Walkers

Catherine Overton is a Partner in Walkers' London office where she is a member of the firm's Global Banking & Finance Group and practises both British Virgin Islands law and Cayman Islands law. Catherine is recognised by Legal 500 as a Rising Star, has over fifteen years' experience in private practice and has worked offshore since 2016. She trained and spent much of her private practice career at Clifford Chance. Per Legal 500 (2022), clients say "Catherine Overton is great to work with" and she is noted as having a track record of securitisation and emerging markets lending. Catherine advises on general banking, acquisition and leveraged finance, structured finance and debt capital markets matters, and has experience of advising on complex cross-border restructurings. She has extensive experience across a wide range of product areas including debt, equity, equity-linked and asset-backed securities, securitisation, debt-based capital markets, derivatives (including equity derivatives) and structured products, repackagings, collateralised bond and loan offerings, note programmes and listings on the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange, commercial paper and depository receipt programmes, convertible debt and warrants issues, and asset finance. Her client base spans leading global financial institutions, borrowers, issuers and private clients. Admitted in: The British Virgin Islands England & Wales (not practising)

Fraser Hern

Fraser Hern is widely regarded as one of the leading offshore lawyers specialising in contentious and non-contentious insolvencies, complex restructurings, special situation advisory work, and shareholder litigation, having been consistently ranked as a Tier 1 advisor by legal directories.Fraser advises on a wide range of issues arising out of shareholder and investor disputes, complex cross-border equity and debt restructurings, corporate insolvency and special situation related matters. Fraser's clients include private equity funds, hedge funds, high net worth individuals, bank creditors, debtors, shareholders, directors and insolvency practitioners.Fraser has been described by Chambers Asia-Pacific as "a standout adviser for contentious matters …, who works alongside clients to steer through difficult situations", as "coming highly recommended for his talent as an insolvency and restructuring lawyer, with a strong track record in both contentious and non-contentious matters" and as being "widely recognised for his restructuring and insolvency expertise, in relation to which he earns plaudits for having established a 'very successful practice'". Legal 500 describes Fraser as "exceling in the litigation and restructuring space". Fraser has also been recognised as a leading lawyer by the International Who's Who of Asset Recovery Lawyers.Fraser is a Group Partner* in Walkers' Insolvency, Restructuring and Dispute Resolution group based in Jersey, and is the Head of Walkers' Channel Islands Business.

Hughie Wong

Hughie joined Walkers in 2008 and is a partner in the Global Investment Funds and Finance and Corporate Groups. He is based in the firm's London office and advises on both Cayman Islands law and BVI law aspects of transactions. He acts for alternative investment funds including their establishment, on-going corporate transactions and financing activities. He has also advised extensively on fund restructurings and distressed situations. Hughie also has significant experience in a broad range of finance and corporate transactions and regularly advises on lending and security transactions involving Cayman Islands or BVI law. Those transactions typically involve issues as to corporate restructurings, mergers, the perfection and granting of security by Cayman Islands or BVI vehicles, the charging of shares in a Cayman Islands or BVI company, mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, shareholder arrangements and group reorganisations and restructurings.

Jack Boldarin

Jack Boldarin is Managing Partner of Walkers' London office and a Partner in the firm's Global Finance and Corporate Group. He is experienced in British Virgin Islands law and Cayman Islands law. Jack heads up the firm's London/European based British Virgin Islands law practice and also leads a dedicated team of lawyers who provide British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands law services to clients based in Russia and across Central & Eastern Europe. Jack specialises in corporate transactions (including mergers and acquisitions, strategic joint ventures, takeovers, international stock exchange listings and corporate reorganisations), structured and asset finance (including securitisations and aircraft financings) and project and acquisition finance. He spent a number of years in each of the Jersey, British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands offices of the firm prior to moving to London and is the former leader of the Finance and Corporate Group in the British Virgin Islands.

Jan Golaszewski

Jan Golaszewski is a partner and head of Walkers' London Insolvency & Dispute Resolution practice, advising on Cayman Islands and BVI law matters. He is recognised by Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 (who have named him a "Leading Individual") and has 20 years' experience in private practice as an onshore and offshore disputes lawyer in London, the Caribbean and Asia, specialising in multi-jurisdictional commercial litigation, arbitration and insolvency matters. Jan advises bondholders, insolvency practitioners, financial institutions and directors on insolvencies, restructuring, shareholder disputes and complex litigation. He has particular experience in interim protection for creditors and shareholders and has acted as an expert witness on Cayman Islands law in foreign court and arbitration proceedings.

Jasmine Amaria

Jasmine joined Walkers in 2007 and is a partner in the Global Investment Funds Group based in the London office. Her practice focuses on both alternative investment funds and private equity funds, and she regularly advises on their establishment, on-going corporate transactions and financing activities. Jasmine has also advised clients on their fund restructurings and distressed situations. Jasmine has significant experience in a broad range of corporate and finance transactions, and regularly advises on mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, shareholder arrangements and group reorganisations and restructurings. Her practice has also included advising on IPOs of Cayman Islands companies on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, and her clients include leading international banks, financial institutions, asset management firms and private equity houses. Jasmine is also part of the Walkers Global India Group which drives the firm’s strategy and dealings with Indian companies and clients and foreign investments into India. Jasmine has experience in both Cayman Islands law and BVI law aspects of transactions.

Mark Galazzi

Mark Galazzi is a partner in Walkers' London office where he is a member of the firm's Global Finance and Corporate Practice Groups, and heads the British Virgin Islands and Cayman Asset Finance team in the European timezone. Mark trained with a Magic Circle firm before moving offshore – he has 13 years' experience in private practice in London, Jersey and Singapore, and is recognised by Legal 500 as a Next Generation Partner. He has extensive experience in advising on both BVI and Cayman Islands laws, and has a strong international practice that covers a broad range of finance and corporate transactions, including listings, aviation and maritime finance and SPAC activity. Mark has a busy lender-side finance practice, as well as a significant practice working with private banks in London and Switzerland focused on aviation, maritime and real estate financing for HNWIs. Mark is a member of the Walkers' Global Asset Finance Group.

Neil McDonald

Neil McDonald is a Partner based in Walkers' London office where he is a member of the firm's Global Finance and Corporate Groups. Neil has a broad range of experience in British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands and Jersey law. He routinely works on cross-border structured finance, loan finance, project finance and acquisition finance transactions, as well as general corporate and commercial matters, equity financings, joint ventures, restructurings, and mergers, acquisitions and disposals.

Sara Hall

Sara Hall is a partner in Walkers' Global Regulatory & Risk Advisory Group. With almost 30 years' experience in global senior in-house roles as well as in private practice, Sara now practises Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands law. Sara specialises in all aspects of financial services and international regulation. Since joining Walkers, she has expanded her practice to advise on digital assets, DAOs, cryptocurrencies and NFTs. With a global client base of onshore firms, financial institutions, custodians, exchanges, founders, directors and investors, Sara advises on matters relating to the scope of regulation, as well as anti-money laundering and sanctions compliance, data protection, and tax-related OECD initiatives such as economic substance. Sara frequently works with onshore counsel to advise clients how offshore regulation might impact their business. Where a business is in scope of offshore regulation, she leads on the licence application process, and supports clients once licensed with their ongoing regulatory obligations.

Susan Battye

Susan Battye is based in our Ireland office where she is a partner and head of the employment practice. Susan has over two decades' experience advising employers on the full life cycle of employment. Her advisory experience includes: corporate restructuring and redundancies, employment support in M&A transactions, outsourcing and transfers of undertakings, secondment arrangements, executive remuneration requirements, harmonising employee benefits and entitlements, compliance projects, drafting employment contracts for regulated functions, grievance and disciplinary procedures, updating staff handbooks, HR policies and codes of conduct, hybrid and flexible arrangements, working time and right to disconnect projects, managing whistleblowing claims, internal investigations, and providing employment law training. She has significant experience in resolving complex disputes, including bonus claims, breach of confidentiality clauses, enforcement of post-termination restrictions. Susan has represented clients before the Workplace Relations Commission, including defending unfair dismissals, constructive dismissals, discrimination claims, whistleblowing and penalisation claims, workplace bullying and stress-related claims, industrial relations disputes and employment injunctions before the High Court. Susan also provides strategic advice on managing the legal, commercial and reputational risks of implementing senior executive terminations, severance negotiations, and drafting settlement agreements.

Tatziana Paraguacuto

Tatziana Paraguacuto-Maheo is a partner in the London office and heads the London Investment Funds Group. Tatziana has almost 20 years’ experience and has been recognised as one of the top 50 women in hedge funds by the Hedge Fund Journal. Throughout her career Tatziana has acted for major financial institutions, investment funds and asset managers based in London, New York and Hong Kong including the launch of many of the world’s largest emerging managers. Tatziana advises on all legal aspects affecting funds including launch of new products, restructurings, acquisitions as well as regulatory, contentious and governance issues. Tatziana speaks French and Spanish. Admitted in: Cayman Islands England & Wales (not practising) France (not practising) Spain (not practising) Luxembourg (not practising) New York (not practising)

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