Sani Williams is a nationally recognized transactional attorney who has over 25 years of experience in capital markets transactions involving infrastructure assets and municipal finance projects across a broad range of sectors and financing structures. He has represented issuers, underwriters, and senior/subordinate lenders in public and project financings and other complex financial transactions aggregating in the tens of billions of dollars across the United States. Sani has significant experience and expertise in financing crucial infrastructure, such as: airport, highway and mass transportation systems; charter schools and colleges/universities; hospitals and healthcare facilities; public housing and public power; not-for-profit-owned cultural facilities; water and wastewater distribution facilities; stadiums, arenas and convention centers; and economic development projects.
Among his career accomplishments, Sani was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Bond Lawyers (“NABL”), the nation’s premier public finance organization for lawyers, which is at the forefront in the ongoing national dialogue regarding federal regulatory issues affecting the municipal market, including matters relating to the US Congress, the IRS, the SEC and the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (aka “MSRB”). In addition to serving on the NABL Board, Sani has served as past Chair and frequent faculty member at NABL’s “The Essentials” seminar for attorneys, paralegals, government officials and employees, financial consultants, and other municipal finance professionals and market participants seeking a basic knowledge of municipal bond law and related financial issues.
In addition to his prominent role at NABL, Sani is also a Fellow at the prestigious American College of Bond Counsel (“ACBC”), which recognizes “lawyers who have established reputations among their peers for their skill, experience and high standards of professional and ethical conduct in the practice of bond law.” He was one of only 24 bond lawyers nationwide selected for this honor in 2021.
Sani’s practice portfolio includes longstanding work on financings for such prominent New York State issuers as the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (aka “DASNY”), The City of New York, New York City Transitional Finance Authority, Empire State Development, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (aka “MTA”), and the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation. Outside of New York, Sani has served as bond counsel, underwriters’ counsel and disclosure counsel in connection with financings in the states of California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, (the Commonwealth of) Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, (the Commonwealth of) Pennsylvania, Texas, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
In addition to his NABL and ACBC affiliations noted above, Sani has been honored as a Thomson Reuters New York Metro Super Lawyer (2018-2024), and he has served on various boards and associations over the years, including current board memberships on the Westchester County (NY) Deferred Compensation Board and the Westchester Community College Foundation.
Before joining Bryant Rabbino in 2020, Sani served as Of Counsel at the international law firm Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP and, prior thereto, Of Counsel at Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP/Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP, where he specialized in matters of public finance and private equity. He began his public finance practice as an associate at Nixon Peabody LLP.
Sani is admitted to practice in New York State and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.