Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP > London, England > Firm Profile

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings

Finance > Securitisation Tier 2

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP is known for being ‘very responsive, professional, collaborative, and good at helping clients navigate tricky topics‘. It has one of the leading CLO practices, as well as being a prominent adviser on a broad range of ABS transactions and securitisations, particularly those involving niche and novel asset classes. The firm has a deep bench of nine securitisation and structured finance partners, who are ‘approachable as well as knowledgeable, and sensitive to clients’ commercial pressures‘. Among them are CLO guru David Quirolo; Suzanne Bell, who advised the originator on the issuance of £450m in notes under a master trust  programme; Robert Cannon, who handles mortgage securitisation and commercial paper conduits;  RMBS innovator Matthew Duncan; Nick Shiren, who handles residential and commercial mortgage transactions; and CLO specialists Daniel Tobias, Alexander Collins and Claire Puddicombe. Sabah Nawaz, who advises private equity funds, banks and corporate borrowers on securitisation and debt issuance, is also recommended. Stephen Day left the firm in late 2023.

Investment fund formation and management > Fund finance Tier 2

Significant financial institutions, high-profile lenders and private markets managers are all regular clients of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP’s funds team. The group is noted for its activity on the full range of fund finance products, including subscription and NAV facilities, and GP financings. The group is also well-equipped to advise clients on significant regulatory changes and other portfolio-impacting developments. Key figures include  George Pelling, who leverages his fund focus for various cross-border financings involving financial institutions. Former co-chair Samantha Hutchinson, as well as Nathan Parker, James Hoggett and Sukhvir Basran left the practice to join King & Spalding LLP in the summer of 2024.

Finance > Derivatives and structured products Tier 3

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP is ‘very commercial and solution-oriented‘, and clients praise the team’s ‘excellent availability' and 'excellent tier of associates‘. The capital markets group, which is best known for its securitisation work, also has significant expertise in derivatives and structured products, including synthetic securitisations, ESG-compliant transactions, credit default swaps, credit-linked notes, total return swaps, currency and interest rate swaps, repos and more. Robert Cannon and recognised derivatives expert Nick Shiren are standout practitioners. Sabah Nawaz advises banks, private equity funds, pension funds and corporate borrowers on cross-border structured finance transactions. Claire Puddicombe and Daniel Tobias also play key roles in the practice.

Investment fund formation and management > Listed funds Tier 3

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP counts both funds and sponsors amongst its clients, whom it advises on secondary raises, mergers and fund restructures. Heading up the practice is Michael Newell, whose expertise includes the structuring of new investment vehicles, including REITs, and a broad range of transactional matters. Jack Andrew Kelly advises sponsors and funds focused on a broad spectrum of asset classes, from infrastructure to emerging markets, on the launch of new funds and fundraising challenges.

Finance > Acquisition finance Tier 4

Led by 'two very dynamic partners' and aided by 'very well-trained associates', Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP has quickly established itself as a strong firm in the leveraged finance market on behalf of a robust and growing roster of private credit funds. The 'incredible' Smridhi Gulati 'knows the market perfectly', ensuring that she is able to best serve her lender-side client base on mandates involving debt throughout the capital structure. The  'commercially minded and legally knowledgeable' Matthew Smith co-heads the team alongside Gulati.

Investment fund formation and management > Real estate funds Tier 4

‘Highly skilled and reliable‘, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP is well-versed in complex, multijurisdictional fund structures. The team regularly provides critical advice to sponsors and managers concerning secondary fundraising, M&As, and exits. The team is led by Michael Newell, who has amassed considerable experience in the establishment and reorganisation of investment vehicles, particularly regarding real asset and credit funds. Jack Kelly is noted for his capability concerning private fund structures and public investment companies.

Real estate > Social housing: finance Tier 4

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP's real estate finance team assists managers and investors in the social housing arena on the structuring, establishment, marketing, and operation of investment funds. Michael Newell and Duncan Hubbard jointly lead the practice; Newell is skilled in the establishment and reorganisation of investment vehicles, while Hubbard has expertise in advising on large, high-profile real estate-related transactions.

Risk advisory > Regulatory investigations and corporate crime (advice to corporates) Tier 4

Working in close collaboration with the firm’s US offices, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP’s white-collar defence and investigation team has a notable emphasis on the defence of serious fraud and regulatory matters. Duncan Grieve now heads up the team and is regularly instructed by multinational corporations to advise on internal investigations as well as SFO, FCA, and OFSI investigations and criminal proceedings. Kevin Roberts left the team in November 2023, as did Charlotte Glaser.

Corporate and commercial > Corporate tax Tier 5

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP fields a team with ‘a deep understanding of tax law’, active in tax matters relating to capital markets transactions, fund structuring, and M&A, in addition to a range of other issues. Adam Blakemore leads the department, and has key expertise in financings. Catherine Richardson handles both direct and indirect tax, and covers a broad range of transactions.

Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: white-collar crime (advice to individuals) Tier 5

Investment fund formation and management > Private funds Tier 5

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP provides key advice to sponsors and asset managers regarding complex fund structures and secondary fundraisings. Experienced with the full range of asset classes, the team boasts noteworthy knowledge of private credit, in particular. Michael Newell frequently helps clients establish or reorganise investment vehicles in the real assets and credit funds sphere. Clients from the real estate, renewables, and infrastructure sectors regularly instruct Jack Kelly concerning the structuring and formation of investment funds.

Real estate > Property finance Tier 6

Finance > Corporate restructuring & insolvency Tier 7

Displaying 'an incredible capacity for hard work and difficult thinking', Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP continues to gain traction among fund clients, providing private capital solutions in the context of complex cross-border restructurings. Lauded by one client as 'the epitome of what you want in a restructuring/insolvency lawyer', Bevis Metcalfe has been central to the firm's success in the area since joining the practice in 2022 and co-heads the team alongside Gregory Petrick, who splits his time between London and New York.

Projects, energy and natural resources > Infrastructure: M&A and acquisition financing