Ranajoy Basu > McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP has an emerging markets group that is ‘very professional and ready to offer tailored services and adapt to client needs‘. The lawyers are ‘supportive, technically flawless, and practical‘, according to one client. The multi-disciplinary practice handles capital markets, M&A, and finance transactions, and supports development projects in many sectors. Lead partner Ranajoy Basu is ‘available, approachable, responsible, and friendly, and he is able to guide negotiations in a very efficient and pleasant way.‘ He worked with Priya Taneja to assist United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) with setting up a $500m sharia-compliant fund. Litigators Andrew Savage  , who handles commercial and finance disputes and international arbitration, and Michael Darowski, who handles cross-border investment disputes, frequently handle contentious matters in emerging markets. Banking and finance partner Mark Fine and counsel Romilly Holland, who is ‘technically strong and a joy to deal with‘, are also highly recommended.

McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP has a small but active high yield practice in London, which particularly notable for its work on behalf of trustees. Head of finance Ranajoy Basu and counsel Priya Taneja are both key advisers to trustees on new bond issuance and restructurings, and clients note that they exhibit ‘high Levels of responsiveness, commerciality, and good technical knowledge‘. They count Deutsche Bank and US Bank Trustees among their clients. Basu and Taneja (who is ‘a very hard worker and very efficient‘) acted for Citibank and GLAS Trustees Limited in the $1.25bn restructuring for Nostrum Oil & Gas plc.

At McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP, ‘the team’s work ethic is very strong and you can be sure you’ll be getting a good work product‘. The firm joins the ranking on the strength of its work for financial institutions as trustees in major debt transactions. Practice head Ranajoy Basu, who also leads the firm’s India desk, is a key adviser on impact financings and sustainability-linked bonds. Basu and Siddhartha Sivaramakrishnan, who works in both London and Singapore, recently acted for Basileia Investment Holdings UK Limited with an English law review of a ZAR1bn MTN Programme and the first series of bonds issued under the programme. Priya Taneja also plays a key role in the practice and her knowledge of emerging markets transactions a major boon. Clients note that she ‘throws herself headfirst into her work and is able to work through problems in a way that benefits the client‘. The broader practice continues to expand, with the addition of Vladimir Maly from Morrison Foerster in July 2023, bringing extensive experience in equity-linked capital market transactions.