Walkers

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Catherine Overton

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 is a partner* of Walkers (CI) LP and is head of our Channel Islands business. He is widely regarded as one of the leading offshore lawyers, and has been recognised as a leading lawyer in a variety of legal directories and by the International Who's Who of Asset Recovery Lawyers. He specialises in contentious and non-contentious insolvencies, complex restructurings, special situation advisory work, and shareholder litigation. Fraser advises corporates, private equity funds, hedge funds, high-net worth individuals, bank creditors, debtors, shareholders, directors and insolvency practitioners on a range of issues including: shareholder and investor disputes complex cross-border equity and debt restructurings corporate insolvency and special situations. *not admitted in Jersey and not a member of Walkers (Jersey) LLP

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 is the Managing Partner of our London office and practises British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands and Bermuda law. Jack enjoys 25+ years' experience advising clients on matters linked to offshore investment hubs and originally practised from the firm's Cayman Islands and BVI offices. Jack leads a team of London based lawyers providing time-zone sensitive, dedicated Bermuda, BVI and Cayman Islands law support to clients based in EMEA. Jack has the unique distinction of being the sole person in Europe to be ranked as a Tier 1 BVI lawyer and a Tier 1 Cayman Islands lawyer by Chambers and Partners. Jack is equally ranked as a Leading Individual by Legal 500. Legal 500 cites that Jack is widely acclaimed as one of the Cayman Island's top practitioners. Jack specialises in: Banking and finance transactions (including leveraged finance, real estate finance, and debt and equity finance) Corporate M&A transactions (including mergers and acquisitions, strategic joint ventures, take-private transactions, equity capital markets and corporate reorganisations)

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 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 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 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 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.

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)