Linklaters LLP

Counsel, Banking and Finance Practice

Counsel

Adrien is a Counsel in the Luxembourg Investment Funds practice which he joined in 2014. Adrien specialises in venture capital, private equity, real estate, infrastructure, credit fundraising as well as providing ongoing assistance to fund managers and promoters. In addition, he acts for investors in respect of their investments (including secondaries) into a variety of asset classes. He also advises on investment fund compliance and regulatory issues (including AIFMD). He is registered to the Luxembourg bar.

Aedamar is Linklaters Global Head of Corporate and specialises in public and private M&A and regulatory and corporate governance advisory work. She is the lead relationship partner and boardroom adviser for many of the firm's FTSE clients. Aedamar recently led a number of high-profile M&A deals including advising Unilever on its defence of Kraft Heinz company's US$145bn approach; Visa Europe on its €18.37bn sale to Visa Inc; Amec Foster Wheeler on Wood Group's £2.2bn recommended offer; HSBC on the US$5.2bn sale of its Brazilian bank to Banco Bradesco; and Amlin on Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance's £3.48bn recommended offer.Aedamar is also a non-executive director of FTSE company, Hames Fisher and Sons plc.  

Aileen is a managing associate in Linklaters’ ESG team. She advises clients on a range of environmental, social and governance matters including disclosure and reporting requirements, policies and procedures, and applicable regulatory and soft law regimes. She has particular experience advising on environmental, social and security issues on energy and infrastructure projects, including the application of international sustainability standards such as the Equator Principles and IFC Performance Standards and developing stakeholder expectations.

Alain specialises in private M&A and private equity domestically and internationally. He has market leading practice in the banking and insurance industry, where he advises on M&A, group restructuring, and, jointly with the firm financial regulation and litigation teams, industry specific issues, including regulatory investigations. Alain is the lead relationship partner for a number of the firm’s French clients in the financial sector.

Alasdair is a Managing Associate in the Linklaters London Pensions practice. He has a wide range of experience, including in relation to bespoke funding arrangements, scheme restructurings, contingent assets and multi-jurisdiction corporate transactions.

Alessandra Ortelli is a counsel in the banking & finance department of our Milan office. She has extensive experience in restructurings, acquisition and leveraged finance and has advised on a number of project finance and structured finance transactions.

Alessandra Ghezzi is a Counsel based at Linklaters' Milan offices specialized in corporate law advice to domestic and international clients, particularly on mergers & acquisitions and other extraordinary transactions. She gained nearly twenty years of experience in advising both corporate and PE clients in some of the most complex Italian M&A transactions in recent years.

Alexander Naidenov is a U.S. partner in our London office and focuses on high yield and acquisition finance. He was previously with Cravath Swaine & Moore in New York and London. Alek has extensive experience in sponsor-driven financings, representing underwriters, issuers/sponsors and bridge lenders, including AnaCap (AnaCap Financial), Apollo (Lottomatica, Gamenet, Verallia), Bain (Edcon), Bridgepoint (Miller Homes, THOM, Care UK), Carlyle (Hexaware, SierraCol), Cerberus (WFS, Haya), CVC (Multiversity, GEMS Education, Tendam), EQT (Dometic), Hillhouse (Philips Domestic Appliances), KKR (A.T.U), PAI (Marcolin, Nuance), Qualium (Quick Restaurants), Rhône (Fluidra, Nestle Waters, Eden Springs, S&B Minerals), Triton (Assemblin, Bormioli, Ovako, Dematic, Orion Engineered Carbons), Unitas (Hyva), Warburg Pincus (AA) Alek has also worked on a number event-driven corporate leverage financings, including Kedrion, AMS/Osram, Eir, VistaJet, Corte Inglés, Hertz, CGG Veritas, Welltec, Perform Group, Viridian, Moto, Johnston Press, Carmeuse, Interxion, Dixons, SICPA (NOMA), Millicom, Gallery Group Alek is also involved in high yield restructurings, on creditor or debtor side, including Haya, Seven Energy, Towergate, Klockner Pentaplast, Eircom, WIND Hellas, Countrywide, Almatis, Safilo, Jazztel, Hilding Anders, Truvo and DSI.

Partner

Andrea has extensive experience acting on acquisition and leveraged finance transactions advising financial sponsors, principal investors and lenders in Italy and abroad. He also has extensive experience in real estate finance, debt restructuring and general lending transactions, both in the Italian market and in cross-border transactions. He regularly advises financial sponsors, principal investors, lenders and borrowers in the Italian market and in cross-border transactions.

Partner

Counsel

Partner

Andy is Head of the firm’s Structured Finance Group. He is a specialist in structured finance and real estate finance. He has extensive experience in securitisations, warehouse financings, loan portfolio sales/acquisitions, sale-leasebacks and credit tenant leases and single property and property portfolio financings. Andy also leads the firm’s practices in Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities (RMBS) and Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (CMBS) transactions in the UK, Europe and further afield. Andy regularly acts for the issuers and arrangers on covered bond programmes throughout the world, including those for RBS, Nationwide Building Society and Leeds Building Society in the UK, DnB Bank, the Sparebank 1 Alliance and KLP in Norway, OP Mortgage Bank in Finland, Alpha Bank in Greece, the NAB in Australia, BNZ in New Zealand and DBS and UOB in Singapore. He also leads on a number of key client relationships and is one of the firm’s bank sector leaders.

Andrew Hughes has over 15 years experience as a partner at Linklaters handling complex commercial dispute resolution, investigations and crisis management. He has extensive experience of High court and appellate litigation, regulatory and criminal investigations and select committee inquiries. Andrew is currently acting for a number of major banks and corporates on a range of matters spanning across all areas of his practice.

www.nortonrosefulbright.com/people/167332/andrewbattisson

Andrew regularly acts for bank and fund clients on complex sponsor-backed European leverage finance transactions, including term loan B, bank and bond and unitranche financings. Andrew also has experience in transactions that cross over between leveraged and infrastructure finance and fund finance. His work is also guided by his experience working on distressed situations and restructurings.

Andy leads the firm’s Global Real Estate practice. He has extensive experience in the acquisition, financing, development, letting and disposal of all types of commercial real estate both in the UK and Continental Europe. Work highlights Ranked in the Hall of Fame for Real Estate in Legal 500, Andy has led on many major real estate transactions. Highlights include advising: Development transactions: Lendlease on: its joint venture with Starwood Capital to acquire the £3.5bn Silvertown Quays, London urban renewal project; the £1.9bn Birmingham Smithfield City Centre development covering 17 hectares; and the £2bn ongoing redevelopment of Elephant & Castle, London, comprising 300,000 sqm of new build and mixed use development. Shuaa Group on several projects including its £370m acquisition and subsequent development of New Scotland Yard, London. Investment deals: Ho Bee Land on their £718m acquisition of The Scalpel landmark office building in the City of London. A major pan-European core fund as it expands across Europe. a consortium member on its investment in a €6.4 billion global portfolio of approximately 900 hotels. Lettings: Glencore on the pre-let of their HQ premises in Hanover Square. Sale and leasebacks: several clients on sale and leaseback transactions (including leasehold liability transfers and virtual assignments), including a major financial institution on a large multi-jurisdictional structured sale and leaseback.

Angus is a partner in the London leveraged finance practice. Angus represents underwriting banks and alternative capital providers on institutional financing transactions, with a particular focus on leveraged buyout, infrastructure and other acquisition financings. He also has experience advising on regulatory-driven and structured finance transactions, as well as restructurings. Angus has completed extended secondments within the leveraged finance team at Goldman Sachs and the private credit group at PSP Investments, and was seconded for 18 months to the firm’s New York office, where he focussed on US and Latin American financings and restructurings.

Anna Ferraresso is a Counsel in the Structured Finance and Financial Regulation department of Linklaters' Milan offices. She has extensive experience in advising on compliance with regulatory rules (in respect of various domestic and cross-border issues), on the regulatory aspects of corporate M&A and financing transactions, on business structuring and product design. Anna has also gained deep knowledge of investment funds (AIFs and UCITS) by advising major global asset managers as well as emerging players. She advised clients on the implementation of numerous EU regulatory reforms initiatives such as AIFMD, MiFID II, CRD V/CRR II, BRRD II, Solvency II.

Anna is a partner in the antitrust & foreign investment group at Linklaters. She has almost 15 years’ of experience advising clients on a range of complex competition matters, in particular complex UK and EU merger control, UK public takeovers, global foreign direct investment and market studies. More recently, she has been guiding clients through the new EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation. She is well recognised in the market and, in particular, has recently been named in the Global Competition Review “40 under 40” 2023 for Foreign Investment Control, as a “Shining Star” in Antitrust 2023 by W@Competition, as a “Future Leader” in Who’s Who Legal: Competition and as a “Next Generation Partner” in Legal 500’s rankings.

Partner

Anne is a Partner in our Paris office, widely acknowledged for her leading expertise in competition law. She advises on cartels, abuse of dominant position, vertical restraints and merger control, from the administrative investigation stage to the procedure before domestic and EU jurisdictions, as well as antitrust follow-on actions. Anne’s experience spans many sectors, notably the automotive and pharmaceutical sectors. Anne co-leads the firm’s consumer sector. She is a member of the Corporate Responsibility Commitee. Earlier in her career, Anne was based in Brussels, where she gained significant insight into the operation of the European Commission and developed extensive contacts with competition regulators.

Partner

Anton is a real estate lawyer who has advised on transactions in Belgium and Luxembourg since 2001. He has headed Luxembourg’s downstream real estate practice since the beginning of 2015 and was promoted to Counsel in 2017. Anton advises on the full range of issues within real estate, including incorporation and sale and purchase of real estate companies or real estate assets, real estate financing, environmental and town planning matters, litigation and structuring of projects. Anton’s practice also incorporates general commercial and contract law, construction law, agency and distribution law and projects. Anton regularly speaks at local and international industry events, including the Meetincs annual Real Estate conference where he looked at “Commercial leases” and the IFE session on Real Estate in Luxembourg. Anton moderated Linklaters Luxembourg’s first Real Estate conference, gathering over 100 guests.

Arnaud is one of the most renowned corporate litigators in France. Having acted for 30 years alongside his clients on their most sensitive matters, he is recognised for his determination and sense of strategy. He regularly pleads before French courts (civil, commercial and criminal) and the AMF (French stock exchange authority). He also regularly acts, whether as counsel or as arbitrator, in arbitral proceedings. First and foremost concerned for his clients’ interests, Arnaud systematically includes the possibility of a settlement within his strategic approach. He is also very experienced in mediation. His clients praise his “quick and pugnacious mindset” and reckon he is “a great listener” as well as describing him as a “bright and without pretention” and an “outstanding professional”. They also add that Arnaud is “very business-oriented; he finds the key points very quickly” and “is senior enough to know what we can manage and what to negotiate”. Although he now devotes all his time to his matters, Arnaud was Managing Partner of the Paris office for 10 years and member of the Executive Committee of the Firm for 4 years. This management experience is greatly helping him to understand his clients concerns.

Partner

Partner, Head of Real Estate Practice

Aymar, the partner in charge of the Restructuring & Insolvency practice at Linklaters Paris, has long-standing experience in operational and financial restructurings of distressed companies, both in the context of out-of-court and formal insolvency proceedings, where he advises all types of stakeholders. His expertise covers all aspects of restructurings, including insolvency-related litigation.

Benedict has broad finance and derivatives experience in the banking and  structured financial products markets, acting mainly for financial institutions but also for major corporates. Benedict particularly specialises in advising financial institutions on the prudential  and structural regulatory landscape, especially the changes resulting from the recent financial and political crises. His practice combines market-leading advisory expertise with a transactional structured-finance offering designed to assist institutions address the challenges of the new regulatory settlement. He advises many of the leading UK, European, US and Asian banks on structural change as well as regulatory capital, liquidity and leverage ratio requirements. He has also advised a number of CCPs across the world, and/or their clearing members, on the structuring of their platforms, particularly from an insolvency and regulatory capital perspective.

Partner

Bertrand is Head of the Energy & Infrastructure department in the Paris office. He specialises in structured finance, including major project financings, leveraged finance, banking, secured and unsecured syndicated loans, derivative products, insolvency and corporate restructuring. Bertrand is also Head of the Francophone Africa Desk.

Partner in the Addleshaw Goddard competition group, based in London, specialising in UK and EC competition and merger control law. Represents clients across a wide variety of sectors, including financial services, IT, industry, transport and retail and has acted on a wide range of cases in the UK and EC. These include: advising clients in recent CMA competition investigations (including construction and e-books); advising clients on recent merger control investigations (including Omnicell/Surgichem and Alliance Medical/IBA Molecular); advising clients in CMA market studies, market investigations, including retail banking, private motor insurance, PPI and NI banking.

Bruce has been a partner at Linklaters since 1995 and heads up Linklaters’ infrastructure practice. With nearly 25 years of experience, his most notable deals include advising on the establishment, governance and financing of the Green Deal Finance Company Limited and the Thames Tideway Tunnel Project. His most recent and current transactions include advising on: the restructuring and refinancing of the Cory riverside EfW business; on a potential financing vehicle for the infrastructure needs of LA Metro; the financing of the two Ferrybridge EfW plants; the termination of the Severn River Crossings concession and numerous refinancings.

Head of the Corporate/M&A practice in Paris, Bruno advises corporates, financial sponsors and banks on a wide range of complex, cross-border corporate transactions, including public and private M&A, private equity law.

Carl Fernandes is a London-based Partner in the global Financial Regulation Group. He has extensive experience in advising banks, broker-dealers, asset managers and private banks on a broad range of complex financial services regulatory issues in both Europe and Asia, including as to the scope of licensing requirements, market conduct requirements and restrictions and appropriate risk management systems and controls. Carl was head of the Asian Financial Regulation Group at Linklaters for five years before returning to London. Carl’s focus will be on assisting clients to navigate and implement the necessary changes to comply with key institutional market reforms in Europe and to defend regulatory enforcement action arising out of conduct in these markets.

Carole joined the firm in 2009 as an Associate before being promoted to the position of Counsel in 2018. Carole has in-depth expertise in the French restructuring and insolvency arena. She specialises in complex domestic and cross-border restructurings, both in the framework of out-of-court and formal insolvency proceedings, where she advises all types of stakeholders. Her practice covers all aspects of financial and operational restructurings, including insolvency-related litigations.

Partner

Caroline has extensive experience advising corporates, banks, financial institutions and sponsors on a range of complex cross-border financing transactions, including syndicated lending, loan and leasing transactions in the maritime and aviation sectors, acquisition finance, mining and distressed lending. In 2017, Caroline completed an eight-month secondment to the structuring team within the Global Credit Trading division of Deutsche Bank, supporting their special situations (transport, infrastructure and energy), direct lending and credit solutions teams. Caroline practiced in an Irish law firm before joining Linklaters in 2013.

Cecil is a London-based US partner who is the leader of the firm’s global US securities and corporate practice. He works on a broad spectrum of securities and finance matters, with a special emphasis on cross-border offerings of high-yield and other covenant-intensive debt securities, and has wide expertise in offerings of debt, equity, regulatory capital and structured securities in established and emerging markets, as well as in liability management transactions and restructurings. Cecil speaks regularly at a variety of professional conferences, is an officer of the Securities Law Committee of the International Bar Association, chairing its Underwriting and Distribution Subcommittee, and sits on the Advisory Committee for Securities Regulation in Europe of the Practising Law Institute.

Partner, Head of Arbitration, Litigation & Investigations Practice

Charlie is Linklaters' senior partner and chairman and a corporate partner who focuses on public and private M&A and international capital raisings and regulatory and corporate governance standards. He has been the outstanding name in the mining sector worldwide for many decades. He also advises on many of the largest M&A deals in the market, most recently for SAB Miller on its $100 billion takeover by ABI-InBev and Steinhoff's JSE spin-off of its African assets. Charlie is a key boardroom adviser to many of the firm’s largest clients including Glencore, Arcelor Mittal.

Partner

Charlotte Morgan has a wide range of experience in the energy and infrastructure sector. On the infrastructure side Charlotte leads the team advising Thames Water in respect of the £4.1bn super sewer Thames Tideway project, creating a new structure for investment in infrastructure projects. She continues to advise a consortium of 3i, Siemens and Innisfree on the circa £1.5bn rollingstock procurement for Thameslink. In new power generation she is advising Centrica in respect of its new nuclear joint venture with EdF and 2Co in respect of the first to market carbon capture and storage project in the UK. In transmission she advised Transmission Capital in respect of their successful purchase Offshore Transmission Operator assets at Robin Rigg, Gunfleet Sands, Ormonde and Barrow and in respect of the bids for Lincs, Gwynt y Mor and London Array. She is currently advising National Grid and Elia in respect of the UK-Belgium interconnector.

Chris is a sector leader for our Energy & Utilities practice and co-head of our Global Commodities practice. He has extensive experience advising clients across multiple sectors including the energy, natural resources and chemicals industries in relation to M&A, joint ventures and sector specific regulatory issues.  His practice focuses primarily on leading a wide range of energy and natural resources transactions and matters.  In addition to M&A and joint ventures, he also advises on commodity sale and purchase transactions, repos and prepays, energy and commodity market regulatory and the allocation and management of environmental and climate change risks including advising on associated regulatory enforcement matters.  He is a market leader in advising on economic and fiscal instruments for climate and environmental protection.

Chris advises bank and fund clients on cross-border debt financings, refinancings and restructurings. He has a particular focus on sponsor-backed leveraged acquisition finance and routinely works on the largest and most complex sponsor-backed financing structures in the European leverage finance market, including term loan B financings, bank and bond structures, unitranche financings and post-IPO financings. Chris frequently works with, and is well known to, leading underwriting banks on underwritten term loan B financings and is likewise well known to direct lenders on unitranche financings. Chris was previously seconded to the leveraged finance and high-yield teams of JP Morgan and Citibank, which gives him a deep understanding of the internal workings of origination, credit and execution teams, allowing him to provide practical and tailored advice to bank, fund and sponsor clients. He also spent two years on secondment to the firm’s Madrid office and speaks Spanish.

Christian is a Partner in the Linklaters London competition practice. He specialises in EC competition law and EC state aid control, UK competition law and German competition law, including notifications to EC and national competition authorities.

Partner

Counsel

Sir Christopher Bellamy QC is the Chairman of the Linklaters Global competition practice. Sir Christopher set up what is now the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) and held the post of president from 1999 to 2007. The CAT hears appeals from regulatory decisions by the OFT and other regulators under the Competition Act 1998 and Articles 101 and 102 of the EU Treaty, appeals under the Communications Act 2003, reviews in relation to merger and market investigations under the Enterprise Act 2002, and certain damages actions. As president, he was responsible for case management, interlocutory and interim applications, chairing the main hearings and preparing and delivering the judgments. Prior to joining the CAT, from 1992 to 1999 Sir Christopher was one of 15 judges of the Court of First Instance (CFI), now the General Court of the EU. He was president of a five-judge chamber from 1996 to 1999. Cases where he participated covered a wide range of EU law including: anti-dumping; competition; freedom of information; free movement of goods; international law; pharmaceutical regulation; trademarks; and state aid. Before becoming a judge at the CFI, Sir Christopher was one of the leading QCs at the competition and EU law Bar in London.

Claire is a partner in the Luxembourg Investment Funds group. Claire has a broad and deep expertise in all types of investment fund matters. She advises some of the largest international asset managers on the structuring of Luxembourg alternative investment funds in all private market classes, including private equity, real estate, infrastructure, debt and hedge funds, as well as the setting-up of co-investment structures or tailored managed accounts. Claire further covers fund regulatory matters and provides day-to-day assistance to asset managers, both in the regulated and unregulated investments funds sphere. Besides her expertise in the alternative business, Claire further has deep knowledge of retail investor funds (UCITS and UCIs) and is the legal counsel to a number of flagship funds managed by some of the largest asset managers in the world.

Specialized in corporate matters, Claudia has assisted and advised many of the most important Italian and international banks and corporates in the context of complex extraordinary transactions and currently her main focus is on strategic and corporate governance issues and ESG-linked topics.

Colin Chang is a U.S. Partner in our London office and focuses on high yield and acquisition finance. He joined Linklaters from White & Case in Paris and London in January 2020. Colin has extensive experience representing underwriters, issuers and private equity sponsors in high yield offerings and bridge-to-high yield financings in both the European and U.S. markets, including offerings by Endeavour Mining, Ontex, Casino, Rubis Terminal, CGG, Doc Generici, Burger King France, Fives, iQera, Fnac Darty, Air Liquide, Quick Restaurants, Elis, Europcar, Faurecia, Novacap, Novasep, Rexel, Invitel and Treofan. Colin also has extensive experience in high yield restructurings, having represented high yield issuers Solocal, Novasep, Wind Hellas and Treofan.

Cyrielle joined the Tax practice of Linklaters Luxembourg in 2016, having previously gained professional experience in the Tax department of a top name international company and law firm. Cyrielle focuses on tax law and is advising on cross-border acquisitions as well as restructuring transactions.

Cyril is active in all tax aspects, both in domestic and international matters. He is especially active in M&A transactions, for listed and non-listed companies, including LBOs. Cyril also advises on the setting up of private equity and real estate investment funds.

Cyril is a partner in the banking practice of Linklaters in Paris notably involved in secured and unsecured syndicated loans, acquisition financings (private and leveraged) and real estate financings.

Damien advises financial institutions, corporates and insolvency practitioners on UK, international and cross-border restructuring and insolvency matters. In addition to UK and European situations, he also has a particular focus on the Middle East, having advised on a number of restructurings and formal insolvency process in the region. Damien’s experience includes bank debt and bond restructurings (consensual and otherwise), contingency planning, security enforcements, pre-pack administrations and other insolvency procedures. He has worked across a range of sectors, including infrastructure, financial services / financial institutions, retail, consumer, hospitality, oil and gas, construction and aviation / aviation services. During his career at Linklaters, Damien has also spent over a year on secondment to a UK bank’s special situations team. Damien is one of the firm’s Trainee Recruitment Partners, responsible for the firm’s graduate recruitment programme in the UK. He has participated in several community investment programmes, including mentoring students from local schools. He is a member of the firm’s HeForShe steering committee and is actively invested in the firm’s diversity and inclusion mission.

Danelle is a New York law-qualified senior banking partner who splits her time between London and New York and advises on complex domestic and cross-border finance transactions, including leveraged and acquisition finance and restructuring/workout matters. She has specialist expertise in U.S. and European Term Loan B (TLB) transactions. Danelle also advises on corporate, infrastructure, asset, ECA, project and tax-based finance transactions. Danelle is also the lead U.S. relationship partner for a number of the firm’s major banking clients.Work Highlights:Danelle has led on a number of significant and complex banking transactions. Examples of her experience include advising:  the initial lenders under a US$1.5 billion term loan facility to AT&T to finance the purchase of telecommunications equipment in the United States and Mexico Sibanye Gold Limited on its US$2.7 billion financing of the acquisition of Stillwater Mining Company the administrative agent for the sensor secured lender group under a US$700m loan to Atlas Resources Partners, an oil and gas company operating in the U.S. in connection with a pre-packaged Chapter 11 plan and the related exit facility Steinhoff International Holdings N.V., a South African-based international retailer, on the US$4bn financing of its acquisition of U.S. retailer, Mattress Firm Holding Corp. the administrative agent for the senior secured lender group to Memorial Production Operating LLC, an oil and gas company operating in the US in connection with the restructuring of its US$925 credit facility the administrative agent on the restructuring of US$320m credit agreement for a company that operates major container terminals in the U.S. the administrative agent on a senior secured US$300m covenant-lite TLB and revolving credit facility refinancing for Hudson Products Holding, a U.S.-based manufacturer of heat exchangers the administrative agent on a senior secured US$200m of finance for H.I.G. Capital’s acquisition of ATX Networks, a developer of radio frequency and digital video processing equipment  

Daniel has extensive experience in leveraged finance transactions and financial restructurings, as well as high yield bond issuances. He acts for a variety of lenders (focusing on alternative credit providers) and borrowers (focusing on financial sponsors and their portfolio companies). He has wide-ranging expertise in both new money financings and restructurings, enabling him to deliver comprehensive and commercial advice to his clients.  Daniel is also actively involved with the firm’s initiatives surrounding Canada, including developing and maintaining Canadian client and institutional relationships, as well as providing Canadian companies and institutions with advice regarding outbound investments.Work highlights:Daniel has worked on an array of market-leading matters. These include advising: the mandated lead arrangers on the £1.7bn post-IPO financing of the WorldPay group the anchor investors on the €2.8bn restructuring of French fashion retailer Vivarte, the largest ever leveraged buyout restructuring in France various portfolio companies belonging to Canadian pension funds the coordinating committee of lenders on the £2.3bn restructuring of the hibu (formerly Yell) group Montagu Private Equity on its acquisition and subsequent disposal of each of CAP Automotive and the University of Law GET, the Norwegian cable TV operator, on its refinancing and subsequent sale numerous financial sponsors and alternative credit providers on first lien/second lien and unitranche structures

Partner, Head of Corporate/Private Equity Practice

Danièle Buchler joined Linklaters Luxembourg’s tax practice in 2009 and was promoted to Partner in May 2023. She regularly advises corporate clients on the Luxembourg tax aspects of cross-border reorganisations and assists investment managers in the set-up and tax structuring of joint venture companies and fund vehicles. She further has significant expertise in the tax structuring of private equity transactions and, more generally, the downstream structuring of fund investments across all asset classes. Aside from her focus on funds and financial investors, Danièle also advises on the various tax angles of local real estate transactions both by way of share deals and asset deals.

Dario Longo is a partner in our capital markets group at Linklaters since the establishment of the Milan office in 2007. He is the head of the structured finance and financial regulatory practices, and his practice covers the entire cycle of financial regulated assets. He regularly acts for financial sponsors and international banks on structured financed transactions, structured lending, securitization transactions, NPLs and servicing platforms, and advises on M&A transactions on regulated assets, fund formation and general financial regulations.

Partner

As head of the firm’s planning team, David has significant experience in all aspects of town planning and development activity. His experience includes negotiating planning permissions for large and complex projects, co-ordinating major public inquiries, and obtaining all planning consents, as well as having in-depth knowledge of compulsory purchase orders, road closure orders and statutory agreements. He is well known for his planning successes involving mixed use developments. Since the early 1990’s David has been heavily involved in advising clients on securing permission to build a series of tall buildings in the City of London, which has changed the face of the City and led to the development of tall buildings in other areas of London.Work highlights David has led on a wide range of the market’s most prominent planning applications. These include advising: Aroland Holdings on the development of a 300m tall building to be known as 1 Undershaft on the site of the Aviva Tower, which, when completed, will be the City of London’s tallest skyscraper Bloomberg on the redevelopment of the three-acre site comprising Bucklersbury House, Walbrook, London to create two new buildings British Land on the redevelopment of 122 Leadenhall Street as a 48-storey, 220m tower in the City of London British Museum on the redevelopment of the northwest corner of the Museum’s Grade I listed Bloomsbury Estate to provide a World Conservation and Exhibition Centre comprising five interconnected glazed pavilions Great Portland Estates on the redevelopment of Rathbone Place, a 2.5-acre site adjacent to Oxford Street to create a new mixed use development Grosvenor and Native Land as joint developers of Neo Bankside (next to Tate Modern Gallery) involving the construction of five new buildings with mixed retail/residential use

A market leader in finance, David Irvine brings years of experience and extensive knowledge to private equity sponsors and private credit funds in major cross-border leveraged and acquisition financing transactions. David also advises on recaps, minority back-leverage, special situations financings, margin loans, fund level financings and restructurings.

Deepak is a Partner in the derivatves and structured products group. He is a specialist in structuring and documenting documenting of derivative transactions across the full spectrum of asset classes, including OTC equity derivatives, credit derivatives, interest rate and commodity derivatives. Deepak acts for a wide range of entities, including investment banks, corporates, investment managers, share scheme trustees and pension fund trustees. He has also acted for ISDA on Brexit, the EU Benchmark Regulation, the development of fallbacks to IBOR, the posting of Japanese collateral as initial margin, the 2011 Equity Derivatives Definitions and a template emerging markets equity option confirmation. He is a regular speaker on a wide range of derivatives topics as well as at ISDA sponsored conferences.

Diego Esposito is a partner based in the firm’s Milan office but has also spent 6 months on secondment to the firm’s headquarters in London and 10 months on secondment to the firm’s Hong Kong office. Diego specializes in acquisition and leveraged finance, syndicated lending, restructuring and structured finance, including High Yield bonds and SSRCF financing and private bonds structures. He has significant experience advising those on all sides of transactions, including arrangers, sponsors (including private equity sponsors), financing providers and borrowers in domestic and cross-border transactions.

Duncan is a leading practitioner in the insurance sector. He has extensive experience in all types of corporate transactions within the sector, including public and private M&A, reinsurances, distribution arrangements, financings and securitisations. Duncan also advises on insurance regulation including the impact of the Solvency II Directive and the UK leaving the EU. Duncan has led on many of the transformative transactions within the insurance sector throughout the past 25 years, including advising on several of the demutualisations of the 1990s/early 2000s, on with-profits reorganisations by major insurers and on the increased use of longevity reinsurance as an innovative structure to reduce risk on pension fund liabilities. He has also advised on many transfers of life and non-life insurance business. Duncan is responsible for managing the firm’s relationships with several of the firm’s key insurer clients. He led the firm’s insurance sector group for 10 years. Duncan has advised or led on, many of the insurance sector’s highest profile transactions. These include advising:   Lloyds TSB (now Lloyds Banking Group) on its £7bn acquisition of Scottish Widows and the subsequent demutualisation, which, in addition to being a high-profile, high-value transaction, required the negotiation of bespoke protections for Scottish Widows’ policyholders, including negotiating with regulators a series of unprecedented capital reserves   Old Mutual on its takeover of the Swedish-headed global insurer Skandia, which was, at the time, the highest value takeover ever in the insurance sector. This involved preparing a UK prospectus for Old Mutual which, once approved in London, was then passported for use in Sweden and other European jurisdictions and also required obtaining regulatory approval in about 30 jurisdictions   Swiss Re’s “Admin Re” life and pensions business on its acquisition of Guardian Assurance from Cinven and management of Guardian Assurance, which involved detailed due diligence given Swiss Re was buying from private equity sellers, and was signed at a time when there remained uncertainty as to the approach being applied by the regulators to insurers under Solvency II including the subsequent Part VII transfer of the business of Guardian Assurance to ReAssure Limited   Aviva UK Life on the transfer of the whole of the long-term life insurance business of Friends Life Limited and Friends Life and Pensions Limited to Aviva Life & Pensions UK Limited by way of a court-sanctioned insurance business transfer Scheme  the Association of British Insurers and various UK insurers on the implications of, and contingency planning for, Brexit  Generali Group on the disposal of its entire shareholding in Generali Nederland (and its subsidiaries) to ASR Nederland   Duncan is also a contributory author to A Practitioner’s Guide to The FSA Regulation of Insurance.

Eamonn is a Consultant in the Linklaters London competition practice. He specialises in UK and EC merger control and antitrust regulation. Work has included clients from a number of sectors – banking, brewing, general insurance, health insurance, chemicals, publishing, manufacturing – and given him significant experience in dealing with competition authorities in London and Brussels.

Édouard is widely recognised as one of the leading tax practitioners in France and heads the firm’s French tax practice. Édouard advises corporates, private equity firms and investment banks on domestic and international tax law, especially on the tax structuring of complex cross-border corporate, banking and capital markets transactions, including Leveraged Buyouts (LBOs), joint ventures and real estate acquisitions. Édouard also has extensive experience in structuring private equity and real estate investment funds in a range of jurisdictions, including Luxembourg, Jersey and France.

Edward specialises in complex structured financings, particularly those with elements driven by regulatory or tax requirements. Edward also works with various financial institutions on prudential regulatory matters, such as advising on regulatory capital and liquidity requirements, bank ringfencing, and in relation to recovery and resolution planning. Edward regularly advises insurers and pension schemes on the collateralisation and custodial aspects of longevity risk transfers, and has particular experience in both security and title transfer collateralisation arrangements. Edward leads the firm’s initiative on artificial intelligence, and has been advising on the use of technology to enhance and optimise current legal processes.

Edward is a senior funds partner, and one of the firm’s global investment management sector leaders. He is a specialist in the structuring, marketing and establishment of real estate, private equity and infrastructure funds, carried interest and co-investment schemes and other forms of asset management arrangement, advising both managers and a number of large institutional investors. Edward has considerable knowledge in listed funds, and, working in collaboration with the firm’s equity capital markets lawyers, he advises issuers, underwriters and alternative asset managers on permanent capital vehicles and other listed funds. Edward is knowledgeable in the use of funds techniques and practices into other forms of corporate transaction, such as joint ventures, investment clubs and similar arrangements. Edward has particular knowledge of the implications of the EU Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD), and has also been advising a number of clients on the impact of the referendum decision by the UK to leave the European Union, particularly on the issue of passporting rights. Edward was based in Hong Kong between 2009 and 2012, as head of the Funds practice, and he continues to service Asian funds, as well as supervise some aspects of the funds work of the firm’s Hong Kong office from London.Work highlights: Prologis on the structuring and set up of a £1 billion joint venture with CBRE Global Investment Partners for the purpose of acquiring land, developing buildings and operating and holding logistics real estate assets in the UK Prologis its €2.4bn joint venture with Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM) Barings (formerly Cornerstone) on the establishment of the Barings European Core Property Fund, utilizing the new Luxembourg special limited partnership structure Eurocastle Investment Limited on its innovative €75m tender offer A leading UK headquartered alternative asset manager on a series of acquisitions of minority interests in asset management businesses; A number of large sovereign investors on a series of investments into leading private equity, real estate and infrastructure funds Mitsubishi Corporation on two fund vehicles to create a global strategic investment alliance, bringing together funds into an alliance

Eliane joined Linklaters Luxembourg’s capital markets and banking group in 2004 and was elected partner by the firm in May 2022. She has special expertise in regulatory matters and has been involved in a number of bank and insurance set-ups and reorganisations in Luxembourg and abroad. She regularly advises international groups active in the banking (including retail and private banking fields) and insurance businesses and is a key contributor to the development of the Linklaters Luxembourg insurance practice. Eliane has also specialist expertise in derivatives and securities financing structures for major Luxembourg banks, central securities depositories and central clearing houses. She regularly advises these entities on their product offering to clients. Among which, a number of Clearstream Banking products, such as the Clearstream Terms and Conditions for Repurchase Transactions (“CRC”), the Clearstream Terms and Conditions for Pledge Agreements (“CPC”) and the custody and margin security documents prepared in association with a major international derivatives trade association in the context of the uncleared derivatives margin implementation. She also has extensive expertise in banking matters, including credit and security taking, real estate finance as well as restructuring and enforcement of Luxembourg security interests. Eliane is also at the origin of the Linklaters Learning Hub – a training and networking hub associating young lawyers at the firm with young professionals at clients.

Emanuele is a senior managing associate in the Investment Funds & Financial Regulation group based in Milan. He has extensive experience in relation to investment funds and related financial regulation matters, including structuring, setting-up, authorisation, restructuring and liquidation of regulated fund managers (AIFM) and alternative investment funds. He regularly provides assistance related to designing, structuring and implementation of bespoke complex and innovative regulated fund structures with real estate, credit, turnaround and private equity strategies. He also has extensive experience in financial regulation, advising on complex regulatory issues in the field of investment management, fintech, banking and insurance industry. His experience includes, inter alia, advising on authorisation of regulated entities, reorganization of financial groups, Brexit, AIFMD, MiFID II, ESG legislation, PSD II, CRR, prudential regulation, anti-money laundering/ anti-terrorism legislation, change in control, reorganisations, outsourcing as well as conduct of business rules. Furthermore, he regularly assists financial institutions and sponsors in connection with any regulatory aspect of M&A/Capital markets/banking transactions as well as ordinary and extraordinary transactions involving financial industry-specific regulations.

Partner

Partner FRG

Ettore has extensive experience in corporate and structured lending, acquisition and real estate finance, restructuring and turnaround procedures, debtor-in-possession financing and acquisition/disposal of UTP/NPL portfolios and single names, both in the Italian market and in cross-border  transactions.

Euan is a specialist in insolvency litigation. His practice covers contentious and advisory insolvency and restructuring, banking disputes and fraud and regulatory investigations. He has particular experience advising banks, financial institutions, companies and insolvency practitioners in relation to contentious issues arising from complex restructuring, insolvency and corporate distress situations, especially those with a cross-border element. Euan is also a past-President of the Insolvency Lawyers’ Association.Euan was one of the core group of partners who has been advising the administrators of the Lehman Brothers companies in the UK, since day one. Other significant cases include Toys r Us, Enron, MG Rover, Beaufort Securities and Irish Bank Resolution.Recent cases include acting for Nero Holdings Limited, on its recent CVA, including defending a challenge brought by certain landlord creditors, and Intu Properties advising on the restructuring and subsequent insolvency of the Intu group of companies.

Managing Associate

Fabio Balza is a Counsel of Linklaters Milan tax department. He joined Linklaters in January 2020. Fabio regularly advises on Italian tax aspects of M&A and private equity deals following all Italian tax aspects including tax due diligence, structure memorandum, negotiation of tax clauses of transaction and finance documents and assistance in post-closing reorganizations. Fabio also advises on the Italian tax aspects of real estate, financing and refinancing transactions including management incentive plans, tax audits and tax litigation. Before joining Linklaters Fabio was responsible of the tax department in the Milan office of an international law firm.

Federica is head of the firm’s Italian Employment practice. She is experienced in all aspects of employment law, primarily focusing on senior managers’ employment contracts and terminations, retention arrangements, remuneration structures, works councils and unions’ relations and collective redundancy procedures. She also advises on transaction-related employment law issues, including in relation to mergers and acquisitions, business transfers and corporate restructurings.

Partner

Fiona is a leading energy and infrastructure specialist. Recent deals include advising: ENI on the unitisation of Areas 1 and 4, Mozambique, the Lenders (JBIC, NEXI, AfDB, ECIC and commercial lenders) on the $2.4b financing of the Nacala pit to port railway in Malawi and Mozambique, HS1 on the renegotiation of its power supply arrangements and HS1’s shareholders on the sale of HS1. Fiona’s other key clients include KNOC and The Department of Transport.

Partner

Florence joined the Luxembourg Linklaters mainstream corporate practice in 2011 and was seconded to the Linklaters’ Paris office in 2014. She advises in corporate restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and private equity transactions, with a specific focus on the German market, working closely with the German Linklaters offices. Florence studied in Germany, France and the US and holds an LL.M. degree from Cornell Law School and a Master I and Master II degree from the University of Paris X. She was admitted to the New York State Bar in 2010, the Paris Bar in 2011 and the Luxembourg Bar in 2012 (liste IV du Tableau de l'Ordre).

Florent is one of the Linklaters’ global Financial Sponsors group leaders. He is consistently recommended as a leading private equity lawyer by Chambers and is described as “very effective” and “esteemed among clients for his solution-driven style”.

Francesco Faldi is a partner in the Banking and Finance department in Linklaters' office in Milan, where he leads the Restructuring and Insolvency department. Francesco specializes in banking and finance law, bankruptcy law and debt restructuring. As head of the firm’s Italian Restructuring & Insolvency practice, Francesco advises on major restructuring and insolvency deals, focusing on non-performing loans (NPLs), including securitisation and sales of NPL portfolios. He was closely involved in structuring the first two schemes of arrangement of Italian companies. Francesco also has prowess in real estate finance, working in collaboration with the firm’s real estate practice, as well as experience in leveraged finance and general banking transactions.

Francesco de Blasio joined Linklaters in September 2021  as Head of the Real Estate department in Italy. Francesco’s experience, gained over 20 years of activity in the Real Estate sector, varies from advising clients on the acquisition of complex property portfolios, directly or through investment structures such as real estate investment funds - to corporate joint ventures aimed at real estate developments. Francesco also focuses on the main commercial Real Estate contracts, with particular regard to specific categories of properties such as hotels, sports facilities and logistic facilities. He has also gained significant experience on real estate restructuring and NPLs transactions, advising major specialized investors.

Francesco is a managing associate in the real estate practice group, based in Rome. He has been practising in the field of real estate since 2007. After a couple of years’ experience in the legal office of a public housing entity, he started his path in the private sector, where he specialized on all types of contracts relating to real estate investments, both in the field of investments/divestments and in the asset management’s advice.

Francesco is a Corporate Counsel based in Milan, specializing in equity capital markets (ECM) and mergers and acquisitions (M&A), with a particular focus on public M&A, corporate governance, and listing rules-driven transactions. In the ECM sector, Francesco regularly advises clients on the entire range of ECM transactions, including initial public offerings (IPOs), secondary offerings, rights issues, accelerated bookbuilding offerings (ABBs), private placements, and equity-linked transactions (such as convertible and exchangeable bonds). Within the M&A arena, he has developed a specialization in takeovers (inclusive of hostile/unsolicited bids), public tender offers (mandatory, voluntary, or partial), private investments in public equity (PIPEs), as well as business combinations (including de-SPAC transactions), mergers, spin-offs and corporate reorganizations involving publicly listed entities. Additionally, Francesco provides ongoing advice to both listed and private companies on corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and general corporate law matters. His clientele includes investment banks, private equity firms, corporates, and other key stakeholders (such as, board members). Francesco is recognized in several legal directories, including Chambers Global, Chambers Europe and The Legal500, where clients praised his “right mix of subject matter competence, gravitas and empathy to guide clients and counterparties towards mutually acceptable compromises”, as well as his technical skills, positive attitude, responsiveness, and client focus. Prior to joining Linklaters, Francesco started his career at a leading Italian law firm, contributing to corporate and capital market transactions, including several listings on the AIM Italia (now, Euronext Growth Milan). His tenure included a secondment to the legal department of IDeA FIMIT SGR S.p.A. (now DeA Capital Real Estate SGR S.p.A.), where he broadened his experience in general corporate assistance and in dealing with the Italian regulators (CONSOB and Bank of Italy).

Counsel

François is widely regarded as a leading renewables and energy & infrastructure practitioner in France. A Partner in the Energy & Infrastructure practice in the firm’s Paris office, François focuses on project financing in the energy, mining and infrastructure sectors. He also has in-depth knowledge of infrastructure assets, including airports, ports and roads and power distribution. François advises sponsors, investors (including investment funds) government entities and lenders on all aspects of projects, including finance and contractual arrangements, as well as regulatory issues, on projects in France, Francophone Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Canada, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. He is actively involved with the firm’s initiatives surrounding Canada, including developing and maintaining Canadian client and institutional relationships.

National Managing Partner, Head of Real Estate As the head of firm’s real estate practice in France, Françoise advises French and international investors, property funds, end users and developers in all areas of French real estate, construction, environmental and planning law. She often works in collaboration with the firm’s real estate practitioners in other European offices to advise clients on their most significant pan-European real estate transactions that require joint real estate, corporate, financing and tax input. The deals on which she advises range from pure investment work to development and the letting of operational space. She also has extensive experience in real estate deals in the retail and leisure sectors. Over the years, Françoise has developed long standing and trustworthy relationships with a number of real estate players and has become their trusted advisor. She is regularly involved in their strategic and high-level discussions.

Partner

Specialise in advising both public and private sector clients on complex domestic and international IT, outsourcing and information governance matters (including data privacy and freedom of information matters). Shortlisted for Legal Advisor of the Year 2016 by the National Outsourcing Association.

Géric is an Employment and Incentives Partner in the Paris office with more than 15 years of experience. He focuses on strategic cross-border and multi-jurisdictional work for international clients such as banks, private equity funds and corporates. Géric has a strong experience on strategic transactional employment advice for international clients (including coordination work for multi-jurisdictional projects, managing information and consultation procedures, transfer of employees, etc.), crisis-management matters (e.g. moral/sexual harassment cases, investigatory work, negotiation of departures of senior executives, assistance during negotiation with trade unions) and strategic employment-related litigations (e.g. involving trade unions and works councils). Géric also developed the Incentives side of the Paris practice and plays a key role across the Linklaters network in assisting international clients on their global issues with respect to compensation and benefits.

Managing Associate

Consultant Partner

Partner

Giorgio specialises in transactional work with a focus on cross-border public and private M&A, joint ventures,  and private equity transactions. He regularly advises corporations in their national and cross-border M&A activity, and  leading Italian and international private equity and credit funds in their downstream work and portfolio management. Since January 2017 Giorgio co-heads the global consumer sector of the firm and is dual qualified in Italy and in the UK.

Over 25 years’ experience of International Commercial Arbitration and Litigation, including conduct as counsel of numerous arbitrations under the ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL and ICSID rules and ad hoc proceedings. Particular expertise in the areas of Energy and Infrastructure Projects. Co-author of the Linklaters Dispute Toolkit and author of numerous articles on arbitration topics and a regular speaker at arbitration conferences.

Guido works as a VAT partner for both the Linklaters Brussels and Luxembourg office. Having worked for over 30 years on VAT matters, Guido has gained a wealth of experience and expertise in this area. He is recognised as one of the foremost VAT lawyers in Belgium and has, moreover, extensive experience in all indirect tax aspects relating to real estate transactions. In 1998 he was appointed at the faculty of the law school of the ULB (Free University of Brussels) and has been teaching on VAT related issues at the same university ever since. He is a frequent lecturer on VAT issues and regularly publishes articles on VAT related matters. The article “Le lieu de taxation : un sujet en plein mouvement” in Collection Collégiales du droit : “TVA – Taxer, déduire, exonérer et punir. Etat des savoirs, enjeux et perspectives” which has been published by Legitech is a recent example. Guido also heads the European VAT Centre, composed of VAT specialists of Linklaters in Europe and is a member of the VAT Working Group of the Association of the Luxembourg Funds Industry (ALFI) and the Luxembourg Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (LPEA). Guido has been working in the Luxembourg office since 2013. It is further to the increasing demand in this field that it was decided to integrate Guido into our department to serve our clients even better. In 2016, Guido provided, as an expert appointed by the IMF, technical assistance on the introduction of a VAT system in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) region. His mission included a 9 day stay in the Gulf region. He went on another mission in May 2017, this time round to assist the government of Suriname in the designing and drafting of a VAT law.

Partner

Partner

Managing Associate

Guy Loesch has been a litigation partner since 1998. He heads the dispute resolution practice of Linklaters in Luxembourg and has significant experience of litigation and arbitration. He has a general commercial litigation practice and has advised widely on banking liability, shareholders’ claims and private international law cases. Guy specialises in all forms of urgent injunction relief, freezing orders and other forms of conservatory measures. He advises in complex insolvency and restructuring cases. He has advised large financial institutions in all sort of investigations.

Harry has long-standing expertise in financial markets regulation, and regularly advises banks, broker-dealers, investment managers and other financial services institutions on all issues related to their regulated status. In addition, he offers guidance on perimeter issues, such as authorisation requirements, market abuse and market conduct requirements, as well as wholesale market infrastructure. Recently, Harry has been advising on MiFID II and Brexit issues for a broad range of financial service institutions as well as industry bodies. Harry is a market-leading expert on clearing platforms, advising both banks and Central Clearing Counterparties (CCPs) on a number of projects involving the structure of clearing arrangements across a wide range of product types, including credit default swaps (CDSs), IRS, commodities and foreign exchange (FX) products. Harry has leveraged his regulatory and market expertise over the years in relation to FinTech, advising BrokerTec and SwapsWire on the establishment of electronic trading and post-trade platforms. Harry continues to be a leader in this field, currently advising a consortium of banks on FinTech issues and being a regular speaker at FinTech events. Harry spent more than four years with a major investment bank, covering equity derivatives, advising on the structuring and distribution of derivative products. This experience gave Harry particular insight into the way in which financial institutions operate and a deep understanding of complex financial instruments.Work highlights: Harry has an extensive financial regulatory practice. The breadth of his practice includes advising, among others: Regulatory change: advising on the implications of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID2). Other recent matters have included advising on market conduct, the foreign exchange (FX) remediation programme, the senior managers regime (SMR), the impact of the senior management arrangements, systems and controls (SYSC) regime and Client Assets and Money (CASS) implementation New structures: advising on the creation and structuring of trading and clearing platforms, including NASDAQ, OTCDeriv and a consortium in the process of setting up a precious metals exchange and clearing platform Pre-contentious regulatory: advising on various FX reviews and remediation and market conduct investigations, including advising major banks on their policies and procedures to comply with the senior managers function (SMF) Contentious regulatory: advising a number of major banks on FX manipulation investigations and market abuse and conduct reviews, as well as carrying out “Shadow S166” reviews alongside regulators Financial sector corporate activity: advising on the financial regulatory aspects of IPOs and other corporate transactions

Partner

Hermann is an Of Counsel in the Investment Funds practice. He has headed the practice for several years. His investment funds practice focuses on complex fund structuring. Hermann regularly acts as counsel to prime investment fund houses. Hermann is regularly involved in the structuring of complex investment fund structures, notably debt and real estate funds. Brexit related work is the third pillar at Hermann’s practice. Hermann is also acknowledged by the market as a regulatory expert in investment management matters. A particular focus of his regulatory practice, apart from cross-border financial service provisions and cross-border private placements, is outsourcing and the conduct of change of control procedure with the Luxembourg and EU regulators.

Iain is a partner in the corporate practice who specialises in public and private mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, secondary capital raisings and joint ventures. He acts for corporates, financial sponsors and investment banks. He has completed two client secondments at leading investment banks. Iain’s recent experience includes advising BC Partners and Pollen Street Capital on their acquisition of Shawbrook, Stonegate on its offer for Revolution Bars, Hutchison on its potential £9.5 billion acquisition of O2 and Three’s acquisition of UK Broadband, Bill Kenwright and others on the sale of Everton Football Club to Farhad Mosiri, Centrica on the acquisition of ENER-G, Siemens on the £1.742bn acquisition of the international automated rail business of Invensys plc and the £950 million acquisition of Rolls Royce’s energy business; GDF SUEZ on its €20.2bn reverse takeover of International Power plc and subsequent €9.5bn recommended cash offer for the minority stake; GDF SUEZ on the disposal of 30% of its upstream oil and gas business to China Investment Corporation and the disposal of its North Sea assets to Total; Fresnillo on its demerger, redomicile and listing on the London Stock Exchange; initial public offerings for Investec, Biffa, Aldermore, CMC Markets, Card Factory, Manx Telecom and Just Eat; Capital Shopping Centres on the acquisition of the Trafford Centre and defence of hostile approach from Simon Property Group; and on secondary capital raisings including those by British Land, intu Properties, Investec and Meggitt.

Ian is a partner in the Linklaters corporate department who focuses on public and private M&A, international capital raisings and joint ventures. He advises a number of the firm's major clients in the mining sector worldwide, and also advises professional services firms and networks on structure and governance. Ian is a relationship partner for a number of the firm's key mining clients, including Glencore, KAZ Minerals, and Endeavour Mining.

Ian advises corporates, investment banks and alternative credit providers on public and private acquisition financings, cross-border syndicated lending, margin lending, fund financing arrangements and other structured financings. Ian spent eight months on secondment to BNP Paribas’ loan syndication and trading team from 2009 to 2010 and eight months on secondment to Alcentra from 2013 to 2014, assisting their Collateralised Loan Obligation (CLO), direct lending and special situations teams.

Ian Co-heads the Infrastructure & transport sector at Linklaters. He has been involved with the infrastructure practice for over 25 years and has advised sponsors and funders on infrastructure financings and acquisitions in almost every country in Europe. His recent experience includes advising Borealis Infrastructure and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) on the sale of HS1 and the original £2.1 billion purchase; AIMCO, Borealis Infrastructure, Ontario Teachers and Wren House on their successful acquisition of London City Airport (European M&A deal of the year, Infrastructure Journal Awards 2017); funders on the purchase of National grid’s UK gas distribution business (NGGD) (the biggest ever energy infrastructure deal); the refinancing of Budapest Airport’s debt package and bond financing following the successful €1.3bn refinancing three years ago, on which Ian also advised (European airport deal of the year, PFI Awards 2015); the private shareholders on the extension of the concession for Athens Airport and the potential further privatisation by the Greek State; funders on the acquisition by Chinese investors of Urbaser SA in Spain; Public Sector Pensions (PSP) on their acquisition of Hochtief Airport, with interests in Athens, Budapest, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Sydney and Tirana Airports; Borealis Infrastructure, AP1, AP3 and Folksam on their €6.6bn acquisition of Fortum Distribution in Sweden (now Ellevio), the largest ever Nordic infrastructure acquisition (European M&A deal of the year, Project Finance International Awards 2015) and Allianz and Borealis Infrastructure on acquisition of Net4Gas.

Ian specializes in intellectual property and technology and covers commercial work and disputes. He is a qualified arbitrator and mediator. Significant cases include Merck v Merck, ICC royalty arbitration, Aerotel v Telco, Actavis v Merck, 32Red v William Hill and Tate & Lyle v Roquette. He is a solicitor advocate and a qualified arbitrator and mediator.

Partner

Counsel

Partner

Counsel

Ivan Chuprunov has over 17 years of experience of advising international clients on complex private and public M&A transactions, joint ventures and restructurings as well as providing general corporate law advice. Ivan has been working on transactions involving investments into Brazil, China, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom and United States of America. He is a versatile specialist with experience across various sectors with particular focus on deals technology and fintech, energy, consumer and healthcare sectors.

Iyesogie is a Managing Associate and has experience advising clients in relation to a broad range of environmental, social and governance matters. A key aspect of her work involves reviewing and analysing new regulatory developments and providing practical advice for clients on how to navigate their compliance obligations. Iyes also has extensive experience in supporting clients with the development of ESG strategies, including climate transition and decarbonisation plans. She has a wealth of experience in transactional matters, advising regularly on ESG aspects of mergers and acquisitions, public listings and project finance, as well as advising financial institutions on the application of, and compliance with, sustainable finance legislation. Iyesogie is experienced in dealing with anti-bribery and corruption and modern slavery matters in a transactional and advisory context and regularly advises on confidential risk and investigatory matters.

Managing Associate

James is a corporate partner based in London and is Global Co-Head of our Equities practice and advises companies, financial institutions and funds on a wide range of corporate, M&A and capital markets matters. He specialises in particular in equity capital markets transactions and  in recent years has advised Wise on its London direct listing, Alphawave IP, Allied Irish Banks, TSB Banking Group and Countryside Properties, among others, on their London IPOs, and the underwriters on the IPOs of Oxford Nanopore Technologies,  Clydesdale & Yorkshire Banks, Royal Mail and ConvaTec. He also operates at the forefront of regulatory developments across the equity capital markets space and regularly advises banking industry groups in this area.

James advises arrangers, corporates and sponsors on all areas of bank lending, including global loans, syndicated finance, margin loans (often connected with IPOs) and restructuring across Europe and the emerging markets. Until his return to the firm’s London office in 2013, James led the firm’s Middle East banking practice, and he continues to lead high-profile, Middle East-related transactions. James helped develop lending structures involving a combination of Islamic and conventional finance and pioneered transactions involving jumbo pre-IPO syndicated margin loans and hybrid fund financings using proxies for LTVs.  

James is a corporate partner based in the London office, and is a specialist in public and private M&A and equity capital markets transactions. He is a relationship partner for a number of clients, including Rio Tinto, Novartis, Jardine Matheson, United Technologies Corporation, Takeda and Kier Group. He also works extensively with investment banks, including Credit Suisse, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley.

James is a banking lawyer with experience in advising on a wide range of finance transactions, including real estate finance, syndicated corporate financings and leveraged acquisition finance. He has built strong relationships with several leading funds and banks in helping them to develop their real estate finance businesses, particularly with respect to highly structured, cross-border deals. James was seconded to a global investment and securities bank for nine months in 2018 and 2019, where he worked in the loan negotiation group.

James represents companies, financial stakeholders, advisory firms and insolvency practitioners on transactions across the full spectrum of restructuring and insolvency (R&I) in multiple jurisdictions and sectors, including distressed M&A, debt-for-equity swaps, liability management exercises, bond restructuring, alternative credit and other new money financings and distressed debt investments. James regularly advises distressed credit funds and other alternative capital providers on secondary debt and new money investments. He works in close collaboration with the Firm’s corporate, capital markets, banking and other practices across jurisdictions to undertake capital structure analysis and to develop innovative investment structures and strategies. James was based in Hong Kong as a partner for 5 years and has extensive experience of advising and lending on big ticket restructuring and insolvency in Asia. James undertook a year-long secondment in 2013 to the global restructuring group at the Royal Bank of Scotland, during which he worked in the high-flow business team with large international banking clients to address distressed situations, particularly in the financial institution and shipping sectors.

James has extensive experience representing private equity firms, corporate issuers and investment banks in connection with high yield bond offerings and acquisition financings as well as private placements of debt securities, tender offers and other liability management exercises.

National Managing Partner

Partner

Global Chair of Equities.  Advises clients on the life cycle of their equity capital markets activities, from early-stage private placements through to IPOs and secondary market capital raisings, including accelerated bookbuildings and rights issues, as well as cross-border M&A and debt capital market transactions. He advises across multiple sectors, including fintech, financial services and consumer sectors, and markets, including the UK, MENA and Benelux region. He is also a member of the firm’s cross-practice ESG team, with a particular focus on ESG disclosure and governance issues, and has been at the forefront of the development of the European SPAC market, advising sponsors and underwriters in connection with SPAC IPO and de-SPAC transactions on the Amsterdam and London stock exchanges.

Jean-Charles specialises in pre-contentious and litigation matters ranging from financial and banking disputes, financial regulatory investigations and enforcement proceedings (in particular in relation to market abuse offence), contentious competition, white collar crime, post-completion disputes, and private international law to general commercial law disputes (such as abusive termination of commercial relations and unfair competition). In this respect, he regularly appears before Civil and Commercial Courts as well as the French Financial Markets Authority (“AMF”). Jean-Charles often works in close collaboration with lawyers from the firm’s other market-leading practice areas, including Corporate, Competition, Financial Regulation, in cross-office, multidisciplinary teams. As well as France-based clients, Jean-Charles represents corporates and financial institutions in the firm’s Brussels and London offices. He spent four months on secondment to the firm’s Madrid office in 2010.

Jess is a partner in the Corporate and Structured Lending Group based in London, specialising in real estate finance.  She represents global real estate investors and developers, private equity real estate, CRE clearers and real estate debt funds. Jess has experience of contingency planning, debt restructurings and distressed debt activity and was seconded to The Royal Bank of Scotland’s Global Restructuring Group in 2009 to work on their distressed CRE loan book and followed on to a further secondment in 2011 to Blackstone’s BREDA advising the team on the work-out of the Isobel loan portfolio. Jess is recognised as a Leading Individual by Legal 500.

Specialist in International and Domestic Corporate Recovery and Insolvency and in banking transactions. Experience includes acting for borrowers and lenders in English, US, Norwegian, Slovak, Swiss, French, Thai and Indonesian restructurings and acting for both insolvency practitioners and creditors in administrations, receiverships and liquidations. Experience in banking includes acting for both lenders and borrowers in syndicated facilities and structured financings.

Jo is a counsel in the Leveraged Finance team based in London. She has extensive experience advising private equity sponsors, corporate borrowers and commercial and investment banks in relation to a wide variety of domestic and cross-border financing transactions, including leveraged and acquisition finance, general corporate finance and restructurings.

Joakim-Antoine joined Linklaters in 2011. He has been promoted to full -Equity Partner in 2021. He is the Head of the Tax practice in Luxembourg. He is a member of the Luxembourg bar. Prior to joining Linklaters Luxembourg, Joakim-Antoine worked as an associate at another tax dedicated law firm in Luxembourg for nearly four years. He specialises in tax consulting and international tax planning. His main area of activity is private equity, where he mainly deals with mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, and joint ventures. He is also very active in transfer pricing issues and in the structuring of complex financial products. In addition to his fluency in English, his Spanish speaking skills and understanding of the Italian language make him a privileged person to go to for deals involving Southern Europe. Alongside his client work, Joakim regularly participates to industry meetings on subjects like ATAD in particular within the Luxembourg Capital Market Association (LuxCMA). He has also been analysing and summarising case law for Kluwer for more than 10 years, on a monthly basis.

Managing Associate

John is a senior Energy & Infrastructure lawyer and is one of the firm’s Energy sector leaders. He has a particular focus on the power and renewables sector and leads Linklaters’ renewables practice, advising on a wide range of financing, M&A and regulatory mandates. Key roles include advising on most of the UK’s offshore windfarms including Lincs, Beatrice, Race Bank, Dudgeon and Triton Knoll; advising the South African Government on the design and implementation of their renewables procurement programme and advising the UK National Grid on its role as the Delivery Body for EMR, including leading the team drafting the Capacity Market Rules.

Jonathan is a senior partner in the firm’s Investment Management group, and is widely acknowledged for his experience in both UK and international private funds, including private equity, infrastructure, real estate and hedge funds. Jonathan advises sponsors and major international investors, including major private equity and other alternative equity houses and sovereign wealth funds, on structuring, spin-off, fundraising, transactions and products. He also counsels managers on all governance and regulation aspects arising out of the creation and operation of funds. Jonathan has led on many of the market’s most significant funds’ transactions. His experience includes advising: SoftBank Group Corp on its US$100bn SoftBank Vision Fund, which will be the largest private equity-style fund ever established, investing globally in the technology sector Aermont Capital LLP (formerly PW Real Assets LLP) on the establishment of their latest €1.5bn European real estate fund  BlackRock on their European and Asian real estate private funds Numerous manager groups and financial institutions on establishment and spin-offs of private equity, infrastructure and hedge fund managers, including EMSO, Squarepoint, InfraRed and Terra Firma Cinven on their €5 billion Fifth Fund fundraise BC Partners and Terra Firma on a number of large-scale private equity fundraisings a major Asian sovereign wealth fund on a variety of substantial and sponsor investor commitments to US and European private equity and infrastructure funds and on its investment in the GP of a major pan-European private equity house and its funds

Managing Associate

Juliana is a Partner in the Restructuring & Insolvency team based in London. She has extensive experience advising creditors (including banks and other financial investors), corporate debtors, financial sponsors and insolvency practitioners on a broad range of restructuring and insolvency matters across multiple jurisdictions and sectors. Juliana has a particular focus on complex cross-border corporate debt restructurings, bank/bond restructurings, debt-for-equity swaps and UK schemes of arrangement, as well as advising on formal insolvencies and business recovery. She is adept at developing strategic solutions to the most complex situations. During her time at Linklaters, Juliana has spent time in Hong Kong and on secondment to the Loan Capital Markets team at the Royal Bank of Scotland (Natwest). Juliana is a Linklaters diversity champion.

Justin is a Partner in Linklaters' Paris Energy & Infrastructure team with significant experience on transactions across the African continent. Justin’s practice spans all areas of transactional activity in the energy, infrastructure and natural resources sectors. Technically proficient, versatile and solution-oriented, he has significant experience providing seamless advice to sponsors, lenders, multilateral institutions, contractors and host governments on the structuring, financing and development of major projects in France and across Africa as well as regularly supporting the firm’s premium clients on corporate transactions in the energy, infrastructure and natural resources sectors. Justin has been involved in a number of ground-breaking mandates in Francophone Africa, including the Scaling Solar projects in Senegal and Togo and the Congo bridge project. Before joining Linklaters, Justin worked for two years in another international law firm in Paris. In 2015, he was seconded for six months to the Energy & Infrastructure team in the London office.

Kanyaka is a corporate partner based in London who advises on a wide range of corporate and commercial matters across different sectors but with a focus on the insurance sector. She has a broad base of experience including public and private M&A, equities, general corporate advisory and, more recently, transactional and advisory work in the insurance sector, including Part VII insurance business transfers and Solvency II expertise.  Kanyaka has spent time in the firm’s Sao Paulo and Tokyo offices as well as on secondment to Vodafone and Aviva. Recent experience includes advising: AXA on the sale of its UK Life & Savings businesses which included 3 separate sales to the Phoenix Group, Standard Life and LCCG; Aviva on its corporate reorganisation following its acquisition of Friends Life, including on two Part VII transfers (confidential), and on Solvency II matters; Britvic on its successful defence against a takeover bid by AG Barr, and on a cash placing to fund an acquisition; various investors on the sale of House of Fraser to Sanpower; Aviva on its disposal of its Turkish non-life business to a private equity consortium and the sale of Aviva Investors Central European Properties Sarl and its subsidiaries to Lone Star Capital Investments Sarl (confidential); AXA on its partnership with the Africa Internet Group.

Senior Associate

Based in Paris for more than 20 years, Kathryn has extensive experience of advising both lenders and borrowers on many different types of financing transactions, including public and private investment grade and leveraged acquisition financing. She also advises on corporate syndicated lending and restructurings. Kathryn was seconded to HSBC in 2003, to the bank’s EMEA syndicated finance origination desk, and to BNP Paribas in 2005, in the bank’s French corporates syndicated finance team.

Katie is a patent litigation specialist with a wealth of experience across the life sciences, telecoms and technology sectors. Katie is well-versed in dealing with major cross-border matters requiring significant coordination across multiple forums, and with a degree in chemistry and biology she is well-placed to advise on highly technical subject matters. Katie has worked on the litigation of patents across a broad spectrum of technological subject matters, including those relating to antibody and other protein biologics, biosimilars, biological product development and screening platforms, medical devices, medical diagnostics and sequencing technologies, 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G telecommunications, connected cars, consumer products and FRAND/SEP licensing.

Katrien is a dually qualified and all-round litigator. She represents clients in complex domestic and international litigation and arbitration matters as well as compliance matters. Katrien has extensive experience in commercial and finance disputes, as well as restructuring and insolvency matters (including the enforcement of financial collateral) and auditor litigation.

Laura is a managing associate in the Capital Markets department of Linklaters' Milan office. She specialises  in debt and equity capital markets transactions and has assisted international banks, insurance companies and large Italian corporates in relation to establishing and updating Euro Medium Term Notes programmes, Eurobonds, private placements, convertible bonds and liability management exercises.

Managing Associate

Liam is a Partner in the Restructuring & Insolvency team based in London with extensive experience of advising on cross-border restructurings, recapitalisations, opportunistic and special situations financings and distressed M&A transactions. Liam regularly advises funds, banks, corporates, financial sponsors and their portfolio companies on a wide range of complex debt structures and across a number of sectors, asset classes and geographies. During his career at Linklaters, Liam has spent time in both the Hong Kong and Madrid offices and has spent time with the special situations team of a credit fund in London. He has also recently completed a secondment to a large UK FTSE listed company where he acted as interim Chief General Counsel having advised the group over a 2 year period on a number of complex asset disposals and refinancing options.

Lilia is a managing associate in the Banking & Finance department of our Milan office. Lilia has extensive experience covering all areas of the banking and finance practice. In particular she acts both for financial sponsors, principal investors and lenders and credit providers in local and cross border transactions, on investment grade and acquisition financings as well as leveraged acquisition financings, real estate finance, project finance, debt restructuring and general lending transactions. She has gained a strong expertise in real estate transactions quickly becoming the first port of call for clients and colleagues in respect of all banking and finance aspects of real estate transactions the office has dealt with.

Counsel

Linda Taylor is an Italian and English law-qualified Counsel based at Linklaters' Milan offices, with focus on Sustainable Finance, ESG and DEI,  where she leads the international DCM practice group . She is an English law specialist in debt and equity capital markets transactions involving Italian issuers and her in-depth knowledge of the Italian market is complemented by her extensive experience in international capital markets.  She regularly advises on a broad range of capital markets transactions and has advised issuers and underwriters in relation to IPOs, block trades, exchangeable/convertible bonds, regulatory capital, corporate bonds, MTN programmes and liability management. Linda is also co-head of the Linklaters Italian ESG practice, which includes lawyers from all practice areas of the firm to deliver a full service offer on ESG matters.

Lionel Vuidard joined the Paris office of Linklaters in March 2014 as a Partner and head of the French Employment practice. Lionel Vuidard is recognised as one of the best employment lawyers in the French Employment market. He is known as a proactive attorney providing clients with hands-on, pragmatic advice and strong representation in litigation matters. Lionel Vuidard was ranked as “excellent” in the last annual ranking published by Décideurs Juridiques, the French leading legal review, and as a “4-Star lawyer” in the last Option Finance ranking. In litigation matters, Lionel Vuidard represents companies before courts regarding sensitive employment disputes, such as high-profile individual cases, collective litigation, labour-related criminal litigation, and mass actions. Lionel Vuidard also has a strong experience in dispute resolution and the negotiation of settlement agreements.

Partner

Lorenzo is a Capital Markets counsel based in the firm’s Milan office and has experience across all aspects of structured finance work, with particular expertise in non-performing loan acquisitions and financings, securitisations, asset backed financings, covered bonds and structured real estate. In 2015 Lorenzo was seconded to an international bank in London for six months and in 2012 he spent six months on secondment to the firm’s London office.

Louis-Eudes specialises in commercial and civil litigation. He focuses on providing clear and sustainable solutions in particular complex matters. Louis-Eudes expertise also includes criminal law, European law, employment law and public law including environmental and planning law. Louis-Eudes also gained valuable experience in assisting clients with investigations. Louis-Eudes has worked in the Dispute Resolution & Employment department of an international law firm in Luxembourg during almost 3 years. Prior to this, Louis-Eudes did internships in our Litigation, Arbitration and Investigations practice of our Paris office.

Luca Turchini is an associate in the real estate department of the Milan office. Luca advises domestic and international clients on local and cross border real  estate transactions primarily involving acquisitions, disposals, development and letting of single assets and complex real estate portfolios, directly or indirectly through investment structures such as real estate investment funds, with particular reference to logistics, office and retail facilities.

As head of the firm’s Italian Competition/Antitrust practice, Lucio has extensive knowledge of all aspects of EU and Italian competition law and offers clients strategically focussed, commercial and practical advice in their business-critical corporate behavioural and merger control cases. Lucio regularly represents clients before the Italian Competition Authority and the Italian administrative and civil courts. He also frequently acts before the European Commission as well as the General Court and the Court of Justice in Luxembourg. He is highly experienced in various sectors, including pharmaceuticals, insurance, consumer, aerospace and defence, oil. Lucio also regularly advises and represents clients in foreign investment filings before the Italian Presidency of Council of Ministers.

Partner Luis is a respected debt and equity practitioner who has been based in Linklaters’ Paris office since 2001. He specialises in offerings by foreign private and sovereign issuers, whether registered with the SEC or conducted pursuant to Rule 144A and Regulation S. He often advises issuers and underwriters in French, Spanish and Italian equity offerings (IPOs, rights offerings, block trades) and debt transactions (high yield, Yankee bonds, MTNs and commercial paper). He also has significant experience in mergers and acquisitions and structured finance.

Managing Associate

Partner

Partner, Head of Antitrust & Foreign Investment Practice

Manfred joined Linklaters’ corporate/M&A practice group in Luxembourg in 2002 and was elected partner in 2015. Manfred has significant experience in company law, mergers and acquisitions, upstream and downstream private equity and real estate structuring (one key area of Manfred’s activity consists in developing the private equity and the real estate offering of the corporate practice), joint ventures, equity capital markets, group restructurings, as well as in share and asset sale negotiations. Manfred notably advises PE funds such as Triton and HgCapital. Manfred also has experience in ship finance, in insurance law and in the corporate aspects of setting up regulated investment funds (both FCP and SICAV) and SICARs. He was seconded to Linklaters’ Munich office (corporate and tax practice groups) in 2007 and to Linklaters’ Hong Kong office (corporate practice group) from May to December 2012 and is actively involved in a number of cross-border business development initiatives. As one of the most senior practitioners in the team and thanks to his German speaking skills, Manfred is taking a leading role on major transactions involving German banks and corporates present in Luxembourg.

National Managing Partner

Marco Carrieri is a Counsel at Linklaters in Milan. He has experience in leveraged and acquisition finance, syndicated lending, real estate finance, project finance, insolvency/restructuring and structured finance. He has also been involved in a number of capital markets and public M&A transactions, as well as securitization and structured finance deals.

Senior Associate

Mark heads Linklaters’ Pensions Disputes practice. He is acknowledged as one of the leading UK pensions disputes lawyers and advises employers, trustees, insurers and professional services firms on the most complex, high-value and novel pensions disputes with the Pensions Regulator and before the Courts. These typically concern scheme funding, re-structuring, benefit design, construction of scheme rules, rectification and professional negligence.

Mark is a highly experienced banking lawyer and one of the market’s most renowned practitioners in real estate finance. Mark acts for bank and non-bank lenders and borrowers on all types of real estate finance transactions. The range of transactions on which he advises include investment and development financing, senior and mezzanine financing and commercial mortgage-backed securitisations (CMBS),  financing for all property types (office, retail, residential, warehouse, hotel and leisure) and loan portfolios. He has advised on financings in the UK, Europe and elsewhere.Work highlights:Mark has advised on many of the market’s most significant property financings. These include advising: various banks on the development financing of many of the office towers at Canary Wharf in London, including 25 Canada Square, 25 Bank Street and 25 Churchill Place RBS and other banks on the development financing for the Grosvenor Group of a retail-led development of the 42-acre Liverpool One site in central Liverpool Deutsche Bank on the first German CMBS (Centro Oberhausen Shopping Centre) and for Eurohypo on the first Irish CMBS (a portfolio of Dublin offices) GE Capital on the acquisition of the Bradford & Bingley real estate loan portfolio a leading investment bank  on the financing of a portfolio of European warehouses for ProLogis a syndicate of banks on the financing of the Santander headquarters complex outside Madrid– one of the largest single asset REF  financings in Europe

Marly specialises in all types of global sourcing, supply chain and technology arrangements. She has particular expertise in complex business carve-outs and works across sectors including healthcare, consumer, financial sponsors, media, telecoms, financial services and data-driven businesses. She is also the global co-head of the firm’s Healthcare and Life Sciences sector. Marly supports clients throughout the full lifecycle of their most important transformations and projects, from initial structuring and procurement to contentious and non-contentious renegotiations and terminations. Her deals often involve cutting-edge uses of technology, data and supply chain, often within complex regulatory frameworks. She is also experienced in media and broadcasting transactions and related regulation, having been seconded to both the BBC and Ofcom. Marly is ranked in MergerLinks’ top 5 leading female M&A lawyers in EMEA specialising in commercial carve-outs, and was voted one of the Hot 100 Lawyers by The Lawyer for her sourcing work.

Partner, Head of Banking & Finance Practice

Martin is a senior real estate partner who advises on commercial property work of all types He has particular knowledge of development-related work for both developers and investors, including transactions involving the development and acquisition of designer outlet centres. Martin also has considerable experience of real estate transactions involving shopping centre and retail, office and mixed use development. Additionally, Martin advises on corporate transactions involving real estate assets, together with corporate flotations, acquisitions, disposals and joint ventures.Work Highlights: Martin has led on many of the market’s major commercial real estate deals. Highlights include advising: Lend Lease on the £696m sale of its 30% interest in the Bluewater Shopping Centre to Land Securities Lend Lease on the sale of its interest in the Chapelfield Shopping Centre in Norwich to Capital Shopping Centres for £260m The Leadenhall Building EC3 (The “Cheesegrater”) - development and key letting of major parts of the building development and letting of premises 1- 8 Merry Hill and sale, in Brierley Hill near Dudley, West Midlands Printworks Manchester – development, letting and sale of innovative City Centre leisure development

Martin is a partner in the Luxembourg Investment Funds Group. He has specialised experience with regard to the structuring, establishment and ongoing advice of alternative investment funds (sponsor practice) as well as advising institutional investors with regard to investments in international fund structures (investor practice). Martin advises in a wide range of asset classes including private equity, real estate, infrastructure, green energy, debt, venture capital and impact. His work includes all types of investment fund structures including segregated managed accounts and investment-type securitisation structures. Finally, he advises on all fund-related ESG matters. His advice covers the legal, regulatory and tax aspects both from a Luxembourg and German perspective.

Martyn advises financial institutions on regulatory matters. Prior to returning to private practice in 2004 he spent over nine years working as a senior lawyer at the UK Financial Services Authority, latterly as Head of Department in the Enforcement Division. He has extensive experience advising investment banks, retail banks, insurers, asset managers and listed companies on regulatory compliance problems. He has advised on “crisis management” on discovery of major compliance failures,  conducted numerous internal investigations and represented clients in regulatory investigations, enforcement actions and related civil litigation across the financial services sector. His client work has included some of the highest profile cases brought by the regulators over the past decade and has involved him regularly representing clients before regulators, tribunals and the higher courts (including applications for judicial review of regulators). He has extensive experience of managing multi-jurisdictional regulatory issues and investigations  touching Europe, the US and Asia-Pacific. Martyn also regularly advises clients on compliance risk management issues. His areas of particular interest and experience include insider dealing and market manipulation, unauthorised trading incidents, corporate disclosure issues, governance and risk control in financial institutions, senior management responsibilities, management of conflicts of interest, suitability of financial products and portfolio management, financial promotions, fair treatment of customers and other conduct of business standards in respect of investment, banking and insurance products. Martyn’s recent clients have included UBS, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, Lloyds Banking Group, RBS, Santander, Bradford & Bingley, Zurich, Prudential, Capita Financial and a number of asset management firms.  Recent significant client matters on which he worked have included advising and representing UBS in relation to the Adoboli US$2.3billion unauthorised trading incident, representing UBS in the FSA’s Upper Tribunal proceedings against senior manager John Pottage and acting for the applicant in the judicial review of the FSA in R v FSA on the application of C. He has had a significant role advising clients on most of the major regulatory investigations and inquiries resulting from the banking crisis.

Matthew is a corporate partner based in the London office. He advises on a wide range of corporate, corporate finance and commercial matters across various sectors but with a focus on the bank and financial institutions and pharmaceuticals sector. His main areas of practice include domestic and international mergers and acquisitions (both private and public), where he has particular experience leading complex and cross-border transactions, corporate restructurings and joint ventures, as well as domestic and international initial public offerings, rights issues and other equity capital markets transactions. Key clients include Lloyds Banking Group, TSB, Rothesay Life, Goldman Sachs, Julius Baer, Novartis, Spirent Communications and Thames Water.

Matt is the Global Head of Linklaters’ Investment Management Group. He advises on all aspects of private institutional investment products and transactions. Matt acts for both sponsors and investors and his experience covers the structuring and management of funds and managed accounts investing in illiquid assets, particularly in real estate, private equity and credit. He also has experience in private equity style joint ventures and equity syndication, fund equity and debt financing (acting for both sponsors and banks), M&A related to independent and captive investment operations and secondary disposals of fund interests.Work highlights:Matt has led on a wide range of complex investment fund transactions. These include advising: Macquarie Bank on the raising of a number of infrastructure debt funds Deutsche Bank Private Equity on a range of private equity secondaries and private equity funds a large Middle Eastern sovereign wealth fund on the disposal of a US$2bn portfolio of private equity interests CBRE on its latest value add European real estate fund, Alinda on the European sleeve of its latest infrastructure fund, Alcentra, the European leader in leveraged loans, on the establishment of the Alcentra Special Situations Fund; an international investment bank on the establishment of its real estate and private markets investment clubs Aviva Investors Global Services Limited on the raising of a European alternative energy fund and a Tokyo property fund a range of cornerstone investors from North America and the Middle East on their investment into market leading European private equity and credit funds and a large middle eastern sovereign wealth fund on the disposition of a US$2bn portfolio of private equity interests.

Matt represents debtors, officeholders and stakeholders on a wide range of restructuring and insolvency matters, including corporate/financial restructurings, distressed M&A and formal insolvency. Matt has a vast amount of experience of cross-border insolvency proceedings, including administrations, liquidations, schemes of arrangement, voluntary arrangements and personal bankruptcy. He has specialist knowledge of bank resolution having advised both regulators and financial institutions in relation to a number of significant global matters. Matt regularly advises banks and financial institutions and has been involved in some of the most significant insolvencies of recent years, including playing a prominent role advising the administrators in the insolvency of Lehman Brothers International (Europe). Matt was seconded to Lehman Brothers between October 2013 and January 2015, firstly as a member of the in-house legal team and then working as the liaison between the respective Linklaters and PricewaterhouseCoopers teams, heading a team that was available to advise on ongoing issues.

associate

Maxime is a counsel in the Luxembourg corporate group. He joined the firm in 2010, was seconded to the litigation group of our Luxembourg office in 2012 and to the financial sponsors practice of our London office in 2014. He advises clients on a wide range of corporate matters, with a particular expertise in private M&A, joint ventures and group restructuring. He has experience on working on the sale or acquisition of regulated businesses in Luxembourg. Maxime gained specific expertise in advising financial sponsors on all Luxembourg corporate aspects, including initial investment, structuring, exit and portfolio assistance. He regularly advises clients on complex cross-border restructuring and insolvency matters. Maxime also recently advised on the set-up of SPACs, their listing on a regulated market and business combinations with targets of different industries (de-SPAC transactions).

Counsel

Melinda joined Linklaters Luxembourg in 2003, was promoted to Partner in 2017 and since May 2022, has been appointed as head of the Capital Markets and Banking practice of Linklaters Luxembourg. Her capital markets practice concentrates on debt instruments and securitisation. Melinda’s banking practice includes advising on syndicated lending, investment grade, margin loan and leveraged acquisition finance, asset finance, real estate finance and distressed debt acquisitions. She also has special expertise in restructuring and insolvency and has played a major role in complex cross border restructuring, notably (i) for the Central Bank of Luxembourg as principal creditor of the Luxembourg banking subsidiary of collapsed Icelandic banks Landsbanki Islands hf., Glitnir Banki hf. and Kaupthing Bank; (ii) in restructuring in the renewable energy sector, the inspection safety business, the paper industry and in real estate. She has extensive experience of advising on multi-disciplinary and cross-border real estate finance transactions in the most demanding circumstances. Melinda has considerable experience advising clients on all sides of finance transactions, including banks, financial institutions, private equity houses and corporate clients. Her experience extends to a range of restructuring, insolvency, real estate financing, private equity, regulatory and capital markets transactions. She also takes an active interest in pro bono and community work both inside and outside the firm.

managing associate

Michael is a corporate partner who focuses on public and private M&A, joint ventures, reorganisations and corporate governance. Michael is a central member of Linklaters’ infrastructure M&A team and is also a key adviser to a number of Linklaters’ most important multinational corporate clients, in particular in the consumer sector. He has advised on a number of high profile M&A deals in the market, for example the multi-billion pound disposal of High Speed 1 by OMERS Infrastructure and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and the disposal by Nestlé of its global ice cream business.

Michael is a partner in the Competition/Antitrust practice, based in London.  He has significant experience of both competition and regulatory law in the UK and across Europe. He also has considerable experience of the application of competition law in the energy, utilities, food & beverages, leisure and transport sectors and works with his clients to guide them through complex merger control, behavioural and other regulatory issues. Michael was Global Head of the Linklaters Competition/Antitrust practice from 2011 to 2015 and lead the London Competition/Antitrust group from 2004 to 2009.  He is co-chair of the Joint Working Party on Competition Law of the Law Society and Bar Council.

Michael is Global Head of Capital Markets and a partner in the Derivatives and Structured Products Group in London. Michael specialises in sophisticated financial products, including securitised, exchange traded and OTC derivatives, repackagings, investment fund products and financing, CDOs, and note and warrant programmes . Recent experience includes derivatives clearing, regulation and regulatory capital treatment (including the FIA CCP Risk Review), benchmarks , longevity derivatives, acting for the UK administrators of Lehman Brothers, ISDA on the drafting of the 2011 Equity Derivatives Definitions and Brexit and Eurozone matters.

Michael is the firm’s Global Head of Dispute Resolution and has over 20 years’ experience in managing legal, regulatory, political and reputational risk in commercially sensitive situations and handling the related disputes. He has been based in London, New York and Asia and focuses particularly on all contentious aspects of large scale M&A and advising clients on various aspects of crisis management, helping navigate potential civil and criminal exposure alongside regulatory, parliamentary and media sensitivity (usually with a cross-border dimension). He has significant experience advising on fraud investigations and corruption risk, dealing with the SFO and other international regulatory bodies.

Managing Associate

Mike is a US corporate and capital markets partner based in London. His practice focusses on equity and debt capital markets, public M&A and SEC advisory work. He is the co-head of the SEC compliance function at Linklaters, and established the firm’s SEC Transactions and Compliance Group. Mike is SEC counsel to some of the largest international companies listed on the NYSE and NASDAQ, and has significant experience advising on listings and IPOs on the major stock exchanges across the US, Europe and South Africa, event-driven rights issues and equity placings, private capital raising and debt capital markets transactions.

Counsel, Head of Tax Practice

Counsel, Head of Employment Practice

Managing Associate

Nadia Swann is one of the senior partners in Linklaters’ Financial Regulation Group. She has over 20 years experience advising on all aspects of financial services regulation for investment banks, funds, corporates and insurers including general regulatory structuring advice and documentation, Brexit, MiFID II, broker-dealing, M&A, regulatory corporate governance and policy management, legal risk and regulatory themed reviews, board effectiveness reviews, regulatory culture reviews, senior management training including preparation of CEOs and non-executive directors for PRA/FCA registration interviews, regulatory investigations and enforcement, financial promotion, market abuse, money laundering, bribery act issues, sanctions and suspicious activity reporting. She is listed as a leading individual in Chambers who cite her "enviable experience advising on a wide range of regulatory and compliance matters" and "her skill in handling MiFID II developments and preparing executive and senior managers". She has been ranked in the FN100 Most Influential Women in Finance for the fifth consecutive year. She is also the Deputy Chair of Linklaters' Partner Election Committee.

Narayan is a finance partner and one of the Indian market’s leading international lawyers. He is head of the firm’s India practice, which advises corporates and financial institutions on outbound and inbound investments, projects and financings.  Narayan has a broad finance practise, acting for major banks, financial sponsors and corporates. He has particular expertise in acquisition and structured financings, loan portfolio acquisitions and financings, real estate financings and inbound and outbound transactions. He has significant experience in the energy and infrastructure sectors.  Between 2010 and 2013, Narayan was a partner of TT&A, Linklaters’ best friend law firm in India. Prior to that, he was based in Linklaters’ office in Singapore having started his career as a trainee with Linklaters in London.Work highlights:Narayan has acted on many high-profile finance deals. These include advising: Standard Chartered Bank on the sale of a portfolio of loans in India, the first in a series of similar deals in India as part of the government’s directive to banks to focus on the robustness of their balance sheets the lending and underwriting banks on the refinancing of US$6.9bn worth of debt uninsured by the Tata Corus Group Brookfield Property Partners on the acquisition and financing of Unitech’s Indian real estate portfolio Enron on the US$3bn Dhabol power project (since renamed Ratnagiri Gas and Power), the first ever inward investment into the India power sector the sponsor and borrowers on the Sakhalin LNG project, the world’s largest integrated oil and gas project and the largest LNG financing in Russia the banks on financing and reorganising Essar Oil’s debt portfolio

Managing Associate

Partner

Head of Employment

Advises on complex, high-value commercial contracts for the exploitation of intellectual property rights, including IP licensing, franchising, and R&D arrangements, and on the treatment of intellectual property rights in the context of corporate and finance transactions, in particular cross-border M&A with complex IP and IT separation issues across a broad range of industries and sectors and Private Equity IP-rich transactions. Advises on strategies for protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights and on trade mark, design right, copyright and passing off disputes

Partner

Nick specialises in restructuring, insolvency and special situations. He has over 20 years’ experience advising stakeholders on a broad range of restructuring, insolvency and other matters involving financial distress, including acting for senior, second lien and mezzanine creditors, bondholders, distressed and special situation investors and distressed corporates. He has a particular focus on complex multi-jurisdictional financial restructurings, schemes of arrangement, restructuring plans, security enforcement exercises and insolvencies.

Nick is a market-leading leveraged finance specialist. He acted on his first leveraged buyout in 1988, he set up the firm’s leveraged finance practice in 2001 with Gideon Moore and he was Co-Head of the Leveraged Finance Practice until 2016. Nick was elected by the Partners to the firm’s supervisory board for consecutive terms and he remains on the firm’s audit committee. He is also the firm’s Health and Wellbeing Partner. Within his practice, he advises arranging banks on financial sponsor-backed leveraged finance transactions and coordinating bank and steering committees on debt restructurings. He also advises on bank/bond financings. Nick has been involved in a number of pioneering developments in the leveraged finance sector, most recently acting for the underwriters on the financings for both the acquisition of Coty and the bid for MasMovil, being the financing transactions that reopened the European leveraged loan market post Covid19 and, prior to that, on a number of transactions that established and evolved the European cov-lite leveraged loan product. He has also acted on some of the early “Opco/Propco” financings (in which the finance is divided between operating companies and property-owning businesses), regulatory life insurance arbitrage transactions, transactions involving hedging uneven cashflows, infrastructure acquisition financings and numerous debt restructuring transactions. Nick was based in Singapore for two years where he focused on, and developed his knowledge of, regional debt restructuring.

Nicki is the national managing partner of the firm’s Luxembourg office. He is also a partner of the Luxembourg capital markets and banking group since April 2006. Nicki practises in capital markets as well as in banking and finance matters. His banking practice covers credit and security taking, bilateral and syndicated lending, margin loans, fund financing, acquisition finance as well as restructuring and insolvency matters. Nicki contributes regularly in legal periodicals and other publications on capital markets and banking subjects. Most recently he contributed the Luxembourg chapter in Finanzderivate (financial derivates), edited by J.C Zerey. Nicki’s capital markets practice focuses on debt instruments. Nicki has specialist expertise in derivatives products, securitisations, repackagings, fiduciary structures and generally all types of debt securities issues. He also advises regularly on prospectus, market abuse and transparency obligation laws, EMIR and other regulatory matters in the capital markets space.

Nicolas is a Partner in the Corporate/M&A practice of Linklaters Paris. He regularly advises financial sponsors, private equity houses, insurance companies and corporates on their M&A transactions, with a particular focus on energy and infrastructure sectors.

Nigel helps organisations and individuals realise their potential. He is a scientist turned lawyer, with over 30 years’ experience of advising on a broad range of contentious and non-contentious IP-related projects. They include assisting pharmaceutical companies to resolve complex international patent disputes and working with companies, PE houses and investment banks on M&A, JV, collaboration and finance transactions. He also has qualifications and experience in mediation and business coaching, and holds a number of advisory board and NED/trustee roles. He is also a co-founder, and current chair, of the City Mental Health Alliance.

Nik is a partner in the Financial Regulation Group in London.  He has extensive experience of advising banks, broker-dealers, insurers, asset managers, wealth management firms and listed companies on regulatory and compliance matters, with a particular focus on contentious regulatory and compliance risk management issues.  Nik’s contentious regulatory experience includes conducting internal investigations and reviews following the discovery of suspected compliance failures; assisting clients in managing section 166 skilled persons’ reviews; advising clients in relation to managing communications with regulators; representing clients in FSA/FCA investigations and enforcement proceedings (including representing clients before the Regulatory Decisions Committee, in the Upper Tribunal and in the higher courts); advising clients in relation to the development and implementation of past business reviews and redress/remediation programmes; and assisting clients in managing civil litigation risks arising out of regulatory failings. Nik also regularly advises clients on compliance risk management issues, including advice on the practical implications of regulation for their business practices and governance arrangements, and strategies for mitigating and managing regulatory and conduct risks.  Nik’s work in this area covers a diverse range of topics, from senior management responsibility, governance and risk management frameworks to conflicts of interest, insider dealing, market abuse, client money, fair treatment of customers, complaint handling and other conduct of business issues. Nik also regularly advises listed companies, corporate brokers and sponsors in relation to the disclosure and control of inside information, the LR8 sponsor regime and other Listing Rule/DTR compliance matters.

Olga is Head of the firm’s Asset Finance practice and co-head of the Transportation sector group. She has extensive experience in transactions involving a range of aviation and maritime assets, including loan and lease financings, ECA-backed debt, asset and corporate acquisitions and joint ventures, and restructuring and enforcement. Olga also advises on loan portfolio transactions, general banking and borrowing base / asset based lending transactions.  

Oliver has particular expertise in margin lending and structured facilities and has worked on complex margin loans for many different financial institutions, as well as advising several banks on liquidity financings to other financial institutions. Oliver spent time on secondment working in the legal departments of two leading global financial institutions (Barclays in 2005 and J.P. Morgan in 2010), that provided him with invaluable experience of their internal operations and a deep understanding of their requirements of external lawyers. In addition to his practice role, Oliver is also Linklaters’ UK Diversity Partner.  

Oliver brings significant experience in structuring and executing sponsor-backed leveraged acquisition finance transactions in the European market. Oliver’s particular focus is acting for financial sponsors on leveraged buy-outs across the capital structure. Oliver is the co-head of Linklaters’ Leveraged Finance practice. He has been a partner since 2016 and joined Linklaters’ banking team in 2006. Before joining the firm, Oliver worked for Allens, Linklaters’ integrated alliance partner in Australia.

Owen leads one of the firm’s fours corporate M&A groups in London and was co-head of Linklaters’ energy sector for seven years. Owen has a broad practice including corporate finance, public and private mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, demergers and issues of compliance and corporate governance. Owen manages the firm’s relationship with Centrica, Britvic, Mitie Group, Genel Energy and Arcadia. Over the years, Owen has done a lot of work for the firm’s largest corporate clients, including BP, BAE Systems, Glencore and Anglo American. Experience includes acting for Glencore in relation to its acquisition of shares in Rosneft, acting for Sir Philip Green in relation to the sale and settlement of the BHS pensions dispute with the Pensions Regulator, acting for Home Retail Group in relation to its takeover by J Sainsbury, acting for Britvic on its successful defence against a proposed takeover by AG Barr, advising BAE Systems in relation to the formation and restructuring of the MBDA joint venture, advising Korean National Oil Corporation on its successful hostile takeover of Dana Petroleum, advising Centrica on its £2.2 bn rights issue to fund the formation of its nuclear joint venture with EDF and advising BP in relation to the takeover of Burmah Castrol and the sale of Innovene to Ineos.

Global Co-Head of Equity Capital Markets. Advises clients on the life cycle of their equity capital markets activities, from early stage fundraising through to IPOs and secondary market capital raisings, including placings and rights issues, as well as on debt capital markets transactions. She has led the teams on many of the firm’s most complex cross-border capital markets transactions and has experience across many industry sectors.

Pathik has a wide range of experience advising arranging banks, credit funds, financial sponsors and corporates across the credit spectrum on leveraged and acquisition financings (both syndicated and private debt), infrastructure financings, NAV financings and restructurings. He has a particular focus on sponsor-backed and cross-border leveraged finance and acquisition financing structures, having worked on several covenant-lite TLB financings, direct lending / unitranche structures, infrastructure financings, NAV financings, bridge financings, public acquisition financings, bank / bond financing structures and financial restructurings.

Partner Patrice leads the firm’s Paris office structured finance group. He advises investment banks, private equity and debts funds, fintech companies and asset managers on structured finance deals, covered bonds and securitisations. These deals include Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities (RMBS), Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (CMBS), Asset-Backed Securities (ABS), Asset-Backed Commercial Paper (ABCP), project bonds, and whole business and synthetic securitisations. More recently, Patrice has advised on portfolio sales. Patrice also has in-depth knowledge of European regulation applying to securitisation deals.

Patrick is a partner of the Luxembourg capital markets and banking group. Patrick is a recognised expert by the industry in banking, restructuring and insolvency, structured finance (including tax-based and fund-linked products), real estate and asset finance, debt capital markets products and securitisation. He advises international financial groups and investors on the setting up and acquisition of Luxembourg banking and insurance businesses. This includes advising on regulatory requirements, product review, security structuring, taking and enforcement, and monetary policy matters. Within leveraged finance, he has worked on the Luxembourg structuring of private equity deals for both lenders and sponsors. His asset finance practice includes the acquisition and the financing of asset registered in Luxembourg, such as aircraft and vessels, for lenders, investors and operators alike. Patrick served as National Managing Partner between 2007 and 2010 and between 2016 and 2022.

As a senior partner in the firm’s Real Estate Department, Patrick has considerable experience in real estate transactions, advising investors, developers, lenders and tenants on all aspects of commercial real estate in the UK. Patrick has advised on numerous international real estate projects on behalf of listed real estate companies, sovereign wealth funds and investment banks in Asia, the Middle East and Continental Europe. Patrick also has specialist expertise in hotel and leisure properties, including management and franchise agreements. Patrick was seconded to the firm’s Hong Kong and Frankfurt offices, and has worked in Australia as a corporate lawyer for a major Australian law firm. Work highlights Throughout his career, Patrick has led on many of the market’s major commercial real estate transactions. Highlights include advising: a major US corporate on the acquisition and the development of an iconic new European HQ in London Ramsbury on the acquisition of the Debenhams store, Oxford Street, and the former Dickins & Jones building on Regent Street, London a major European bank on the development of its new London HQ a major US investment bank on the development of its new European HQ InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) on the sale and manage back of a portfolio of Holiday Inn hotels in the UK, the market’s first major sale and manage back transaction HSBC on its sale and leaseback at Canary Wharf the Safra family on its acquisition of Plantation Place, London Allied London on the development, leasing and subsequent investment sales at Spinningfields, Manchester Linklaters on its own UK and global premises strategy

Partner, Head of Energy and Infrastructure Practice

Paul advises on the full range of both contentious and non-contentious intellectual property matters. His contentious work has included the litigation and arbitration of copyright, patent, trade mark, data, confidential information and IP licence disputes. On the non-contentious side, he advises on global IP licensing, commercialisation and joint venture arrangements, IP structuring and intellectual property issues arising in the context of M&A, joint ventures, and IPOs. He has extensive technology, FinTech, media and retail sector experience.

Partner

Partner in the firm’s derivatives and structured products group. Acts for banks, other financial intermediaries and end-users in relation to derivatives, whether in securitised or OTC form, and relating to a wide range of underlying asset classes, including funds, equities and commodities. She also advises on financial regulatory issues, OTC clearing, exchange-traded derivatives, stocklending, repos, global custody, prime brokerage and collateral management. She acted for the administrators of Lehman Brothers International (Europe) from 2008 – 2015 in relation to Lehman’s prime brokerage business. 

Peter is Global Head of Linklaters’ Financial Regulation Group and is one of the firm’s global Investment Managers sector leaders. Peter has developed close working relationships with the firm’s banking and investment management clients. His practice includes all aspects of financial markets regulatory advice for broker-dealers and investment banks. Peter advises investment managers, private banks, hedge funds and private equity funds on regulatory issues affecting them. He also advises clients on regulatory investigations into areas such as market conduct, client money compliance and transaction reporting failures. Peter has particular experience of new product development and marketing, trading issues such as market abuse and regulatory structuring advice. Earlier in his career, Peter was seconded to both Bankers Trust and Nomura, advising and assisting with the establishment of their respective securities financing businesses.Work highlights:Peter has developed a wide-ranging financial regulatory practice. The breadth of his practice includes, advising on, amongst others: Regulatory change: advising numerous banks and investment firms on the implementation of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MIFID2) and other regulatory reform initiatives New structures: advising on the creation and structuring of trading and clearing platforms, both internal crossing systems operated by firms and new market entrants including Turquoise (an equities trading platform created by nine major investment banks) and ForexClear, an FX clearing platform operated by LCH.Clearnet (acting for a consortium of clearing banks) Cross-border work: advising international banks on their European structures, to comply with regularly changing European regulations affecting financial institutions, including Brexit Contentious regulatory: advising clients on both LIBOR and FX manipulation investigations, and before that leading the team advising Citi in the first multi-jurisdictional manipulation case, involving Euro sovereign bond trading, which involved negotiating with eight different regulators Financial sector corporate activity: advising RBS on its ongoing structural reorganisation that has involved sales of businesses, including Worldpay, and the ring-fencing of its investment and retail banking operations 

Phil specialises in real estate finance, with a particular focus on development and highly-levered, structured transactions. Phil advises lenders (including banks and funds) and borrowers on all types of UK and cross-border real estate finance transactions, and has acted on highly complex, structured portfolio financings and restructurings. Phil spent a year on secondment at M&G Investments in 2016 sitting with the Real Estate Finance team.

Pierre advises on complex competition issues, including merger control, cartels, vertical restraints, abuses of dominant position, damage claims and State aid. Pierre’s experience spans many industry and business sectors, in particular the, energy, banking and food & beverage sectors. As a former top civil servant and administrative judge, Pierre has a good understanding of the way regulators (particularly the French Competition Authority) work and enjoys good relationships with them. Holding a PhD in Economics, Pierre also has in-depth understanding of competition economics. Pierre worked in the firm’s Brussels office and continues to have in-depth knowledge of the European Commission (EC) as well as longstanding relationships with key DG Comp members to assist clients in their representations in competition matters.

Pierre specialises in private and public M&A, joint ventures as well as corporate law. He regularly advises large industrial groups, institutional investors as well as leading investment funds on their M&A transactions. Pierre lectures on “Group Corporate Strategies” at HEC.

Pierre advises corporate clients on public and private M&A transactions and corporate restructurings. Pierre is co-head of the firm’s automobile sector and has significant experience in the pharma sector.

Partner

Partner

Pietro Belloni is a partner in mainstream corporate practice of Linklaters' Milan office, recognised in 2014 as a “rising star” by leading Italian legal newspaper, Legal Community. He is a corporate law specialist, experienced in international and domestic M&A transactions and joint ventures both in the financial institutions, in the private equity and industrial sectors. Pietro has developed a significant experience also in real estate transactions, restructuring transactions, energy transactions and outsourcing transactions.

Rachel leads the Firm’s global ESG practice. She has deep expertise and exceptional breadth of experience advising on existing and incoming ESG regulation and soft law standards, ESG strategy and disclosures, sustainable finance products and frameworks, ESG governance and risk management and on stakeholder activism, litigation risk and crisis management. Recently she has been recognised in the Fifty Most Influential in Sustainable Finance 2023 list by Financial News, as the go-to advisor on ESG matters by The Lawyer Hot 100 list as well as Next Generation Partner in the Environment and Corporate Governance by Legal 500.

Partner

Raoul joined Linklaters Luxembourg in 2012 and specialises in the structuring, setting up and distribution of a wide range of investment funds, with a particular focus on alternative investment funds investing in all major asset classes including real estate, debt, and infrastructure. He has also gained deep knowledge of retail investment funds (notably UCITS) by advising major global asset managers on their multibillion Luxembourg flagship funds. In parallel, Raoul advises global financial institutions on a variety of regulatory matters, notably licencing requirements, major financial services regulations (e.g. MiFID, AIFMD, PSD, AML), and Luxembourg regulatory aspects of acquisitions and group restructurings.

Rebecca is the Global Co-Head of Banking at Linklaters and a partner in the Restructuring and Insolvency team, comprising specialists throughout Europe, the Americas and Asia and handling the world's most challenging and significant domestic and cross-border assignments. Rebecca advises creditors, (including banks and other financial investors and steering committees) insolvency office holders, and corporate debtors and their directors in all aspects of non-contentious restructuring and insolvency work. With a remarkable breadth of practice and extensive experience, Rebecca has acted on a wide range of workouts, business recoveries, stressed financings and administrations and liquidations. Rebecca has also advised on a series of real estate and corporate restructurings in many jurisdictions, including, currently, on the restructuring of Abengoa in Spain, the largest ever European restructuring involving three separate processes, including a Spanish judicial confirmation, an English company voluntary arrangement (CVA) and U.S. Chapter 11 proceedings.

Rémy joined Linklaters’ Corporate/M&A practice group in 2007 and was appointed as partner in May 2018. Rémy has worked in both our Brussels and London offices, gaining invaluable experience for his Corporate M&A practice. Since his arrival 15 years ago, Rémy has built up strong relationships with key clients and has become the trusted advisor of major private equity firms and sovereign wealth funds. A member of the Bar in New York and Luxembourg, Rémy has extensive experience in group restructurings, joint ventures and private equity transactions. With particular expertise in international IPOs, SPACs, share offerings and takeover bids he is recognised as a leading expert in Luxembourg for Equity Capital Markets deals.

Rhéa is specialised in acquisition and investment grade financings, including LBOs and debt restructurings. She acts for lenders, financial sponsors and borrowers. Rhéa is recommended by several leading international directories such as Legal 500 describing her as “technically excellent” and Chambers Global 2023 which highlights the following clients’ quote: "She is extremely efficient, dedicated and gives excellent advice on all commercial and technical matters." Rhéa has also been ranked in the Top 10 Rising Stars category of the CAC 40 TOP 40 Lawyers’ ranking published by Forbes France and la Lettre des Juristes d’Affaires (LJA) in 2021 and in 2022.

Richard has been a partner at Linklaters for over 25 years during which time he has advised on a wide range of transactions and issues in various parts of the world. He looks after corporate clients, professional services organisations, investment banks and other institutions. Richard’s experience includes his time as secretary at the UK Takeover Panel and a secondment to the Hong Kong office. He also served as global head of client sectors, responsible for Linklaters’ industry sector groups, and was a member of the global executive committee. Richard is now senior relationship partner for a number of clients.  He is also a member of the UK Takeover Panel.

Richard specialises in complex, cross-border restructuring and insolvency matters, having worked in the field for over 16 years, with a particular focus on representing insolvency officeholders, creditors, corporate debtors, directors and other stakeholders, including on contingency planning. Richard’s most recent experience has spanned a wealth of sectors, including the financial services / financial institutions, consumer, retail, manufacturing and oil and gas sectors. He has particular expertise in distressed M&A acting for both private equity and trade purchasers and insolvency practitioners as sellers. Richard also advises a number of financial institution clients, regulators and other stakeholders on matters relating to bank financial restructuring, bank resolution/failure, compliance with BRRD and related matters. Richard was part of the original Linklaters team that led on the Lehman Brothers collapse in 2008 and continues to act for the administrators of LBIE.

Richard is global practice head of Linklaters technology, media and telecoms practice. His practice focusses on advising large multinationals and governments on complex information management, data privacy and government data access issues. He also works on large-scale technology related sourcing, IT and services contracts, in both contentious and non-contentious environments.

Richard has a broad range of experience in international capital markets transactions, including debt, equity-linked and equity offerings, issues of regulatory capital instruments, liability management transactions and structured note issues. He advises both investment banking and corporate clients.

Richard is a partner in Linklaters' Restructuring and Insolvency team, comprising specialists throughout Europe, the Americas and Asia. Richard is based in London but has extensive cross-border and international experience, advising creditors (including banks and other financial investors and steering committees), insolvency office holders and corporate debtors and their directors on a wide range of workouts, business recoveries, stressed financings and insolvencies.

Roberto Casati practice focuses on securities, corporate, banking, EU, and international business law. He has extensive experience in Italian and cross-border public and private mergers and acquisitions as well as joint ventures. He is also quite active in international arbitrations, both as counsel and arbitrator. He has written and lectured extensively on EU and Italian law in the US, Europe, and the Far East. He represents some of the largest Italian listed companies and gives advice to management and the board of directors on strategic issues and corporate governance matters. Roberto joined Linklaters in March 2018. With his previous firms, he has handled several of the largest Italian M&A and joint venture deals.

Roberto is partner and head of the tax practice in Italy. Roberto regularly advises financial institutions, private equity firms, real estate investors, credit funds and multinationals on a wide range of domestic and international tax matters. Roberto provides tax law advice in respect of domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganizations, capital market transactions, structured finance transactions, securitizations, financings, as well as distressed and non-distressed private equity and real estate transactions. Roberto is also experienced in assisting clients in connection with tax ruling requests, tax refund claims, tax audits and assessments, tax litigations and settlements.

Roger is a specialist in corporate law, including public and private mergers and acquisitions, demergers and reorganisations and corporate finance. He has a wide range of sector expertise, including media, telecoms, energy and utilities. Roger is also a key boardroom adviser to a number of the firm’s FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 clients, offering strategic guidance and counsel on corporate governance. Roger has mainly been based in the firm’s London office with earlier international secondments to Hong Kong, Singapore and Moscow, as well as acting for major clients on transactions in Germany. Recent transactions have included National Grid’s gas distribution network sale, Deutsche Bourse’s proposed merger with London Stock Exchange, E.ON’s demerger of Uniper and the sale of Argus Media.

Rohan has a wide range of experience advising banks and credit funds across the credit spectrum on a number of products with primary focus on financial sponsor backed cross-border debt financings. He has worked on various financing structures and products, and is particularly well versed with incurrence based term loan B financings, unitranche / direct lending structures, super-senior revolving credit facilities, bank/bond structures and junior/subordinated credit products. He has advised creditors on some of the largest and most complex European leveraged finance transactions in the past few years. Rohan was seconded to the leveraged finance team at Credit Suisse in 2018 and is able to use the experience gained on the secondment to provide practical and tailored advice to bank and fund clients. Rohan is one of the diversity and inclusion champions in the banking department in London and is focused on promoting under-represented diverse talent within the firm. Rohan joined Linklaters in 2011 and joined the banking team in 2013.

Roland has acted as counsel in approximately one hundred international arbitration cases (ICC, UNCITRAL, LCIA, ICSID, AAA, SCC, OHADA, PCA, and ad hoc) and has represented and advised private companies (from the United States of America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa), states, and international organisations. Roland has also acted as arbitrator in over 45 international arbitrations (ICC, LCIA, ICSID, UNCITRAL, SCC, Swiss Chambers, DIAC, DIFC-LCIA, AFA, CRCICA). He was a member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration for 9 years. Roland is distinguished by Chambers Global and Chambers Europe, The International Who’s Who on Commercial Arbitration, Best Lawyers, as well as the Guide to the World's Leading Experts in Commercial Arbitration, for his experience and expertise in international arbitration. In 2011, Global Arbitration Review named Roland as one of the 45 top arbitration lawyers under the age of 45 and in 2017, Global Arbitration Review ranked him in the top three worldwide of partners below 45. In 2018, he was selected by Who’s Who Legal among the 10 leading and most highly regarded arbitration counsel and arbitrators in France and in 2019 he was identified among the top 15 Global Elite Thought Leaders for the EMENA Region. According to Chambers, Roland is consistently considered as  “a bright lawyer” and “skilled arbitrator.”   He “attracts high praise from clients, with one saying: ‘I appreciated his ability to understand how corporate clients view the law, rather than looking at it as a purist - this is actually rarer than you think.’ Other sources describe him as ‘an outstanding lawyer; he is extremely talented and very efficient.’ He is highly experienced on acting in Middle East-related cases.” He is also “well respected for his work in North and Sub-Saharan Africa, with considerable experience of investment treaty arbitrations.” Roland is “highlighted by clients for his attention to detail and precision in risk assessment.” Interviewees also say that he "looks at the file from all angles and doesn't leave any part of the puzzle unfilled" and that "he is able to quickly factor in the client’s expectations and to adapt to complex situations."  He impresses sources  as “a very, very good and very very accomplished guy”  with “considerable experience of investment treaty arbitration.”  Clients appreciate his ‘excellent knowledge of the procedural aspects of an arbitration, as well as his broad knowledge of international jurisprudence,’ with one enthusing that he is a “star."  (Chambers Global). According to Who’s Who Legal,  “the eminent Roland Ziadé is described as an ‘outstanding negotiator’ with significant experience on the international scene.” “Described as a ‘star’”, he “emerges as one of the titans of the arbitration market in Europe” and is “regarded as one of the most sought-after counsel for international arbitrations, particularly in reference to ICC arbitration.” He “has extensive experience sitting as arbitrator in major disputes and draw praise for ‘his multicultural mindset and excellent knowledge of commercial arbitration’” (Who’s Who Legal). Legal 500 considers that he “stands out for being very knowledgeable, sharp and passionate. Each new case is treated as if it was the case that will change his career. He has great capacity to anticipate and address the moves of the adverse party and to predict the expectations of the tribunal. He is definitively a top arbitration lawyer and someone to better have on one’s own side when facing an arbitration dispute” (Legal 500).

Rowland advises on the full range of restructuring and insolvency transactions, including complex multi-jurisdictional restructurings, schemes of arrangement, contingency planning, security enforcements and distressed M&A transactions for all participants, including creditors (including banks and credit funds), corporates and insolvency office holders. Rowland has significant experience acting for companies, private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, advising boards on strategy and complex workouts. He has a track record of working with credit funds in special situations. He has worked across a range of sectors, with significant experience in restructurings in the energy, infrastructure and consumer sectors. Rowland was seconded to the European special situations group of a leading global investment bank for seven months in 2019.

Sarah advises on all aspects of financial markets regulation, acting for investment banks, asset managers, wealth managers, retail banks, custodians and proprietary trading firms. She has a particular focus on regulatory issues arising in the private wealth management and retail sectors having spent some time on secondment to a major retail bank in 2010. She has also advised extensively on client money and AML issues as well as on senior manager culture and governance. She regularly advises her clients in relation to regulatory investigations and enforcement matters and has extensive experience in supporting transactions in the financial services sector. Sarah has helped a number of clients manage their cross border regulatory risk, often obtaining advice across multiple jurisdictions to identify licensing and conduct risks, then guiding her clients to reach the best pragmatic solution to manage those risks. She is currently advising clients on the impact of Brexit to their business model. She particularly enjoys leading large-scale regulatory change projects, tracking developing legislation from the policy stage, through to draft legislation, client impact assessment and project planning, implementation and business as usual. Sarah was based in the Linklaters’ New York office during 1993 and 1994, where, among other mandates, she worked on a number of debt and equity capital markets transactions for banks and corporates based in South America. In 2010 Sarah undertook a four month secondment to the retail legal team of a major high street bank. She is regularly called upon to provide training and present on regulatory developments to her clients and in 2014 featured in Financial Times Timewise UK’s 50 most powerful part-timers.Work highlights:Sarah enjoys a wide variety of regulatory work, reflecting the diversity of her client base.  She includes among recent highlights: Implementation of the Alternative Investment Fund Manager Directive for a major asset manager, involving the restructuring of their fund management business, the establishment of a SuperManco and the migration of over 20 funds to the new platform Undertaking an extensive multi-jurisdictional licensing and conduct review involving obtaining and digesting detailed advice from over 100 jurisdictions across a wide range of financial services and products to support a client’s cross border risk management programme Supporting a number of clients through regulatory investigations and S166 Skilled Persons reviews on a range of topics including suitability of advice, client money issues, AML compliance and regulatory compliance of product disclosure materials Implementation of the Senior Manager and Certification Regime for a number of clients Acting on implementation of Ring-fencing legislation for a major high street bank Advising a range of clients from both the Sell-side and Buy-side on the impact and implementation of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II)  

Sarah specialises in large, complex debt and equity restructuring matters. She has a particular focus on debtor advisory and capital structure solutions, including bank debt restructurings, distressed mergers and acquisitions, exchange offers and structured financing. Sarah has extensive cross-border and international experience advising corporate debtors and their directors across Europe, Middle East and Africa. Prior to joining Linklaters, Sarah worked for 12 years at Goldman Sachs in London as a managing director in the restructuring advisory and financing group. Prior to joining the investment bank, she also spent 14 years working as a lawyer in private practice.

Sarah is a board room adviser and regularly works on a wide range of corporate transactions often with a cross-border element and high profile crises and investigations. Sarah is the firm’s global head of clients and sectors, and her experience spans the oil and gas, chemicals, real estate, professional services, insurance and FMCG sectors.Sarah leads on several key relationships with a number of the firm’s significant clients, including BP, Reckitt Benckiser and PwC. “I am a trusted adviser to company boardrooms, offering clients practical, business-focused advice that is strongly aligned with their commercial requirements and objectives.” For 16 months in 2015/16 Sarah acted as interim general counsel of Reckitt Benckiser. Sarah advised on a number of acquisitions, including RB’s acquisition of Hypermacas’ contraceptive business, the reorganisation of various interests of Manon in China and RB’s $17.9 billion acquisition of Mead Johnson Nutrition Company (completed July 2017). Also, Sarah led a legal team of internal and external lawyers in relation to a number of business critical investigations – including the DoJ and FTC investigations and related proceedings (arising from certain matters relating to the RB Pharmaceuticals Business prior to its demerger in December 2014 from Indiviour PLC) and the high profile crisis management issue facing one of RB’s subsidiaries, Oxy RB (“Oxy RB”), in relation to deaths and injuries caused by a humidifier sanitiser which Oxy RB produced and sold in South Korea between 2001-2011. The matter involves substantial civil and criminal litigation in Korea. She has also advised, amongst other things, on (i) the development of a wide-ranging compensation plan designed to satisfy local requirements and United Nations guidance; (ii) engagement with the United Nations Special Rapporteur; (iii) engagement with a committee of the Korean National Assembly (the equivalent of a UK Parliament select committee) and associated engagement with the Korean law making process; and (iv) engagement with the UK-government and regulators. The matter exemplifies her ability to manage complex multi-jurisdictional, cross disciplinary matters affecting a FTSE100 company. The case is politically and publicly significant in Korea.Sarah was seconded to BP's head office for eight months in 2012/13, where she worked closely with the general counsel and deputy general counsel on a number of market-related and crisis management issues, including criminal settlement with the DoJ, as well as reinforcing her knowledge of the current key issues to consider for corporate energy transactions.Sarah was listed as one of 2014’s star lawyers in The Lawyer’s annual Hot 100 list, and was profiled in The Law List by Powerful Media in 2015 and in 2017 was named an Acritas Star Law in a new global database of client nominated Star Lawyers.

As head of the firm’s London office Dispute Resolution practice, Satindar is widely acknowledged as an expert in corporate crime and fraud. He counsels clients on strategies, policies and procedures to comply with the UK Bribery Act, the Proceeds of Crime Act and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules, as well as offering expert advice on investigations. Satindar is also a specialist on anti-bribery and sanctions, including advising more than 70 clients in relation to the European Union’s Russian sanctions regime.

Scott acts for and advises banks, asset managers, alternative investment managers and hedge funds on a broad range of situations and practice areas including acquisition/leveraged finance, real estate finance, special situations financings and cross-border restructurings.

Partner

Simon is a highly experienced real estate lawyer with versatile expertise in corporate real estate transactions, including joint ventures and acquisitions and disposals of real estate assets and holding structures. He advises developers and investors on the full scope of contractual arrangements, including leases, management and development agreements. He has specialist knowledge concerning development projects, the financing of investments and dealing with insolvent or distressed assets and structures. Simon also has particular experience in the hotel sector, acting for investors, developers and funders on hotel and branded residences transactions throughout the UK, Europe and the Middle East and on the negotiation of operator agreements. Work highlights: Simon has advised on a wide range of high-profile real estate deals. These include advising: TIAA on the establishment of a three-way joint venture with the Swedish national pension funds, Forsta AP-Fonden and Andra AP-Fonden, to create a £3bn office fund with assets in the UK, France and Germany and on the acquisition of 60 Great Portland Street, London W1 a North American pension fund on its formation of a £1bn joint venture with Aviva Life over a portfolio of real estate assets in central London Brookfield on the disposal of a 50% interest in the Principal Place London office development project to the Italian asset management company Antirion SGR, based on an asset value of £763m Meyer Bergman, a real estate investment management firm, on the acquisition of a portfolio of 14 residential development sites from Tesco for £250m and ongoing development advice a Middle Eastern investor on the acquisition of a five-star London hotel for £280m TIAA on the acquisition of the Lakeside Extra Retail Park and Tunnel Retail Park from Hammerson for £93m Brait, the South African private equity group, on the acquisitions of New Look Retail and Virgin Active gyms

Simon specialises in the structuring of derivative products, the provision of derivatives advice and litigation. He regularly advises participants in the financial markets about the interpretation of standard form documentation and the legal implications of key developments.

Simon has extensive experience advising corporates, financial institutions and investment trusts on mergers and acquisitions (both public and private), joint ventures and equity capital markets transactions. He has been involved in some of the most complex and high-profile multi-jurisdictional transactions over the last few years.Simon’s experience spans the mining, retail and consumer, and oil and gas sectors. He has extensive experience in the financial services sector, and is co-head of the firm’s bank sector.

Sonia is heading the Technology, Media and Telecommunications team of Linklaters in Paris. Sonia’s practice covers the full range of TMT legal areas, with a focus on contracts, data protection, internet and telecommunications. Sonia has strong experience in advising companies from diversified sectors (IT editors and service providers, banking, insurance, transportation, telecom, energy, retail, luxe, etc.) across all aspects of major commercial contracts, sourcing and complex procurement transactions, regulation of data and networks, e-business and IT security, telecoms and media projects. Her experience has led her to advise on both service providers and clients’ sides.

Partner

Stephen is an Energy and Infrastructure Partner with nearly 20 years of experience advising on large-scale, cross-border project development, project finance, joint venture and M&A transactions in the energy and infrastructure sectors (including oil and gas, petrochemicals, power and renewables). He has particular expertise in structured finance and multisource project financings including Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) and other international financial institutions. Stephen set up the firm’s Seoul office in 2013 and was Seoul office Managing Partner 2016-2018, and continues to lead the firm’s relationships with many Korean corporates, ECAs and banks in Seoul. Stephen previously worked for nine years in the firm’s London office, for three years in the firm’s Moscow office and for six months in the firm’s Hong Kong office. He joined our Paris team in September 2018.

Steve specialises in real estate finance transactions of all kinds, with a particular emphasis on more structured and/or distressed transactions. He has extensive experience of advising on multi-disciplinary and cross-border real estate finance transactions in the most demanding circumstances. Selected relevant experience relevant to the leisure sector includes advising: the senior lenders on the restructuring of the Arora Airport Hotel portfolio the senior lenders on the restructuring of debt secured on a portfolio of UK Hilton Hotels the senior lenders on the restructuring of a portfolio of Travelodge Hotels the sponsor on the refinancing of the Lanesborough Hotel the mezzanine lenders on the refinancing of a series of European hotels held by a pre-eminent private equity firm.

Stuart is based in London and was the former head of the London corporate division. He has broad experience in private equity, on both buy-outs and growth fund deals and more generally in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and capital raisings. Stuart has extensive transactional experience in emerging markets, particularly South-East Asia and Africa. A former head of the Energy Sector, Stuart has been involved in a broad range of energy and natural resources deals. Key clients include Carlyle, Oaktree Capital, TIAA-CREF, Anglo American, Noble Group, Sumitomo Corp, Temasek, Standard Chartered Bank and ANZ.

Managing Associate

Partner

Dual English and Italian law-qualified, Tessa has a long-established track record as an energy lawyer, specialising in renewable energy, oil & gas and conventional power-related matters. She heads the firm’s Energy, Infrastructure and Renewables practice in Italy. Tessa advises borrowers and lenders, including commercial banks, multilaterals and export credit agencies (ECAs) domestically and internationally, on financings, including project, export credit, leveraged and acquisition finance, principally in the energy and infrastructure sectors and from opportunities arising from the energy transition. She is also actively involved with the firm’s initiatives surrounding Africa, including developing and maintaining African client and institutional relationships. Tessa also heads the firm’s European Export Finance Practice, is a member of the firm’s ECA group, coordinates the Italian ESG working group and is a member of the Italian CSR committee and the firm’s global D&I committee.

Senior Counsel

Thomas is a partner in Linklaters’ Antitrust and Foreign Investment Group. He has expertise in all aspects of competition law, including merger control (before the European Commission and the French Competition Authority as well as coordinating multi-jurisdictional clearances), behavioural practices (cartel and abuse of dominance cases) and private damages claims. Thomas is a longstanding advisor to clients in the automotive, healthcare, tech and retail sectors.

Toby specialises in international banking deals. He has wide-ranging knowledge advising banks and borrowers in syndicated and secured bank financings, with a particular focus on corporate lending, event-driven, structured and limited recourse financings (including commodities, structured trade and export financings in emerging markets). Toby leads the firm’s relationship with a number of major mining and banking clients and is one of the firm’s mining sector leaders. Toby is actively involved in the firm’s Africa practice and is also co-head of the firm’s Nigeria desk and a member of the coordinating committee covering the firm’s alliance with South Africa’s premier law firm Webber Wentzel. Toby spent three years in the firm��s Singapore office and was seconded to Credit Suisse (in 2001) and Barclays (in 2007), equipping him with first-hand knowledge of the banking sector and deep insight into the relationship between banks and law firms.

Tom is a partner in the real estate team. With a background in corporate law, Tom acts on a range of corporate transactions where real estate is the fundamental asset, including on public and private M&A deals, joint ventures and restructurings. Tom has a varied client base, with particular experience acting for institutional investors on investments in the UK and European real estate markets. He has been involved in transactions across all sectors, including commercial property, logistics, hotels, retail and student accommodation, and has particular expertise of cross-border portfolio transactions.Work highlights Tom has led on many high-profile real estate transactions. His experience includes advising: A major US pension fund and its JV partner on its acquisition of a EUR700m portfolio of retail malls located in Spain, Italy and Poland Brookfield on its £4.6bn hostile takeover of Songbird Estates, the holding company of the Canary Wharf Estate AustralianSuper, the Australian superannuation fund, on two separate transactions to acquire a combined 67% interest in the Kings Cross redevelopment project alongside developer Argent A North American pension fund on: its JV with a listed UK REIT and the acquisition by the JV of a £1bn portfolio of logistics assets in Poland, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands its acquisition of three portfolios of student accommodation with an aggregate value in excess of £1bn its JV with a listed UK insurer and the acquisition by the JV of a £1bn portfolio of prime office/retail assets A private investor on the £400m acquisition of 334-338 Oxford Street A US hedge fund on its acquisition of two UK real estate portfolios CBREGI on several acquisitions/disposals, including the Angel Central Shopping Centre and several London office assets Lendlease on its £750m disposal of the Bluewater shopping centre

Tom is a senior banking partner who has a wide-ranging banking practice specialising in structured finance, margin lending and corporate finance. He acts for leading financial institutions and a number of corporate borrowers operating across a variety of sectors and jurisdictions. Tom works closely with the firm’s Pensions and Insurance groups assisting banks, insurers and corporates with bespoke collateral and funding arrangements designed to address pension scheme deficits or facilitate large insurance-related transactions. He also advises on the recent legislation requiring UK banks to “ring-fence” their retail operations from their other banking activities. Tom is responsible for managing the firm’s relationship with a major German banking client. He is a leader of the firm’s bank sector, as well as being a group leader within the Banking practiceWork highlights:Tom has led on many banking transactions. Most recently, these include advising: numerous banks on margin lending transactions, with underlying shares in the UK, Russia, Spain, Portugal and Israel a major UK bank on collateralisation of its obligations under various pension schemes the lenders of John Laing’s £400m syndicated facilities the lenders of Harrods’ £850m syndicated facilities Graff Diamonds on its US$470m senior secured facilities House of Fraser on its £225m senior secured facilities Kier on its £380m corporate and acquisition facilities and €100m schuldschein Redrow on its corporate and development facilities Deutsche Bank on the £1.8bn disposal of the commercial real estate loan book of Deutsche Postbank London branch

Managing Associate

Tom is a banking partner with extensive transaction experience and expertise in advising on and executing financial sponsor-backed leveraged, covenant-lite and acquisition finance transactions. Tom acts for financial sponsors, private equity funds, investment banks and borrower/issuers on a range of domestic and cross-border financing transactions, including leveraged loans, incurrence-based and covenant-lite financings, infrastructure, unitranche, senior, TLB and super senior facilities, high yield bonds, bridge facilities, bank/bond financings, refinancings and restructurings. Tom has particular experience and expertise in covenant-lite, incurrence-based bank/bond documentation and capital structures which is at the forefront of the European leveraged finance market. Tom is based in London and has worked at Linklaters for over 10 years. Tom was recently recognized as one of ’40 under 40’ rising legal practitioners in private equity (Legal Week, British legal awards) and as one of the Top Financing Lawyers in EMEA by Mergerlinks.

Of Counsel

Managing Associate

Tony is widely acknowledged as the preeminent restructuring and insolvency lawyer in the UK. Over the past 20 years, Tony has been involved at the top level on many of the most significant restructuring or insolvency deals. Most notable was his leading role as the principal lawyer from September 2008 onwards advising the administrators in the insolvency of Lehman Brothers International (Europe) (LBIE). He also specialises in strategic planning and advisory work and distressed M&A. Throughout his career, Tony has acted for the full range of businesses regarding insolvency and restructuring, including insolvency administrators, creditors and debtors. His clients comprise all the major accounting firms, prominent banks, financial institutions, private equity and hedge funds, distressed investors and insolvency practitioners. Tony has also held principal roles in the firm’s management. He was global head of the restructuring and insolvency practice between 2006 and 2016, and then became the firm's global practice head of Banking between 2016 and 2019.

Tracey is a corporate partner who advises on a wide range of corporate, corporate finance and commercial matters across various sectors but with a focus on the bank and financial services sector. She acts for private equity houses, banks and corporate on public and private mergers and acquisitions, loan portfolio sales, corporate restructurings and joint ventures as well as equity capital market transactions. Tracey’s experience includes advising Cerberus on its acquisition of the Northern Rock entity and £13bn of mortgages; Investec of the sale of its UK mortgage business Kensington Group, together with other mortgage assets, to funds managed by Blackstone Tactical Opportunities Advisors and TPG Special Situations Partners; and Glencore on its merger with Xstrata.

Ugo is a corporate Partner based in Milan who regularly assists major investment banks, financial institutions and corporates on a variety of capital markets transactions, including equity and equity-linked transactions (e.g. convertible and exchangeable bonds), right issues and various debt deals. He assists both issuers and underwriters and has considerable experience in advising listed companies in establishing and maintaining effective corporate governance structures.

Vanessa is a consultant at the firm, focusing on ESG and sustainability. She was previously the head of the firm’s global environmental and climate change practice, founded the firm’s ESG practice and co-headed the Risk and Resilience and Crisis Management teams. Vanessa is member of the UK Transition Plan Taskforce Delivery Group (TPT) and a member and interim chair of the UK Export Guarantee Advisory Group.

Verity is a partner in Linklaters’ London Antitrust & Foreign Investment Group and co-head of the UK technology sector team and Co-Head of Games and Interactive Entertainment. Verity has over a decade of experience across advisory, investigatory and transactional aspects of competition law in the EU and the UK, including representing clients in both regulatory appeals and stand-alone antitrust litigation before the UK courts. She is particularly familiar with the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, having spent time on secondment to the CMA’s mergers group, during which she sat on the CMA’s Mergers Intelligence Committee. Verity has particular expertise in competition issues related to market power in dynamic and innovation-driven markets. She is recognised as a leading expert on competition and regulatory issues in the tech sector and on platform regulation regimes.

Partner Véronique specialises in debt capital markets work such as debt issuance programmes, all kind of bonds issues (hybrid bonds, regulatory capital, Euro-PP), liability management deals and equity linked products. Véronique joined Linklaters in 2001, having previously spent two years with Credit Commercial de France (now HSBC) and three years with Société Générale.

Partner

Partner

Managing Associate

Lawyer

Advises on a broad range of contentious and non-contentious IP projects, including UK and multi-jurisdictional patent litigation, IP licences and commercialisation arrangements, and the IP aspects of cross-border M&A, joint ventures and IPOs.

Partner