Megan Schellinger > Baker McKenzie > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Baker McKenzie acts as both issuer and underwriter counsel in cross-border transactions, frequently involving emerging markets. Its work in Africa, Turkey and Eastern Europe stands out. Chair of the global capital markets group Adam Farlow provides ‘clear advice on challenging and complex situations‘. He recently acted for a Polish bank in the establishment of a €5bn EMTN programme. Megan Schellinger, who focuses on US private placements, trustee specialist Simon Porter, and US-qualified Charles Farnsworth, who ‘fights the client’s corner when other lawyers have different views‘, are key members of the practice. Roy Pearce left the firm in late 2023.

Baker McKenzie has a deep bench of talent across multiple practice areas, and its London emerging markets group works hand-in-hand with teams across the firm’s vast international network, which includes offices in Asia, Europe, CIS, the Middle East, and Latin America. The firm has a long-established presence in four of the five BRICS countries, and nine of the ten largest developing economies. Trade, export and commodity financings are a mainstay of its work, with Luka Lightfoot one of the market’s leading advisers to financial institutions, multilaterals, commodity traders, exporters, producers, and corporate borrowers. The capital markets practice, in which Megan Schellinger is a standout partner, frequently acts for emerging markets issuers, while the energy, mining and finance group, which includes key partner Philip Thomson, often takes the lead on large-scale projects. Banking specialist Sarah Smith is advising a DFI as lender on a loan/repurchase programme established to improve the liquidity of sovereign bonds issued by African nations. Nick Tostivin departed the firm in April 2024.