Biography
Michael Evan Avidon is a Senior Counsel in Moses & Singer LLP. He is widely recognized for his knowledge of letters of credit (LCs), lending, and secured transactions. He was named “2022 Letter of Credit Lawyer of the Year” by the Institute of International Banking Law & Practice. He was previously a Partner in the firm for 36 years.
Mike’s practice emphasizes secured and unsecured lending transactions, LC transactions, trade finance (including supply chain finance, accounts receivable purchases, and draft discounting), subscription finance, and LC litigation. His LC work involves standby, direct pay, and commercial LCs as well as demand guarantees. His clients include money center banks (often acting as administrative agent for syndicate lenders) and other financial institutions.
Mike’s many contributions to the law and practice include: (i) participating in the 1990’s revision of UCC Article 5 on Letters of Credit and the preparation of the International Standby Practices 1998 (ISP98); (ii) serving on the Council on International Standby Practices; (iii) serving on the American Bar Association/U.S.C.I.B. Task Force whose report led to the 1990’s UCC Article 5 revision; (iv) serving as a member of the ICC’s Consultative Group that helped prepare the ICC Uniform Rules for Bank Payment Obligations; (v) preparing for BAFT, for use by its trade association members, a New York law-governed form of Master Trade Loan Agreement (MTLA); and (vi) participating in drafting Rules of Arbitration for the International Center for Letter of Credit Arbitration, Inc. Recently, he served as an active Observer to the Drafting Committee that produced the 2022 UCC amendments, including amendments to UCC Article 5 and a new Article 12 on Controllable Electronic Records. He is also a charter member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Documentary Credit World (and, previously, of Letter of Credit Update).
Mike writes and speaks frequently about LCs, demand guarantees, syndicated lending, trade finance, secured transactions, and other finance-related topics, and actively participates in bar associations and trade groups. Mike was elected a Fellow of the American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers. He is a past Co-Chair of the Letters of Credit Subcommittee of the American Bar Association (ABA) and a past Chair of the Subcommittee on Letters of Credit of the New York State Bar Association. On behalf of the ABA Letters of Credit Subcommittee, he worked with the Loan Syndications and Trading Association (LSTA) to revise their model form of Revolving Credit Agreement to better accommodate LC subfacilities in syndicated revolving credit agreements.
Mike has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America® and Law & Politics’ “New York Super Lawyers.” Mike earned his J.D., with honors, from Columbia University School of Law and received his B.A., summa cum laude, from Brooklyn College. He is included in Lawdragon's 2026 500 Leading Dealmakers in America Guide.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
- Columbia University School of Law (J.D.)
- Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
- Brooklyn College (B.A., summa cum laude)
- New York
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
- New York State Bar Association (Past-Chair, Subcommittee on Letters of Credit; Member, Banking Law Committee, Business Law Section)
- American Bar Association (Past-Co-Chair, Subcommittee on Letters of Credit; Member, Subcommittees on Secured Transactions, Loan Documentation, ESG and Lending, Syndications and Lender Relations, Legal Opinions in Commercial Finance, and Cross Border and Trade Financing, Committees on Banking Law, Uniform Commercial Code, Commercial Finance, and Legal Opinions, and Business Law Section (and other groups); and 1986-1990 was a Member of the Task Force on the Study of U.C.C. Article 5)
- American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers
Mike has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America® as well as Law & Politics' New York Super Lawyers®. Martindale-Hubbell® awarded him its highest AV rating for both ethics and legal abilities in his practice area. He is included in Lawdragon's 2026 500 Leading Dealmakers in America Guide.
- Super Lawyers: 2007 - 2025
- Lawdragon's 2026 500 Leading Dealmakers in America Guide.
- November 21, 2024, Mock Court Judge: 2024 Trade Finance Workshop – sponsored by BAFT.
- October 29-30, 2024, Moderator & Panelist: 2024 NY Standby & Guarantee Forum, and 2024 NY LC Law Summit – sponsored by the Institute of International Banking Law & Practice.
- June 21, 2024, Mock Court Judge: 2024 Trade Finance Workshop – sponsored by BAFT.
- January 17, 2024, Speaker: Legal Update for BAFT Trade Finance Committee – sponsored by the BAFT Trade Finance Committee.
- October 11-12, 2023, Moderator & Panelist: 2023 Standby & Guarantee Forum, and 2023 LC Law Summit – sponsored by the Institute of International Banking Law & Practice.
- June 8-9, 2023, Moderator & Panelist: Annual LC Survey West │ Americas & Europe – sponsored by the Institute of International Banking Law & Practice.
- June 23, 2023, Mock Court Judge: 2023 Virtual Trade Finance Workshop – sponsored by BAFT.
- October 18-19, 2022, Moderator & Panelist: 2022 Standby & Guarantee Forum, and 2022 LC Law Summit – sponsored by the Institute of International Banking Law & Practice.
- August 18, 2022, Mock Court Judge: 2022 Virtual Trade Finance Workshop II – sponsored by BAFT.
- Moderator and Panelist: "Annual LC Survey West / Americas & Europe," Institute of International Banking Law & Practice, April 2022.
- Panelist: "What's New in the LSTA's Updated Revolving Credit Agreement," American Bar Association, April 2022.
- Institute of International Banking Law & Practice conference, September, 2020.
- BAFT Virtual Workshop, June 2020.
- BAFT "Financing Trade During The Pandemic" Webinar, April 2020.
- “Loan Syndications and Trading Association (LSTA) Form,” Institute of International Bank Law & Practice, November 1, 2019.
- Panelist: "Standby & Guarantee Forum & Letter of Credit Law Summit," October 2019.
- 2019 BAFT New York Trade Finance Workshop, June 2019.
- Program Chair, Moderator and Panelist: "Letters of Credit & Applicant Bankruptcy: U.S. and Canadian Bankruptcy Provisions and Cases for Beneficiaries, Issuers, Applicants and Others," American Bar Association, March 2019.
- Program Chair and Panelist: "Letters of Credit & Bank Guarantees: Traps for the Unwary in Cross-Border & Domestic Transactions," American Bar Association, April 2016.
- "If You Build It, Will They Come? The New Bank Payment Obligation (BPO)," Moses & Singer Webinar, March 2014.
- Frequent speaker and panelist, including for the ABA, BAFT, the City Bar Center for CLE, the PLI, the Institute of International Banking Law & Practice, other trade associations and bar associations, and banks, regarding: letters of credit, demand guarantees, syndicated lending, secured transactions, supply chain finance, UCC Articles 9, 8 and 5, UCP 600, ISP98, URDG 758 and the URBPO.
Practices / Industries
- AI & Data Law
- Banking & Finance
- Cross-Border Transactions
- Digital Assets
- ESG - Environmental, Social & Governance
- Financial Services
- Fintech & Marketplace Lending
- Fund Finance & Capital Commitments Lending
- International
- Lending Transactions
- Letters of Credit & Other Credit Support
- Notable Moses Singer Wins in Letter of Credit & Documentary Collections Cases
- Private Clients Lending
- Supplier Finance & Receivables Purchase Financing
- Syndicated Lending
- Trade Finance