Walkers has announced its 2022 senior lawyer and WPS promotions*. Forty-seven senior colleagues from across the Americas, Asia and the Middle East and Europe, have received a promotion with wider promotions made in all Walkers regional offices. These promotions reflect the hard work and quality of service that each of our lawyers and corporate services professionals, deliver to our clients on a regular basis, and we are pleased to welcome them into their new roles.

The range of areas which these appointments span illustrates our capability as a top-tier law firm, to service the needs of the international financial services community. With 156 partners and 1100+ employees based in 10 offices across the Americas, EMEA and Asia, clients rely on Walkers to deliver a round-the clock service with a powerful combination of big picture view and in-depth local market insight. The strength of our legal and corporate services offering, ensures that our clients receive optimum service levels on all matters as well as efficiencies on the execution of transactions.

Commenting on the promotions, Global Managing Partner Ingrid Pierce, said:

"This is a record year for promotions across the Group and it is Walkers' biggest round of senior promotions since the firm was founded in 1964. I am delighted to announce that we have appointed 26 new partners, 18 senior counsel and counsel and three senior corporate services professionals. These senior promotions together with our wider promotions across Walkers, reflect the strength of our offering, the diversity of our business and our commitment to nurturing and growing a strong talent pipeline for the future.

"Almost 40% of these new partner appointments at Walkers are female bringing our total number of female partners to 34% of the overall partnership. I hope the recent appointments both at Walkers and elsewhere, will encourage more female lawyers to consider seeking out senior leadership positions."

As of 1 July, we welcome 26 new members to the partnership.

10 new Partners have been admitted to the partnership in the Americas:

• Paul Waldron is promoted to Partner in the BVI Investment Funds Group
• Adeola Adeyemi is promoted to Partner in the Cayman Finance & Corporate Group
• Christine Ballantyne-Drewe is promoted to Partner in the Cayman Investment Funds Group
• Matt Bernardo is promoted to Partner in the Cayman Investment Funds Group
• Martin Davies is promoted to Partner in the Cayman Investment Funds Group
• Lucy Diggle is promoted to Partner in the Cayman Private Capital & Trusts Group
• Niall Hanna is promoted to Partner in the Cayman Insolvency & Dispute Resolution Group
• Andrew Howarth is promoted to Partner in the Cayman Regulatory & Risk Advisory Group
• Fiona MacAdam is promoted to Partner in the Cayman Insolvency & Dispute Resolution Group
• Olga Sologub is promoted to Partner in the Cayman Finance & Corporate Group

7 new Partners have been admitted to the partnership in Asia and the Middle East:

• Luke Petith is promoted to Partner in the Dubai Insolvency, Restructuring & Dispute Resolution Group
• Colm Dawson is promoted to Partner in the Hong Kong Regulatory & Risk Advisory Group
• Audrey Coker is promoted to Partner in the Hong Kong Finance & Corporate Group
• Ally Lam is promoted to Partner in the Hong Kong Investment Funds & Corporate Group
• William Lee is promoted to Partner in the Hong Kong Investment Funds & Corporate Group
• Adam Hinks is promoted to Partner in the Singapore Insolvency Restructuring & Dispute Resolution Group
• Tania Toh is promoted to Partner in the Singapore Investment Funds & Corporate Group

9 new Partners have been admitted to the partnership in Europe:

• Chris Hutley-Hurst is promoted to Partner in the Guernsey Investment Funds & Corporate Group
• Damien Barnaville is promoted to Partner in the Ireland Asset Management & Investment Funds Group
• Shane Martin is promoted to Partner in the Ireland Regulatory & Risk Advisory Group
• Daniel Read is promoted to Partner in the Jersey Employment Group
• Sevyn Kalsi is promoted to Partner in the Jersey Private Capital & Trusts Group
• Julia Keppe is promoted to Group Partner in the Jersey Banking & Finance Group
• Andrew Chissick is promoted to Partner in the London Insolvency & Dispute Resolution Group
• Catherine Overton is promoted to Partner in the London Finance & Corporate Group
• Ian Williams is promoted to Partner in the London Investment Funds Group

We also recognise the following new 18 Senior Counsel and Counsel Appointments, which took effect from 1 July:

7 Senior Counsel - Americas 

• Melanie Fullerton, Bermuda, is now Senior Counsel in the Regulatory & Risk Advisory Group
• Michael Beck, Cayman, is now Senior Counsel in the Finance & Corporate Group
• Daisy Boulter, Cayman, is now Senior Counsel in the Insolvency & Dispute Resolution Group
• Sam Francis, Cayman, is now Senior Counsel in the Investment Funds Group
• Joe Healy, Cayman, is now Senior Counsel in the Finance & Corporate Group
• Jessica Mbanda, Cayman, is now Senior Counsel in the Finance & Corporate Group
• James Murrie, Cayman, is now Senior Counsel in the Investment Funds Group 

6 Senior Counsel and Counsel - Asia & Middle East 

• Bryan O'Donnell, Dubai, is now Senior Counsel in the Investment Funds & Corporate Group
• Wei Ching Teo, Hong Kong, is now Counsel in the Investment Funds & Corporate Group
• John Crook, Hong Kong, is now Counsel in the Insolvency & Dispute Resolution Group
• Kevin Ho, Hong Kong, is now Counsel in the Investment Funds & Corporate Group
• Melissa Mak, Hong Kong, is now Counsel in the Investment Funds & Corporate Group
• Michael Kenny, Singapore, is now Counsel in the Investment Funds & Corporate Group

5 Counsel - Europe 

• Helena Lavin, Guernsey, is now Senior Counsel in the Insolvency & Dispute Resolution Group
• Jessica Robinson, Guernsey, is now Senior Counsel in the Investment Funds & Corporate Group
• Laurent Thibeault, Guernsey, is now Senior Counsel in the Insolvency & Dispute Resolution Group
• Tom Fothergill, Jersey, is now Senior Counsel in the Investment Funds & Corporate Group
• James Turnbull, Jersey, is now Senior Counsel in the Insolvency & Dispute Resolution Group

*A small number of these lawyer promotions are subject to work permit approval where required. 

Walkers Professional Services 

Additionally, we congratulate the following promoted Asia, Middle East & Americas, Senior Corporate Services Professionals, which took effect from 1 July:

• Daniel Booth is now Head of Walkers Professional Services, Hong Kong  
• Amina Mahmood is now Senior Vice President, Walkers Professional Services, Dubai  
• Brigitte Tomascik is now Senior Vice President, Walkers Professional Services, Cayman 

About Our New Partners

Americas

Paul Waldron is promoted to Partner in the BVI Investment Funds Group. Paul is a Legal 500 ranked lawyer and has over 15 years' experience in British Virgin Islands investment funds. He has extensive experience in both hedge funds, private equity funds and approved managers. Paul advises institutional asset managers and established as well as start-up investment managers on all aspects of investments funds matters, including pre-formation strategy, launches, governance, reorganisations, ongoing operations, exit and termination. Paul regularly works with managers and service providers in the fintech space, in close collaboration with the BVI Regulatory & Risk Advisory group.  Paul has launched a number of innovative BVI incubator funds for managers with a strong crypto / fintech focus.

Adeola Adeyemi is promoted to Partner in the Cayman Finance & Corporate Group. Adeola has extensive experience working on complex cross-border finance transactions including leveraged and acquisition financings, subscription line financings, hedge fund financings, NAV and hybrid financings, management facilities, asset based bankruptcy remote SPV financings and project financings. Adeola also has a broad corporate practice covering corporate restructurings, mergers and acquisitions and general corporate matters.

Christine Ballantyne-Drewe is promoted to Partner in the Cayman Investment Funds Group. Christine advises primarily on the formation, operation and restructuring of investment funds and has extensive experience in both open and closed ended investment structures, as well as downstream corporate transactions. She also has significant expertise in relation to mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and other corporate transactions. Christine advises a broad range of institutional asset managers, private equity sponsors, family offices and start-up and emerging managers.

Matt Bernardo is promoted to Partner in the Cayman Investment Funds Group. Matt advises on a broad range of matters including private equity and hedge fund formation, downstream acquisitions and divestments, exits, end-of-life issues, initial public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate reorganisations and upper tier structuring of general partners. Matt advises a broad range of clients from start-up managers to some of the world's largest investment firms.

Martin Davies is promoted to Partner in the Cayman Investment Funds Group. Martin specialises in private equity fund formation and investment transactions, and general corporate work. He has extensive experience advising in investment funds of other types, including hedge funds targeting cryptocurrencies and blockchain. Martin regularly advises early stage companies in the fintech industry on the establishment of proprietary trading vehicles focused on digital assets and also acts on behalf of a large number of the major private equity houses and their onshore counsel; fund managers based in the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America; investment banks and financial institutions; and corporations.

Lucy Diggle is promoted to Partner in the Cayman Private Capital & Trusts Group. Lucy is recognised for her expertise in both contentious and non-contentious international trusts and private client work. Lucy advises private and institutional clients in relation to the settlement, restructuring, ongoing management and termination of all types of Cayman Islands trusts and wealth planning structures. She also advises executors, administrators, beneficiaries and onshore counsel in relation to applications for grants of probate and the resealing of foreign grants and letters of administration in the Cayman Islands.

Niall Hanna is promoted to Partner in the Cayman Insolvency & Dispute Resolution Group. Niall is a commercial litigator specialising in complex cross-border insolvency, corporate restructuring and recovery, shareholder disputes, and a wide of distressed funds work.  His advisory clients include management, directors, stakeholders, creditors, debtors, private equity and hedge fund vehicles, as well as insolvency practitioners and other professional service providers.  Niall also advises on corporate wind downs in consensual and contentious situations. 

Andrew Howarth is promoted to Partner in the Cayman Regulatory & Risk Advisory Group. Andrew regularly provides regulatory advice across Walkers' diverse client base. His areas of focus include investment funds and service providers to investment funds, particularly Cayman Islands' fund administrators and fund managers, fintech initiatives, particularly those which may require registration under virtual asset legislation, and corporate structuring and the impact of the various regulatory regimes. 

Fiona MacAdam is promoted to Partner in the Cayman Insolvency & Dispute Resolution Group. Fiona has extensive experience of advising debtors, creditors and insolvency practitioners on a broad range of restructuring and insolvency matters, with a particular focus on cross-border restructuring transactions and specialises in advising on both creditor and shareholder schemes of arrangement and formal insolvency procedures in the Cayman Islands. Fiona has been involved in many of the leading and high-profile multi-jurisdictional restructuring cases in the offshore market over the last decade. 

Olga Sologub is promoted to Partner in the Finance & Corporate Group. Olga specialises in derivatives and structured products but also advises on a broad range of structured finance and securitisations including CLOs, CRE CLOs and fund linked notes as well as bankruptcy remote financings and asset finance transactions. Olga is adept at identifying and analysing key legal issues and navigating complex structuring questions. Olga regularly acts for asset managers, leading investment banks, financial institutions, public and private companies and leading on-shore law firms, advising on a variety of finance transactions. Olga also spent time on a secondment as in-house legal counsel with a major international bank and worked on the administration of a global financial services firm. 

Asia & Middle East

Luke Petith is promoted to Partner in the Dubai Insolvency, Restructuring & Dispute Resolution Group. Luke advises clients on complex and high value cross-border commercial disputes in the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands, and has worked offshore since 2015.  He also has experience in contentious and non-contentious insolvency matters, corporate restructurings and other distressed situations (often involving cross-border elements). Luke advises on all forms of formal appointments of insolvency officeholders in the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands, and regularly advises financial institutions, investment funds, debtors, creditors, shareholders, directors and financial advisors with respect to insolvent or distressed situations.

Colm Dawson is promoted to Partner in the Hong Kong Regulatory & Risk Advisory Group. Colm has experience across regulated financial services providers including having spent significant secondment periods as in-house counsel in the banking and investment management sectors respectively. His general regulatory work experience ranges across regulatory permission applications, change of control notifications on multi-jurisdictional projects including preparing applications for banks, payment institutions, electronic money institutions, fund administrators and investment managers and advisors. Colm regularly acts for major international banks, investment managers, fund service providers, virtual asset issuers and service providers and insurers. He advises clients on all aspects of financial crime prevention economic substance, data protection, corporate and regulatory governance and engaging with various competent authorities in multiple jurisdictions.

Audrey Coker is promoted to Partner in the Hong Kong Finance & Corporate Group. Audrey advises on Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands and Bermuda law and covers financing transactions acting for financial institutions, alternative capital providers, private equity sponsors and corporates, with experience gained from private practice and in-house roles at financial institutions. She specialises in advising on cross-border debt finance transactions, including leveraged and acquisition finance, real estate finance, margin loans, equity derivatives and other structured equity financings, general lending and restructurings. 

Ally Lam is promoted to Partner in the Hong Kong Investment Funds & Corporate Group. Ally has a broad investment funds and corporate practice and advises on all aspects of an investment cycle, ranging from the upstream fund formation to the downstream investments. She advises investment managers, private equity funds and corporates clients on a wide range of legal issues including fund formation and structuring, ongoing compliance and dissolution. Her practice also encompasses pre-IPO investments and series financing, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and general corporate matters. She focuses on the Asian market with clients from across the region including China, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore.

William Lee is promoted to Partner in the Hong Kong Investment Funds & Corporate Group. William is a corporate specialist, advising clients throughout Asia on Cayman Islands, BVI and Bermuda law matters. He has significant experience across a wide variety of corporate transactions, covering public markets deals (including IPOs, secondary offerings, SPACs and take-privates) and private matters such as mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, group restructurings and series financings.

Adam Hinks is promoted to Partner in the Singapore Insolvency Restructuring & Dispute Resolution Group. Adam is a member of the BVI Bar Association, BVI Arbitration Group as well as the International Association of Restructuring, Insolvency & Bankruptcy Professionals. He specializes in cross-border commercial litigation, restructuring and insolvency matters and has extensive experience advising clients in relation to fraud, shareholder disputes, securing and/or discharging urgent interim relief and the ownership and control of companies. 

Tania Toh is promoted to Partner in the Singapore Investment Funds & Corporate Group. Tania specialises in corporate and capital markets transactions as well as investment fund formation. She regularly advises managers on the formation of investment fund structures including private equity funds, hedge funds, technology and venture capital funds and the establishment of carry, co-investment and alternative investment structures. In addition, Tania advises a wide range of clients across the region on corporate and capital market transactions with an emphasis on private equity acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures, venture capital investments and listings particularly with a technology and digital asset focus.

Europe

Chris Hutley-Hurst is promoted to Partner in the Guernsey Investment Funds & Corporate Group. Chris is a Guernsey Advocate with more than 20 years' experience in private practice in Guernsey, London and New York, specialising in investment funds, corporate matters, tax law and financial services regulation. Chris advises on all aspects of investment fund and corporate transactions, including private equity fund formation, listed fund formation, capital markets transactions, acquisitions, disposals and special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs).

Damien Barnaville is promoted to Partner in the Ireland Asset Management & Investment Funds Group. Damien has practised as a financial services lawyer in Dublin for many years and during that time has acted for a broad range of funds, fund sponsors, management companies and fund service providers. He has a particular focus on advising in relation to the establishment, authorisation, distribution and operation of all types of Irish investment funds including UCITS and AIFs. Damien also advises asset managers, depositaries and fund administrators on their day to day regulatory obligations in Ireland.

Shane Martin is promoted to Partner in the Ireland Regulatory & Risk Advisory Group. Shane has significant experience in regulatory risk and compliance in financial services across the banking, insurance, asset management, credit union and payment services sectors. Drawing on his experience as a regulator and industry adviser, Shane provides practical and informed advice on all regulatory compliance matters with particular expertise in financial crime.

Daniel Read is promoted to Partner in the Jersey Employment Group. Daniel leads Walkers' Jersey Employment Law Practice Group, advising organisations and individuals within the financial services sector on all aspects of the employment relationship including exits, disciplinary issues and investigations, and on regulatory matters. He is one of the Island's leading employment lawyers and is recognised by both Chambers & Partners and Legal 500, as well as being named one of the top three young employment lawyers in Europe by Euromoney in 2019 and 2021.

Sevyn Kalsi is promoted to Partner in the Jersey Private Capital & Trusts Group. Sevyn is a private wealth specialist experienced in advising corporate trustees, settlors, beneficiaries, HNWIs and intermediaries on matters relevant to Jersey trusts and foundations. He is a Jersey Advocate, and has been practising for more than ten years and worked in the City before moving offshore in 2014.

Julia Keppe is promoted to Group Partner in the Jersey Banking & Finance Group. Julia specialises in fund finance, leveraged acquisitions, corporate lending, real estate finance, direct lending and restructurings, representing corporations, private equity sponsors and financial institutions and she has been practising since 2006 in London, New York and offshore, and is recognised by Legal 500. Julia advises on all aspects of fund financing matters, including subscription line facilities, NAV and asset-backed facilities, margin lending and open-ended fund facilities, and is part of Walkers' Global Fund Finance team.

Andrew Chissick is promoted to Partner in the London Insolvency & Dispute Resolution Group. Andrew is an Insolvency and Dispute Resolution specialist advising on British Virgin Islands, Bermuda and Cayman Islands law. He has ten years' experience in private practice in London and BVI, and has worked offshore since 2015. He advises clients on complex and high value multi-jurisdictional disputes, and his clients include leading corporations, banks, financial institutions, and insolvency practitioners.

Catherine Overton is promoted to Partner in the London Finance & Corporate Group. Catherine advises on both Cayman Islands law and the BVI law aspects of a broad range of finance and corporate transactions. She specialises in all aspects of finance and corporate matters including debt, equity, equity-linked and asset-backed securities, securitisations, debt-based capital markets, structured finance, derivatives and structured products, repackaging, collateralised bond and loan offerings, note programmes, commercial paper and depository receipt programmes, convertible debt and warrants issues, equity and equity-linked transactions (including preference share financings), asset finance and general corporate and banking and finance matters.

Ian Williams is promoted to Partner in the London Investment Funds Group. Ian advises both alternative investment funds and private equity funds on their establishment, ongoing corporate transactions and financing activities. He also advises on both Cayman Islands law and BVI law aspects of a broad range of corporate and finance transactions.