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About Linklaters

Linklaters is a leading global law firm, supporting and investing in the future of our clients wherever
they do business. We combine legal expertise with a collaborative and innovative approach to help
clients navigate constantly evolving markets and regulatory environments, pursuing opportunities and
managing risk worldwide.

Our 5,200 people, of which almost half are lawyers, are located across 30 offices in 20 countries. In
order to offer our clients, the highest quality advice, our lawyers across three divisions; Corporate,
Dispute Resolution and Finance, specialise in industry sectors as well as practice areas.

Investing in our clients

Working with our clients, we promise to provide not only our technical expertise, but exceptional client
service – from every part of the firm. We field diverse and agile teams aligned to clients' needs and
we create an environment in which they can exceed expectations. We invest constantly in our
systems, technology and working practices to ensure that we deliver the right results.

Clients' businesses are our business. We bring a long-term perspective, embracing new ideas and
proactively identifying future trends and products. We listen to our clients to allow us to understand
their current and future needs and to shape our business to meet those.

Clients tell us they value our partnership culture, and we honour the spirit of teamwork and
collaboration on which our firm was built – but we also provide the benefits of working with an
ambitious, outward-facing, and entrepreneurial business. It is also important to us that we are
recognised as a responsible business, one which uses its skills and resources to positive effect in the
community.

We can provide clients with an integrated, high quality advice in almost every part of the world.

> Relationship focused – Our dedicated team will invest the time and resources to make
working with you as seamless as possible. We will ensure the highest level of service and
commitment is delivered by the team.

> Commercial awareness – The type of advice you might require is very much at the heart of
what we do within our global team. Ultimately, we have the market credibility and expertise to
help you make the right decisions at the right times, all the while, providing creative solutions.

> Overcoming challenges – Major transactions will often come with several challenges – some
known, others which will arise when least expected. Putting these into perspective and
working alongside you to overcome them will require experience of similar issues in the past,
tact and the ability to suggest pragmatic solutions.

> Teamwork – Delivering complex deals requires teamwork all round. We don’t stand on
ceremony and we don’t try to score points. We aim to get the deal done as efficiently as
possible and work co-operatively with any other advisers you may wish to engage alongside
us.

> Cost effective and efficient – For any matter on which we are instructed, we will ensure there
is transparency and regular communication regarding the work being done and the progress
of fees throughout the course of the matter.

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 > Speed of execution – We regard our project management capabilities to be almost as
important as the quality of the advice we provide. Our commitment, energy, speed of
execution and approachability are key qualities which all members of the team have.

BUSINESS AREAS
Investment Funds

We maintain one of the deepest and most globally integrated funds practices in the world with
experienced funds teams in London, Luxembourg, New York, Paris, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Tokyo and
Washington D.C.

Our investment funds group, unlike many of our competitors, maintains dedicated funds specialists in
our global regulatory, tax, employment and pensions teams. This full-service offering means that we
are able to advise on the structuring, formation, taxation and regulation of alternative investment funds
to provide commercial and practical solutions to our clients.

We advise the full spectrum of clients active in the alternative investment space, including those
active in real estate, private equity, (large cap, buyout, venture and growth), debt (direct lending,
mezzanine and special situations), infrastructure and natural resources.

Banking

The firm’s banking team advises banks and other financial institutions, companies and governments
on domestic and international bank financing transactions across every industry, commercial, financial
and governmental sector.

Our experience of acting not only for arranging banks and lenders but also for credit enhancers and
borrowers in relation to a wide range of industrial and financial sectors means we are able to
anticipate and address the requirements of all parties to a transaction.

Our top ranked banking lawyers across Europe, Asia and the Americas act on the most challenging
banking and restructuring transactions. In cross-border financing deals, Linklaters’ lawyers combine
innovative tax advice with first-class transactional expertise.

Real Estate

Buying and selling real estate for investment purposes is increasingly structured in a complex fashion,
featuring cross-border elements. Leading global investors, developers, occupiers and financial
institutions with major space requirements choose our real estate team to advise on their largest and
most complex or multi-jurisdictional real estate transactions and disputes.

Cross-border experience and in-depth industry knowledge give the firm a significant competitive
advantage. Linklaters’ real estate team includes global specialists in real estate M&A, real estate
investment and development, real estate finance and tax, real estate funds, derivatives and structured
finance and real estate disputes, environment and planning/zoning.

The global real estate group is at the forefront of new developments, such as the creation of real
estate investment trusts (REITs) across the world. Using a wide range of innovative and complex
structures, Linklaters’ real estate M&A lawyers help clients to mitigate risk and tax costs and enhance

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returns on their transactions. The group is also renowned for its cutting-edge expertise in structured
and securitised cross-border real estate finance transactions. 

Tax

We approach matters holistically and ensure that our tax advice, and any implementation, reflects the
wider legal and commercial context. We bring real-time insights into trends, attitudes and legislative
developments and provide advice that will stand the test of time.

Our integrated teams of tax, corporate, finance, regulatory and dispute resolution lawyers have a
broad client base, spanning corporates, governments/sovereigns, funds and financial institutions. This
results in a rounded approach and tailored, realistic, commercially-sound advice.

Our expertise and experience of advising on the tax aspects of corporate transactions is unrivalled.
We frequently work on structuring domestic and cross-border M&A, joint ventures and demergers, as
well as corporate reorganisations.

We regularly advise on the tax issues that are key to structuring domestic and cross-border
investments, including for funds and financial investor clients.

Our team is known for structuring the most complex and challenging financial transactions, including
regulatory capital and hybrid financing packages, structured bond transactions, rights issues, loan
agreements and securitisations.

Our contentious tax group provides experienced advice and guidance at all stages of a potential
dispute with a tax authority, or a third party, on a tax-related matter.

We support clients through a variety of business challenges, including advising on tax aspects of
crisis management.

PREVIOUS WORK
Experience highlights:
> a global bank on the relocation of its
London HQ’s offices
> a major U.S. investment bank on strategic
advice for its new London HQ
> a major investment bank on its on-going
premises requirements and underlettings
> a sovereign wealth fund on its new London
HQ letting
> a major U.S. investment bank in
connection with the sale and leaseback of
their European HQ development in
Holborn, London
> a global financial institution on its proposed
London HQ relocation to Canary Wharf
> a large international media agency on the
acquisition, development and letting of an
iconic new European HQ in the City of
London
> a major investment bank on pre-let
acquisitions and development advice on
more than one million square foot of office
space in the City, and the sale and
leaseback of its European HQ building in
EC4
> a syndicate of 16 banks on the €1.7bn
post-IPO financing for Philips Lighting N.V.
> the lenders, led by The Royal Bank of
Scotland plc, in respect of a €1.4bn
revolving credit facility and a €350m
revolving credit facility for DONG Energy
A/S as the borrower and Nordea Bank AB
as the agent

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> major UK retail banks on FCA
investigations and associated s.166 Skilled
Person reviews into the banks’ handling of
customers in arrears, collections and
recovery processes
> a leading global custodian and securities
services provider on an AMF investigation
into its fund depositary business
> several investment banks and financial
institutions in the UK, US and France,
advising on various complex cross-border
regulatory investigations into FX trading
> a global investment bank in connection
with negotiating the appointment of new
investment managers to its open-
architecture multi-manager hedge fund
platform
> a number of global asset managers on
incorporating sustainability considerations
in their decision making and business
practices, both under existing rules and
upcoming reforms
LAWYER’S EXPERIENCE (BIO’S)
Matthew Keogh
Partner, London
Tel: +442074563118
matthew.keogh@linklaters.co
m cap, buyout, venture and growth), real estate
Matt is the Global Head of our Investment
Funds practice, which in 2020 represented top
tier sponsors raising more than US$62bn and
acted for investors committing more than
US$20bn to over 148 private funds and co-
investments.
> various banks on their sustainability
policies and standards, and the role of the
board in relation to sustainability risks, and
the adoption of industry sustainability
principles and standards
> investment banks on the regulatory
implications of providing services in
relation to crypto assets
> a number of investment banks on the
governance implications of upcoming /
existing ESG obligations and related
regulatory expectations
> one of the largest credit card scheme
providers on the regulatory aspects of its
mobile technology, including the regulatory
implications around developing its P2P
offering
Matt acts for a range of leading sponsors and
institutional cornerstone investors. His
experience covers the structuring and
management of funds and managed accounts
investing in illiquid assets, particularly in real
estate, private equity, infrastructure and credit.
He also has experience in private equity style
joint ventures, fund finance, asset
management M&A and secondary disposal of
fund interests.
His investor practice covers a range private
funds spectrum including private equity, (large
(core, value-add and opportunistic), debt
(direct lending, mezzanine and special
situations), infrastructure and natural
resources.
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 Andy Bruce
Partner, London
Tel: +442074564888
andrew.bruce@linklaters.com
Andy is the global head of the firm’s real estate
practice. He has been at Linklaters over 25
years and has extensive experience in the
acquisition, financing, development, letting and
disposal of all types of commercial real estate
both in the UK and Continental Europe.
Andy is listed as a Leading Individual in Legal
500 and ranked in Chambers. He is a Trustee
of Barts Charity, a leading healthcare charity,
and chairs their investment committee.
Nik Kiri
Partner, London
Tel: +442074563256
nikunj.kiri@linklaters.com
Nik is a partner in the Financial Regulation
Group in London. Nik advises banks, broker-
dealers, insurers, asset managers, wealth
management firms and listed companies on
regulatory and compliance matters, with a
particular focus on contentious regulatory and
compliance risk management issues.
Nik’s work covers a diverse range of topics,
from all aspects of senior management
responsibility, governance and risk
management frameworks to regulatory
reporting, conflicts of interest, insider dealing,
market abuse, client money, fair treatment of
customers, suitability and appropriateness,
complaint handling and other conduct of
business issues. Nik also advises listed
companies and their advisers on disclosure
obligations and the LR 8 sponsor regime.
Karen Boadu
Associate, London
Tel: +442074562921
karen.boadu@linklaters.com
Karen is an associate in our investment funds
team and has experience in private equity,
hedge fund, real estate, and debt funds work,
assisting with both transactional and advisory
matters for a broad range of clients.
Karen trained and qualified in London and has
spent six months on secondment at Webber
Wentzel in their Johannesburg office in 2019.
David Leeming
Managing Associate, London
Tel: +442074564990
david.leeming@linklaters.com
David is an experienced advisor on project
financed infrastructure and energy projects in
Europe, Asia and Africa, acting for both
sponsors and lenders, including multilateral
development finance institutions and Export
Credit Agencies (ECAs). David has also
completed a secondment to Linklaters' Tokyo
office.
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 Patrick has also advised on numerous
international real estate projects on behalf of
listed real estate companies, sovereign wealth
funds and investment banks in Asia, the
Middle East and Continental Europe.

Charlie Aghatise
Rebecca Fellas Associate, London
Managing Associate, London Tel: +442074565603
charlie.aghatise@linklaters.co
Tel: +442074565464
m
rebecca.fellas@linklaters.com

Charlie advises on a range of corporate

transactions, including M&A, corporate
Rebecca advises on all areas of pensions law,
restructurings and corporate advisory matters.
including trustee advisory queries, corporate
Charlie spent six months as an international
transactional work, investment management
trainee to the firm’s Dubai office, where he
and pension scheme legal issues. In particular,
worked within the corporate team and advised
her recent experience has concentrated on de-
on various corporate transactions within the
risking transactions.
region.

Rory Bennett
Patrick Plant Associate, London
Partner, London
Tel: +442074565558
Tel: +442074564718 rory.bennett@linklaters.com
patrick.plant@linklaters.com

Rory is an Associate in the Real Estate team

As a senior partner in the firm’s real estate and has a broad range of experience across
practice and having previously been the global all aspects of planning law and consenting. His
head of the practice for eight years until 2011, practice covers a wide range of high-profile
Patrick has considerable experience advising developments, town extensions and energy
investors, developers, lenders and tenants on and infrastructure projects.
all aspects of commercial real estate in the
UK. Patrick also has specialist expertise in
hotel and leisure properties, including
management and franchise agreements.

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Rory also provides advice on highways, Julian Davies
compulsory purchase, local government and Partner, London
rights of light. Rory has a wealth of experience
drafting complex planning and highways Tel: +442074564440
agreements and has a track record of julian.davies@linklaters.com
successful contentious work.

Julian is the Founder of Linklaters’ Structured

Finance Group and Global Securitisation
practice, leads Linklaters’ Project Bond
practice and is Head of Linklaters’ Water
Sector Group. Currently, he specialises in
Structured Utility Bonds (“SUBs”) and Project
Bonds.

Aaron Brooks
Managing Associate (Australia
qualified), London

Tel: +442074564589
aaron.brooks@linklaters.com

Aaron has experience advising on project

development, procurement and financing in
the energy and infrastructure sectors. Aaron
has acted on a variety of transactions including
project finance, corporate acquisitions, Alison Goudarzi
acquisition finance, disposals, insolvency Managing Associate, London
processes and joint venture arrangements.
Tel: +442074563569
He has also advised public-sector clients, alison.goudarzi@linklaters.co
including UK government departments, on m
trade matters and Brexit preparations.
Alison is a Managing Associate in the
Pensions team. Alison advises trustees and
employers of pension schemes on all aspects
of Pensions law. Alison bring experience in
negotiation and documentation of scheme
funding arrangements; benefit change
exercises; analysis and correction of historic
benefit errors, including equalisation; day-to-
day issues e.g. member complaints and
IDRPs, governance issues, and member
incentive exercises.

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 Matthew Consedine
Managing Associate, London
Tel: +442074565186
matthew.consedine@linklaters.
com
Matthew is a managing associate in the
banking group in London. Matthew has
experience in a range of banking transactions,
including margin lending and acquisition
finance. Matthew joined Linklaters in 2017 as
an associate and was on secondment at
JPMorgan in their loan documentation team in
2017.
Michael Bennett
Global Head of Dispute
Resolution, London
Tel: +442074564291
michael.bennett@linklaters.co
m namrata.praveen@linklaters.co
Michael is the Global Head of Dispute
Resolution and has over 20 years’ experience
in managing legal, regulatory, political and
reputational risk in commercially sensitive
situations, and handling related disputes. He
has been based in London, New York and
Asia and focuses particularly on contentious
aspects of large-scale M&A and advising on
internal and regulatory investigations and
subsequent enforcement proceedings (usually
with a cross-border or extra-territorial
dimension).
Siobhan Burton
Counsel, London
Tel: +442074564568
siobhan.burton@linklaters.co
m
Siobhan is a commercial real estate lawyer
who regularly acts for clients on their “big-
ticket” transactions. She is experienced in the
acquisition, financing, development, letting and
disposal of all types of commercial real estate;
her clients include major funds, international
banks, developers, corporates and institutional
investors.
Namrata Praveen
Associate, London
Tel: +442074562526
m
Namrata is an associate in the Derivatives and
Structured Products Group in London since
September 2019. She has also worked in the
firm’s Tokyo office.
Namrata has experience in a wide range of
structured finance and derivatives matters,
with a particular focus on OTC derivatives and
the new regulatory environment. Her recent
experience includes advising sell-side and
buy-side entities on the implementation of the
EU Benchmarks Regulation as well as the
implementation of margin requirements for
uncleared derivatives and risk mitigation
requirements applicable to derivatives under
EMIR.
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 Hannah Day
Associate, London
Tel: +442074565276
hannah.day@linklaters.com
Hannah is an Associate in the Real Estate
team in London with a wide range of
commercial real estate experience.
Hannah’s experience ranges from drafting and
negotiating commercial leases for both
landlords and tenants in respect of office and
retail premises, to advising both borrowers and
lenders on real estate financings. Hannah also
frequently assists clients with property due
diligence in share and asset transactions and
advises on ongoing asset management
matters.
Alex Goldsmith
Managing Associate, London
Tel: +442074564853
alexander.goldsmith@linklaters.
com
Alexander is a tax managing associate in our
London office. Alexander has broad
experience in tax advisory which includes
funds, mergers and acquisitions, corporate
reconstructions, corporate finance and
securitisation transactions.
Kat Howarth
Associate, London
Tel: +442074564683
kat.howarth@linklaters.com
Kat is an Associate in our London real estate
practice. She has experience in a variety of
commercial real estate work, including
advising owners and occupiers on lettings,
licences and wayleaves, as well as advising
lenders on real estate financings. Kat also
frequently assists clients with property due
diligence in share and asset transactions and
advises on ongoing asset management
matters.
Liz Debski
Associate, London
Tel: +442074562160
liz.debski@linklaters.com
Liz is an associate in the antitrust & foreign
investment group, based in London. Liz has
experience advising on a range of competition
matters under EU and UK law, including
merger control, antitrust and foreign
investment. She has worked across a range of
industry sectors, including consumer goods
and retailing, healthcare and pharmaceuticals,
security and financial services.
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 Robert Daboul
Managing Associate, London

Tel: +442074562182
robert.daboul@linklaters.com

Robert has experience in a variety of

commercial and corporate real estate
transactions, including acquisitions and
disposals, development, lettings and asset
management.

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