The new global head of Ogier’s banking and finance practice has targeted growth in its global fund finance business, as the law firm announces a number of senior team changes.
Cayman Islands-based Angus Davison takes over the global role, while partner Katrina Edge has taken on responsibility for the European region, covering Guernsey, Jersey and Luxembourg.
With a particular focus on providing regulatory and other advice to international banks and other financial institutions with Cayman Islands branches or subsidiaries, Davison also advising clients on debt issues, facility arrangements and Islamic finance structures.
Edge advises clients on a wide range of financing and corporate transactions with a particular focus on secured lending, fund financing, property financing and restructuring transactions as well as advising clients in connection with the establishment, acquisition and disposal or real estate holding structures.
As part of the changes, partner Dan Richards has returned to Jersey after four years establishing Ogier's Luxembourg practice.
Recently the firm has acted for borrowers and lenders on a number of major cross-border financing transactions, including for Barclays in the GBP500 million financing of Tritax Big Box REIT’s UK real estate portfolio, and advising Barclays, Bank of Montreal and Deutsche Bank as lenders in relation to senior facilities provided to NetInvest to refinance existing indebtedness and finance the EUR1.1 billion acquisition of Skrill Group.
The moves coincide with the publication last month of the latest Legal 500 UK 2016 guide, in which the firm’s Banking and Finance practice received another top tier ranking and was described as ‘truly excellent’.
Davison says: "Being endorsed as a 'truly excellent' global banking and finance practice is testament to the hard work and dedication of the team right across our jurisdictions spanning the Caribbean and Europe. These latest team changes, together with having been able to add considerable strength to the team in recent months, means we are in a very strong position.
“We have really galvanised our expertise in fund finance and, as the demand increases for cross-border financing touching North America, Europe and Asia, this is an area where we see strong potential for growth. In particular, we have increased our lender side instructions to now represent 40 per cent of our fund finance business, whilst we have worked with 21 of the world’s top 25 banks and advised on transactions totalling USD4 billion.”
