Allison Yacker and Blair Wallace, associates in the firm’s Financial Services and Structured Products Practices, authored an article in Derivatives Week on the collateralization of OTC transactions. The article notes that participants in OTC markets are concerned about mitigating counterparty risk, and that “without effective and systematic monitoring of exposure, as well as the monitoring of excess collateral posted in connection with an OTC transaction, substantial losses can arise from both under-collateralization and over-collateralization.” The authors offer some techniques to provide for greater certainty with respect to counterparty risk and collateral management, including strategies related to independent amounts. (“Effective and Efficient Collateral Management Strategies: A Renewed Focus,” November 6, 2009)