Mr Michael Voisin > Linklaters LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

The derivatives and structured products group at Linklaters LLP has ‘deep technical knowledge allied to commercial understanding and acumen‘. The firm has deep experience across the board, but is a market-leader in key aspects of the market, among them synthetic securitisations and strategic equity derivatives. The firm is also a primary adviser to key industry body ISDA. ‘Whenever you speak with them, they give you their full attention and never give the impression that they’re pushed for time‘, say clients of the group led by Deepak Sitlani. That group contains some of the leading names in the market, among them Matthew Monahan, Toby Gray and David Phillips, who handle OTC and securitised derivatives, and provide ‘ensure timely and high-quality service‘; Doug Shaw focuses on OTC derivatives and regulatory change; derivatives specialists Simon Firth and Pauline Ashall, who are key advisers to ISDA; and Mark Brown, who previously worked in the Tokyo office and led the Asian structured finance practice, now leads the Firm’s Islamic derivatives practice from London, advising on murabaha, mudaraba and wakala structures. The firm has some of the most experienced partners in their respective fields, including Vinay Samani, who has ‘supreme experience of repack capability‘, and Michael Voisin, who is is widely acknowledged to be an authority on financial markets law and practice. Mark Drury left the team in 2024.

A diverse mix of financial institutions, payment servicers providers and disruptive start-ups turn to Linklaters LLP for its ‘excellent guidance through the relatively uncharted waters of fintech’. The team is especially well regarded for its expertise across blockchain, the digitialisation of financial markets and products, payment systems, investment in fintech, and data and tech investigations, enforcement and litigation proceedings. Global practice co-head Julian Cunningham-Day is equipped to advise on the commercial and regulatory aspects of complex collaborations, while fellow global co-head Harry Eddis is an authority on novel ways to deliver payments services. Fionnghuala Griggs, also a global co-head, frequently advises on M&A deals in the fintech arena. UK head of fintech Richard Hay’s workload includes international projects involving digital securities, while Michael Voisin is noted for his wide-reaching work on derivatives-related activities. Ben Packer, Lisa Chang and Sam Quicke are further key contacts at the firm.