Mr Mark Drury > Linklaters LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Reed Smith LLP has a deep bench of derivatives lawyers, including many specialists in the hedging of commodities trades. The practice is known for ‘strong personal involvement of senior partners, and innovative analysis of complex and unique situations‘. Practice head Tamara Box oversees the work of Claude Brown and Brett Hillis, who are strong on commodities-related matters, and regulatory specialist Chris Borg. Also key are structured finance partners Nick Stainthorpe and Daniel Birch, and the multi-talented Tariq Rasheed, who handles matters concerning clearing, prime brokerage arrangements and structured products. Sarah Caldwell and Iman Roy also play central roles in the practice. Commodities derivatives partner Prajakt Samant now works from the Singapore office. The firm has invested in some significant hires, with the ‘exceptionally talented‘ Mark Drury and up-and-coming partner Jennifer Ellis joining from Linklaters LLP in late 2023.

Reed Smith LLP ‘stands out for the team’s ability to get straight to the point without overcomplicating issues, making the legal process more understandable and less stressful‘. The practice is best known for its work on the trustee side, but it has a broad range of mandates for issuers, arrangers and originators. EMEA managing partner Tamara Box oversees the work of experienced partners including Simon Hugo, who is a key adviser to global investment banks acting as arrangers in complex securitisations; trustee specialist Sarah Caldwell; and Nick Stainthorpe, whose work encompasses warehousing, receivables finance and supply chain finance deals. The addition of Mark Drury from Linklaters LLP significantly boosts the firm’s profile in CLOs, risk retention structures and financings, repackagings and fund financing transactions. Emerging talent Andrzej Janiszewski, who shows ‘an unwavering commitment to their clients’ best interests‘, is among a strong crop of junior partners, which includes forward flow and NPL adviser Nathan Menon.

Reed Smith LLP continues to advise on a number of high-profile fund finance deals. The team is sought after by private equity and private debt fund clients seeking bespoke syndicated transactions. As well as advising on subscription line facilities, the firm is noteworthy for its activity with ESG, Sharia-compliant, and NAV facilities. Bronwen Jones‘ talents are routinely employed by financial institutions embroiled in complex international transactions. Leon Stephenson‘s varied practice incorporates NAV, hybrid, secondary fund, capital call, and GP facilities. Nicholas Williams is well versed in complex, cross-border matters, while Kevin-Paul Deveau regularly provides tailor-made financing solutions to lenders and borrowers. Other key figures include Mark Drury, who strengthens the practice with his commercial knowledge of the fintech arena, and Maccailein Campbell, who assists where financings utilise multiple levels of capital structure and/or involve energy assets. Colin Baker left the firm to join Maddocks.