Banks, financial institutions and borrowers want lawyers who understand their markets and their business, and who can advise them on the legal aspects of complex financial solutions. With offices in all of the world's key financial and business centres, our Finance practice offers an exceptional level of expertise and the capability to execute both domestic and cross-border transactions.

Typical work | What you might do | Notable deals | Awards

In London, our Finance practice is divided into small teams that address specific client needs:

• General Banking
• Asset & Project Finance
• Financial Markets & Structured Products
• Real Estate Finance
• Insolvency, Restructuring and Liability Management

Each group focuses on particular markets and financial products, enabling teams to gain a greater understanding of the commercial issues and drivers our clients face in their businesses. Members of these teams are also part of specialist industry sector groups, providing financial advice within the context of a particular industry. There are many connections, both between the various Banking & Finance groups and with other practice areas, as well as opportunities to work closely with colleagues in other offices around the world.

Much of the work in this area involves high-profile clients - including many of the world's major financial organisations and corporations - in headline deals. We also advise regulatory authorities, supra-national bodies, governments and government agencies, and actively help shape the market, working with market organisations to develop documentation, policy and best practice.

Lawyers are sometimes seconded to work with clients in their offices. This gives our people valuable insight into what matters to clients and an opportunity to develop even closer business relationships.

Typical work

The nature of deals varies hugely and the risks and sums of money involved can be enormous. Some transactions can be completed in weeks; others take years to construct.

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What you might do

This practice area promises you variety and exposure to a broad range of business and commercial matters. Typical work will involve taking on your fair share of drafting, reviewing, document management and project management. These activities will give you an important understanding of how transactions work. As your experience grows your supervisors will allow you to take on more responsibility and more advanced work. However, at all stages you will receive significant client exposure as this too is vital to your development as a lawyer. You will have exposure to a wide range of deals, both directly and through meetings and training sessions, and there's every chance that you will read about those same deals in the Financial Times.

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Notable deals

• Advising the lenders to Rodenstock GmbH on a cross-border restructuring in both London and Germany, which was implemented through an innovative English scheme of arrangement, the sanctioning of which was a landmark ruling.
• Advising The Royal Bank of Scotland plc, Deutsche Bank, Barclays Capital, BNP Paribas, Lloyds Banking Group, Mizuho and Santander on the financing for the successful £5.8 billion bid for EDF's UK electricity networks business by Cheung Kong Infrastructure (CKI) of Hong Kong
• Advising the ECAs and commercial lenders on the US$7.2 billion multilateral financing of the Nord Stream Pipeline project, Europe's flagship project for energy security in the 21st century (Midstream) which is now in Phase II. The project, which is a milestone in European and Russian co-operation, involves a 1,222 km gas transportation pipeline under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany and will account for 25% of Europe's gas supply. The project was among the largest deals in the sector in 2010 and was a highly complex strategic transaction requiring a wide range of cross-border expertise in construction, finance, corporate, environmental, real estate, energy regulation and competition law matters. Oil & Gas Deal of the Year 2010 at the Infrastructure Journal Awards 2010; Deal of the Year 2010 - Global Trade Review; and European Midstream Oil and Gas Deal of the Year - Euromoney/Project Finance Magazine 2010.
• Advising Goldman Sachs and Credit Agricole on the first ECGD guaranteed aircraft bond to refinance two Airbus aircraft
• Advising the co-ordinating committee of lenders in relation to the amendment and possible restructuring of facilities made available to the RUSAL Group, a largely Russian based metals and minerals producer, which has total indebtedness of approximately US$15 billion.

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Awards

• Banking & Finance Team of the Year - The Lawyer Awards 2011
• Best Law Firm for Trade Finance for South and Central America 2010 - Trade Finance Magazine 2010
• Project Finance Deal of the Year - A5 Toll Road - IFLR Europe Awards 2010
• Cross Border Deal of the Year - Islamic Development Bank Sukuk - Islamic Finance News Awards 2010
• African Oil & Gas Deal of the Year - Kosmos/Jubilee - Project Finance International Awards 2010
• Overall Deal of the Year - ILFC's US$5 billion financing - AirFinance Journal Deals of the Year Awards 2010
• Project Finance Team of the year- IFLR Europe Awards 2011
• Finance Monthly - Law Awards 2011 - Winner - Construction Firm of the Year, UK
• The Infrastructure Journal Awards 2010 -NordStream natural gas pipeline (Phase 1) and Russia's Pulkovo Airport reconstruction
• GTR Best Deals 2010 - (Nord Stream, Petrobras International Braspetro, and Comilog)
• Restructuring Team of the Year - IFLR Middle East Awards 2009
• Global Banking Law Firm of the Year - Who's Who Legal Awards 2009
• Best Law Firm for Syndicated Loans - Euroweek Loan Market Awards 2009

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