Debashis Dey > White & Case LLP > Dubai, United Arab Emirates > Lawyer Profile

With a sizeable presence in London and also able to draw upon the the expertise of practitioners based in key international jurisdictions, including Dubai, White & Case LLP is well-positioned to advise lenders, funds, corporates and governments on transactions traversing product areas and geographies. Capital markets-related work informs much of the deal flow, and as well as regularly advising issuers and arrangers on large Sukuk issuances, the team, which is led by Debashis Dey (who splits his time between Dubai and London), is also adept at advising on regulatory issues and complex structured finance mandates.

White & Case LLP has a broad securitisation practice that encompasses a high level of activity in the CLO space, as well as securitisations of real estate loans, receivables and more esoteric assets. The firm is also making a big push on ESG-related deals, and practice head Chris McGarry recently acted for BNP Paribas in the €352m Grosvenor Place CLO 2022-1 DAC, which is the first CLO to contractually utilise the marketing and reporting features of Article 8 of the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation. ‘They have been innovative in the ESG space and are looking a few years ahead‘, remarks a client. Debashis Dey, who works from both London and Dubai, ‘really knows his stuff but is able to take on board a variety of different views to help craft a solution that works for everyone‘. Tom Falkus is increasingly visible in performing and non-performing loan portfolio acquisitions and financings, securitisations, restructurings, warehouse facilities, asset-based lending and secured loan transactions. Counsel Adam Farrell joined from Paul Hastings LLP in 2023, bringing expertise in CLOs, RMBS, CMBS and trade receivables deals.

White & Case LLP is ‘technically excellent, and always provides timely and commercial advice‘. One clients praises the group’s  ‘constant commitment to providing maximum possible value and exhaustive attention to detail‘. The firm handles the full suite of derivatives work, encompassing interest rate, credit, equity, currency and commodity derivatives, regulatory capital transactions, repurchase agreements, securities lending, synthetic investments and Islamic derivatives. The practice led by Ingrid York, who is ‘calm and incisive, and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of derivatives‘, also excels in repackaging and structured note transactions. York and regulatory partner Jonathan Rogers advised the Liquidity and Sustainability Facility Designated Activity Company (LSF) on its inaugural $100m repo transaction with Afreximbank and Citi to provide liquidity to African sovereign Eurobonds. York is supported by a strong partner group and a growing team of associates. Anthony Colegrave is dual-qualified in England & Wales and South Africa, and focuses primarily on equity derivatives and hedging solutions. Debashis Dey advises banks, corporates and governments on structured finance and Tom Falkus has a broad practice that includes secured loan transactions. Associate Phillan Amin is highly recommended for OTC derivatives, structured finance, repurchase transactions, and hedging issues.

White & Case LLP is well positioned to act on a range of market transactions, including some of the largest IPOs in the Middle East and specialise in sovereign bonds and Sukuk offerings, in addition to project bond issuances. The group’s experienced practitioners advise a variety of parties engaged in capital markets work including sellers, buyers, underwriters and hedge providers. Debashis Dey is highly regarded for his securitisation and fixed income experience. Sami E. Al-Louzi‘s expertise was crucial to the IPO of DEWA and Abdulwahid Alulama brings near-unparalleled regulatory understanding to bear on a number of transactions. Greg Pospodinis and senior associate Marcin Zawadzki are also noted. Ibrahim Soumrany left the firm.

Helming high-profile deals for a mix of leading industry players, White & Case LLP excels across the entire range of financing mandates with notable strength acting on landmark energy and infrastructure projects alongside construction and real estate developments. An enviable client list includes private credit and direct lending entities who view the firm as a go-to in the region for relevant financing advice, as well as premium financial institutions – both domestic and international – and major publicly-traded companies. The firm fields a string of experienced practitioners as team heads, including the Dubai-based Claire Matheson Kirton who is prominent adviser to government related entities on both conventional and Islamic financing; Debashis Dey, who complements his cross-border prowess with expert knowledge of Islamic financing and capital markets; and William Watson who has established strength in debt financing. Acting out of Abu Dhabi, Alexander Malahias is the fulcrum of the group’s considerable project financing offering, sharing the workload with Antoine Cousin who is a formidable PPP adviser. Adam Pierson wields a commendable regional practice, working for clients such as NEOM Company, Saudi Aramco and the Ministry of Water and Irrigation for Jordan, while Yasser K. Riad has experience acting on energy deals across the Americas, Europe and Asia.

The ‘solution driven and very approachable’ capital markets team at White & Case often acts for high level issuers, arrangers, and managers in structuring and executing capital markets transactions. The practice is led by Sami Al-Louzi and Debashis Dey, both of whom are based in Dubai. Al-Louzi is well-versed in advising on IPOs on the Saudi Stock Exchange. Dey specialises in Islamic finance in the capital markets, and often works on establishing large Islamic finance issuance programmes. In October 2023, Ibrahim Soumrany left the practice to join Gibson Dunn.