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

‘Cadwalader’s fund finance team is one of the best in the London market. They are one of the key firms for lender side representations, and act for most of the lenders in the market. Their team is big, and they have a very large deal-flow. They are bigger than most in the market too. They also actively collaborate with others.’

‘Sam Hutchinson is the leader of the practice and is one of the best-known fund finance lawyers in the market generally. She is practical and commercial, and always willing to be available to discuss issues, taking a pragmatic view in the interests of the deal. She is the stand-out partner in the team and leads from the front. Nathan Parker is a good, upcoming partner, who is constructive and proactive.’

‘Very approachable and easy to work with. Their advantage is the ease with which they build relationships and the professional dedication to all the work.’

‘Special thanks to one of their partners – Alex Collins who has been very helpful on all the deals we have worked with them.’

‘Typically regarded as one of the most innovative teams in the industry with deep expertise.’

‘Stephen Day is acknowledged as one of the leading figures in the industry with a track record across the entire spectrum of securitisation products and sectors. His original thinking coupled with his depth of knowledge mark him out.’

‘The Cadwalader team are forward-thinking and innovative in the solutions they provide. The firm benefits from a number of outstanding lawyers, with a range of expertise. They are always on hand to answer questions and work collaboratively with both in-house counsel and the business. Building long standing relationships with clients and understanding their needs is at the forefront of Cadwalader’s agenda – this coupled with the teams excellent industry knowledge makes for an ideal working relationship.’

‘David Quirolo is an industry leader. His market knowledge is unrivalled – his interaction with European / UK regulators is an asset as he is always on top of regulatory changes and developments, ensuring that his clients are ready to adapt. David ensures that his team are well-skilled and capable of delivering an excellent service to clients. Alex Collins is a great new addition to the firm’s partnership. His exceptional understanding of the market makes him an asset on any transaction. Clients benefit from his quick thinking and solution-driven approach. Alex is constantly on hand to respond to clients and his dedication makes him the go to person for complex or new transactions requiring extra care and thought.’

‘The team is very good at setting and meeting reasonable deadlines – work is always provided on time and quickly. The team are very commercial and always willing to discuss different strategies to find the best outcome.’

‘Sabah Nawaz has been a key contact for me at CWT for multiple years and her standards have never dropped. She is easily contactable and very good at explaining complicated structures in a simple way. She also has a deep understanding of the commercial side of the industry which is very helpful when it comes to working on new structures.’

‘Understanding of the market, clients’ business and their investors.’

‘Strong support, availability and thinking outside of the box.’

‘ The whole team have shown empathy, compassion, innovation and a clear and coherent strategy. Communication from them has been outstanding.’

‘Kevin Roberts has been my main contact for many years. His knowledge, thoughtful insights and calm manner have assisted me through many complex matters.’

‘Kevin Roberts – tenacity personified. He fights. And he wins.’

‘A small, niche team able to provide a bespoke service.’

‘Duncan Grieve is an outstanding talent and  future star in this sector. He is intelligent, industrious, knowledgeable and has a wisdom beyond his years.’

‘Since the arrival of Kevin Roberts and Duncan Grieve they have built an impressive team. Duncan’s Portuguese language skills have enabled them to grow a stream of work  stemming from Brazil.’

‘Kevin Roberts is a standout no-nonsense lawyer who has been advising corporates in complex litigation crossing over between criminal and civil fraud for many years.’

‘Michael Newell has supported us for five years now and helped us launch three investment funds – he is second to none.’

‘Michael Newell’s breadth of knowledge and depth are exceptional. Very happy with his advice.’

‘We work with Jack Kelly and Mike Newell who are both very knowledgeable and responsive.’

‘Jack Kelly is an exceptional professional, very results oriented and always nice to work with.’

‘The team at Cadwalader are exceptionally able combining detailed analysis with a thorough understanding of the law. They are also very personable and really make an effort to understand the specific needs of the client.’

‘I have had a number of opportunities to work with Duncan Grieve, who is a standout individual. Duncan is an excellent lawyer who always goes the extra mile for his clients. Duncan’s fluency in Portuguese and extensive international experience also give him an ease at working cross-culturally and on multijurisdictional matters that few lawyers possess. Duncan is highly skilled in working on complex and sensitive investigations and compliance issues.’

‘Kevin Roberts has roots in high street crime and so has genuine criminal law roots, which is probably unique in US law firms in London. Duncan brings a more traditional white collar crime background, but with his Portuguese language skills he has assisted in the focus in Brazilian corruption cases in recent years.’

‘I admire the firm for the thorough, pragmatic way in which evidence is gathered and the way in which the client is calmed.’

‘The corporate tax team has an exhaustive knowledge of tax related issues impacting indirect real estate investment, among many other areas. They’re very practically oriented and are focused on finding workable solutions to complex tax challenges, making them best-in-class in the tax field.’

‘The tax group I work closely with is very open, responsive and thorough – always willing to help sort through complex tax issues related to real estate investment vehicles’ structure and operations in both EU member states and in the UK.’

‘Cadwalader has an experienced tax team. The team is very responsive and provides high-quality advice on complex matters.’

‘Adam Blakemore is very good at explaining and addressing complex tax issues in securitisation transactions. He and Catherine Richardson are very responsive and able to advise on a variety of matters and taxes.’

‘Superb CLO and securitisation tax practice.’

‘Leading tax expert Catherine Richardson, excellent technical expertise.’

‘Deep understanding of diverse industry sectors, staying ahead of regulatory changes.’

‘Thinking outside of the box and providing useful advice.’

‘Working with the firm is like an extension of our in-house team.’

‘The team are building a growing presence in the private credit markets and do a very good job. They demonstrate strong technical and commercial understanding and are, in our view, more impressive than many of their peer firms.’

‘Matthew Smith is a very strong technical lawyer who is also commercially sharp – he knows how to get deals done and focuses on the important details without getting bogged down in matters that don’t mean anything to clients.’

‘The very commercial Matthew Smith has an ability to think more like an investor / shareholder than any other financing partner I know in the market,’

‘The exceptional Smridhi Gulati is one of our top choices of lawyers to work with on mid-market private credit deals.’

‘Smridhi Gulati is an exceptional lawyer – commercial, thorough, helping the deal team navigate complex issues that arise in documents.’

‘Matthew Mazenier is a standout lawyer who provides clear and thorough advice.’

‘The Cadwalader team offers tailored made services to its clients. It is very efficient, puts its expertise at its clients’ service. It has a good knowledge of its clients’ features and specific requirements.’

‘Jack Kelly is very efficient and has a good knowledge of our firm’s specific requirements which is very valuable to assist us during the negotiations of the fund documents. He is very responsive and available. It is always a pleasure to work with him.’

‘The team is very committed and easy to work with. They are friendly, helpful and yet still maintain the professionalism and very focus on delivery a successful result.’

‘A very pragmatic, experienced team on real estate finance.’

‘Provide easy solutions. Quick responses, always available.’

‘Bevis Metcalfe is hands-on and is always across the detail of a transaction but can see the bigger picture in terms of his clients’ commercial objectives. Bevis can be a tough negotiator when required but really understands the art of the deal.’

‘Bevis Metcalfe is a knowledgeable lawyer who really loves his job. His experience especially on South African situations from a European perspective is bar none.’

‘Bevis Metcalfe is outstanding.’

‘Excellent skill set in the team with real partner involvement.’

‘Bevis Metcalfe provides excellent advice and is accessible and pragmatic.’

The Cadwalader team provided a very high level of counsel and service. They were responsive, always available to answer questions, and really helped drive to a great outcome. They not only excelled at the legal execution, but provided true advice and guidance, which is not always the case with other firms.’