Europe - Luxembourg

Linklaters

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A strong offering in its own right and also able to leverage international resources across the network, the 'approachable, dedicated and efficient' team at Linklaters is able to ensure full alignment for large global creditors and debtors engaged in cross-border financings. ‘Always abreast of legal developments and market trends,’ team head Melinda Perera has gained trusted advisor status for clients on banking as well as debt capital markets work, where she has regular engagement from banks as underwriters on landmark supranational debt issuances. The ’exceptional’ Patrick Geortay has a broad ranging practice that includes both regulatory and transactional expertise, including in relation to asset, acquisition and real estate finance. Nicki Kayser is ‘definitely someone you want in your team for complex matters,’ including for advice on debt issuances in digital form through DLT. The ’very accessible, responsive and solutions oriented’ Eliane Dejardin Botelho is also recommended on regulatory issues and the establishment of bespoke derivatives and securities financing structures.  

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'They have strong industry knowledge and connectivity with all the landmark deals in the market coupled with a global reach in regard to sector knowledge and regulatory insight/compliance.'

  • 'The team, from partners to associates is very well trained, well versed, supportive, protective, commercial, and is seen nearly as an extension of the business.'

  • 'The team is approachable, dedicated and efficient.'

  • 'Melinda Perera is a trusted advisor for banking and capital markets work and is always abreast of legal developments and market trends.'

  • 'The exceptional Patrick Geortay is a brilliant lawyer with deep knowledge of banking, security interests and restructuring issues.'

  • 'Nicki Kayser is definitely someone you want in your team for complex matters. He is excellent at making you consider all the potential real issues (legal and others) and providing you with good and practical solutions.'

  • 'Delphine Horn has shown outstanding qualities both in terms of availability, flexibility, time and cost constraint management.'

  • 'Eliane Dejardin Botelho is a wonderful professional who is very accessible, responsive and solutions oriented.'

Key clients

  • Bank of China
  • AXA Logistics Europe Master S.C.A.
  • Moolec Science Limited
  • ISDA
  • Artex Services AG
  • Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank/Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB

Work highlights

  • Advised lead managers in the connection with several issuances of notes by the European Union under the debt issuance programme.
  • Advised the joint lead managers in relation to a dual tranche (10-year tenor and 20-year tenor) bond issue by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg for an aggregate amount of €3bn.
  • Advised Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank and Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB with the issuance by the European Investment Bank of its first ever digital Climate Awareness Bond.

Lawyers

Leading individuals

Patrick Geortay

Patrick Geortay

Linklaters LLP

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.

Nicki Kayser

Nicki Kayser

Linklaters LLP

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.

Next Generation Partners

Eliane Dejardin Botelho

Eliane Dejardin Botelho

Linklaters LLP

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.

Melinda Perera

Melinda Perera

Linklaters LLP

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.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Melinda Perera

Other key lawyers

Nicki Kayser, Patrick Geortay, Eliane Dejardin Botelho, Rémy Bonneau, Delphine Horn, Anna Christina Görgen, Thibaud Müller, Tiago Ventura Mendes, Merve Nazli Kaylan, Laura Mbo, Laurent Benoit, Adrian Danciu