Obituary - H. Sidney Holmes III

When he wasn’t mentoring colleagues or helping young attorneys of diverse backgrounds to advance, H. Sidney Holmes III, served as bond counsel for some of the more iconic projects in New York.

As a senior partner in the public finance group of Winston & Strawn LLP, he helped shepherd through the financing process the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center; the International Arrivals, American Airlines and British Airways terminals at JFK International Airport; One Bryant Park Tower; the reconstruction of World Trade Center Towers 3, 4 and 7; and the expansion and renovation of the USTA National Tennis Center.

Mr. Holmes passed away last week. He was 69. Throughout a career in public finance that spanned more than 34 years, he made sure to bring an open mind and sense of humor to his work and the friends he made across the industry, colleagues at Winston said.

Richard E. Marshall, vice president for legal affairs at the New York City Industrial Development Agency, said he’d worked with Mr. Holmes for more than 20 years. Marshall praised Mr. Holmes’ ability to manage a bond financing and complete it efficiently. He also admired how Mr. Holmes’ balanced outlook on work and life enhanced their working relationship.

“He was a fine gentleman,” Marshall said. “He was a good attorney. He was a delight to work with. He took things seriously, but not too seriously, and that made the work all the easier. It’s a great loss to my organization and to the municipal bond community, in general.”

Bill Dudine, a partner at Winston & Strawn who joined the firm as an associate in the 1990s, said Mr. Holmes taught him  to think creatively when approaching a transaction.

Specifically, he recalls how a particular statute in the late 1990s made it difficult for one client to finance terminal facilities in New York. Mr. Holmes, alongside others at Winston, spearheaded the effort to find a way and convince the issuer it could be done.

“We ended up doing a number of terminal facilities within New York City because of that,” Dudine said.

Alex Deland, a tax partner at Winston, also met Mr. Holmes upon joining the firm in the 1990s andlearned a lot working with him on complicated bond structures.

“He was always very professional and easy to work with and I enjoyed working with him,--And he brought in, and worked on, a number of interesting deals,” Deland said.

“I’ve known him for 16 years; Sid was my mentor, partner and a dear friend,” added Patricia Mollica, a partner at the firm. Mr. Holmes had recruited her from his client, the New York City IDA.

Mr. Holmes started his career at Mudge, Rose, Guthrie & Alexander in 1979; he was made a partner in 1987. In 1995, he moved to Whitman Breed Abbott & Morgan, predecessor to Winston & Strawn. 

Througout his career, Mr. Holmes focused on industrial and economic development revenue-bond financings, including health-care financings, transportation financings, sports-facility financings and port-facility development.

In 2008, Mr. Holmes was appointed a commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He also served as a commissioner and vice chairperson of the New York State Insurance Fund and was a board member of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation and the New York Urban League.

Mr. Holmes, a committed campaigner for diversity, was an active member of the Urban League. He also served as member of Winston’s diversity committee and worked to advance the careers and opportunities for younger attorneys from minority communities.

Mr. Holmes well understood the need to give back. He was one of the first African Americans to be named a partner at a major Wall Street law firm.

Mr. Holmes is survived by his daughter, Monique Holmes, and his fiancée, MaryAnn Liberatore.

The family will hold visitation from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., and from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., on Sunday, at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel, at 1076 Madison Avenue, in New York, N.Y. A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, at 204 West 134th Street, New York, N.Y.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the New York Urban League, 204 West 136th Street, New York, N.Y., 10030.

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