Linklaters LLP climbs the ranking this year having continued to build out its practice with key hires. Counsel Ildar Bagautdinov joined from Reed Smith LLP in 2022 to add specialist expertise in structured trade and commodities finance. He worked with key partner Toby Grimstone to advise key client Glencore on its principal RCFs, which have a total value in excess of $6.5bn. Jeremy Gewirtz and Chris Staples  are co-heads of the firm’s global commodities group, and they each have extensive expertise in advising corporates, banks, funds and governments on commodities, trade and receivables financings. Gewirtz recently assisted Macquarie Bank Limited with  an SEK1,191,930,824 (approx. £97.6m) inventory monetisation for the Nynäshamn refinery in Sweden, which is owned by Nynas AB. A recent highlight for Staples was his work for Base Carbon Inc. on a structured tri- party carbon finance transaction.

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Key clients

  • Macquarie Bank Limited
  • Citigroup Global Markets Limited
  • Glencore
  • Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc
  • Base Carbon
  • Goldman Sachs

Work highlights

  • Advising Base Carbon Inc on a structured and complex tri- party carbon finance transaction in connection with the development of cookstove and water purifier carbon reduction projects in Vietnam.
  • Advising Glencore on numerous trade commodities and receivable transactions and limited recourse prepayment financings.
  • Advising ING Bank N.V. on a US$2.91bn borrowing base and ancillary guarantee facilities for Varo Energy.

Lawyers

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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.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Jeremy Gewirtz, Chris Staples

Other key lawyers

Toby Grimstone, Ildar Bagautdinov