolio Finance, Barings
• JASEN YANG, Managing Director, Credit, Apollo Global Management

From geopolitical tensions and macroeconomic uncertainty to evolving monetary policy, it has been a turbulent year in the corporate loan market. Panelists will cut through the noise and identify the credit risks and opportunities in the broadly syndicated and direct lending corporate loan markets. The conversation will explore corporate credit and default trends, the impact of “higher for longer” interest rates on borrowers, and how a fluid trade policy is affecting key industries.

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Moderator

• HUGO PEREIRA, Vice President of Analytics & Investor Strategy, LSTA, Inc.

Speakers

• PRATIK GUPTA, Managing Director and Head of Global CLOs and US RMBS Strategy, BofA Securities
• MEGHAN NEENAN, Managing Director, Head of North American Non-Bank Financial Institutions, Fitch Ratings
• MICHAEL OCCI, Chief Executive Officer for Direct Lending, Morgan Stanley
• BRIAN PILKO, Head of Portfolio Management & Research, AGL Credit Management

Our panel of legal experts will examine the latest loan market trends in the BSL and middle markets and will analyze legal and regulatory developments and new case law. They will share their predictions for what’s in store for deal terms and structures (including NAV facilities) and credit agreement provisions in both markets. Other areas of coverage include trends in Cooperation Agreements, liability management transactions, voting rights, PIK interest and DQ list practices.

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Moderator

• ELIZABETH YAZGI, Assistant General Counsel, LSTA, Inc.

Speakers

• DANELLE LE CREN, Partner and Head of U.S. Banking Group, Linklaters LLP (New York)
• JENNIFER DALY, Partner, Chair of Private Credit and Special Situations, Corporate Department, Paul Hastings LLP (New York)
• MICHELLE KILKENNEY, P.C., Partner, Debt Finance, Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Chicago)
• SHERRI SNELSON, Partner, Debt Finance, White & Case LLP (New York)