Eric Avila joins Siebert Williams Shank

Veteran public finance banker Eric Avila joined Siebert Williams Shank & Co.'s Chicago office as managing director and head of Midwest region.

A graduate of Northeastern University, Avila's move to Siebert follows senior roles at Janney Montgomery Scott and Morgan Stanley (MS) in Chicago. Prior to that, he was a vice president at Samuel Ramirez & Co. and U.S. Bank.

Avila has advised state and local governments, utilities and transportation clients on complex financings and multi-billion-dollar issuances, according to a press release announcing his hiring.

"It will help take us to the next level as a firm," Siebert head of public finance Keith Richard said of Avila's new role.

"We're seeing unprecedented volume in the municipal space. We're always looking to strategically grow the Chicago market," he said. "Chicago, and the Midwest in general, has always been an important part of the market for our firm. Adding someone like Eric strengthens our ability in the region, and we're excited to have someone like him to bring deep understanding of the complexities and challenges issuers are facing."

"Siebert has been around for a very long time, and they've built a really strong platform in public finance," Avila said. "I was really attracted to the firm's commitment to the industry, and I felt it was the right place for me to continue serving Midwest clients right from the jump, with a firm that is well known nationally."

Avila pointed to the breadth of infrastructure initiatives in the works in northern Illinois alone, from the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act's creation of a regional transportation authority to the terminal expansion at O'Hare, as well as to Gov. JB Pritzker's 2027 budget proposal. There are great opportunities for veteran bankers to be of service to clients embarking on such projects, he said.

Avila said he's looking forward to "the opportunity to build something meaningful with some new colleagues here in Chicago and at the firm across the country."

"We're very bullish on the municipal market in general," Richard said.

In 2025, Siebert underwrote 329 municipal transactions with $108 billion in par amount, and served as senior manager on 91 transactions with $25 billion in par amount, according to the press release.