CRE Spotlight: Data Centers and Innovative Debt Structures

Registration Closed

CRE Spotlight: Data Centers and Innovative Debt Structures

Date: October 16, 2025
Location: Alston & Bird, 90 Park Avenue, New York
Time: 3 p.m. EDT

You’re invited to join Morningstar DBRS and Alston & Bird in New York at the Alston & Bird offices on October 16 as we spotlight the latest market developments in data center financing and CMBS. Over two sessions, our panel of experts will unpack the latest developments in the rapidly evolving data center space and highlight new and innovative transaction structures emerging in commercial real estate securitizations. You'll have an opportunity to connect with our team and other industry thought leaders during a networking reception immediately following the event.

Please note that this event is closed to the media.

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Agenda

3 p.m.

Registration and Coffee

3:30 p.m.

From Bricks to Bytes: CMBS Financing for Data Centers

Credit risk and capital availability for both existing data centers and new development
Managing power, space, and development expenses in a high-cost environment
Differences in financing approaches between CMBS and ABS data center assets

Erin Stafford (Moderator), MD, North American Real Estate Ratings, Morningstar DBRS

Michael Vidmar, SVP, Sector Lead, North American Real Estate Adjacent Ratings, Morningstar DBRS

B.K. Lee, Partner, Alston & Bird

Stephen Douglas, EVP – Finance, QTS Data Centers

Nilesh Patel, Senior MD, Blue Owl Capital

Christopher Busuttil, VP, Goldman Sachs

4:15 p.m.

Q&A

4:30 p.m.

Innovation in Commercial Real Estate Transactions

Emerging alternative capital sources and active investors in today's evolving market
Key features of financing approaches for BTRs, Commercial Small Balance, and more
Credit risks and liquidity trends amid an active market and a flood of CMBS issuance

Pat Sargent (Moderator), Partner, Alston & Bird

John Amman, Associate MD, North American CMBS Ratings, Morningstar DBRS

Chris Hoeffel, President and COO, Counterpointe SRE

Gene Kilgore, EVP, Arbor Realty Trust, Inc.

John Miller, ED, J.P. Morgan

Carolyn Natale, Partner, Wellington Management

5:15 p.m.

Q&A

5:30 p.m.

Reception and Networking

Registration

Fill out the form and click Register Now. You'll receive a confirmation email from usevents@morningstar.com containing a calendar link and event details.

Venue

This event will take place at the offices of Alston & Bird, 90 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016.

About Morningstar DBRS

Morningstar DBRS is a leading provider of independent rating services and opinions for corporate and sovereign entities, financial institutions, and project and structured finance instruments globally. Rating more than 4,000 issuers and 60,000 securities, it is one of the top four credit rating agencies in the world.

Morningstar DBRS empowers investor success by bringing more transparency and a much-needed diversity of opinion in the credit rating industry. Market innovators choose to work with us because of our agility, tech-forward approach, and exceptional customer service.

Morningstar DBRS. The next generation of credit ratings.

About Alston & Bird

Alston & Bird is a leading international law firm with core areas including corporate, tax, intellectual property, and complex litigation, with nationally regarded transactional practice teams in commercial real estate, structured and warehouse finance, leveraged finance, financial services, M&A, corporate trust, and restructuring. The firm has a multi-disciplinary team of attorneys focused on the data centers industry, seamlessly integrating finance, securitization, real estate, funds, IP, M&A, environmental, data privacy, and cybersecurity.

The firm has offices in Atlanta, Brussels, Century City, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, London, Los Angeles, New York, Raleigh, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Washington, D.C.