Brendan Watkins

Brendan Watkins is a director in the public finance group and joined Piper Sandler in 2014. He focuses on financial modeling, debt structuring and related analyses for local governments and school districts in Oregon and Utah. He analyzes bond issue structuring options, levy rate impacts and refunding opportunities. His work provides issuers with the information necessary to evaluate short- and long-term capital needs and effectively manage borrowings.

Watkins is involved with all stages of the bond issuance process, including the review of official statements, credit analysis, rating presentations, credit enhancement strategies, the execution of public offerings and closing activities. He has developed highly specialized expertise in the mechanics of the Oregon Public Employees Retirement System, helping local governments navigate the complex financial and legal hurdles of issuing pension obligation bonds to stabilize their PERS costs. He advises all types of Oregon municipalities on how to manage their unfunded actuarial liabilities by analyzing market opportunities for strategic investment into the PERS system, either through pension obligation bonds or excess cash contributions.

Watkins joined Piper Sandler after spending two years with Wedbush Securities in a similar capacity. Before working in public finance, he spent five years covering the financial technology and construction products and materials industries for the equity capital markets group of D.A. Davidson.

He was appointed by the governor in February 2013 to serve as a member of Multnomah County’s Tax Supervising and Conservation Commission. Watkins graduated with honors from the University of Oregon with a bachelor’s degree in economics and holds Series 7, 50, 52 and 63 securities licenses.