Global: Debt & Equity Podcasts

Michael is a finance partner in the London office and has deep experience of the international financial markets. Michael has extensive experience across the developed, emerging and frontier markets. His clients include private equity/credit funds, investment banks, multinational corporations, sovereign governments, state-owned entities, state agencies, supranational banks and sovereign wealth funds

Michael Foundethakis acted as the global chair of Baker McKenzie’s Banking & Finance Practice Group from May 2017 to July 2020. He currently heads Banking & Finance in Paris and continues to act as global head of Project and Trade & Export Finance for the firm. Mr. Foundethakis is highly recommended as a leading banking and finance lawyer by Chambers Global, Legal 500, JUVE and IFLR. Additionally, he was the exclusive winner of the ILO Client Choice Award 2011 in Banking for Germany and again winner of the same award in 2017 in Banking for France. A team led by Michael Foundethakis was awarded Banking, Finance & Restructuring Team of the Year at The African Legal Awards 2015.

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Duncan is a partner in and is head of Baker McKenzie's Banking & Finance group.

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Gavin Raftery is a partner of the Finance & Projects Group, and is currently the Co-Managing Partner of the Tokyo office. Gavin is also one of the heads of Baker McKenzie's Global Fintech Initiative. He has extensive experience practicing finance law in Australia, the UK and Japan. He is listed as a leading lawyer for Banking and Finance in Japan by Chambers, Legal500 and IFLR.

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Rob Mathews is a partner in the Firm's Capital Markets Group. Rob's clients benefit from his significant experience in multinational corporate and finance transactions, notably high-yield debt offerings. Clients comment that "Rob is a high yield guru – you know you can rely on his technical advice and market knowledge." (Chambers UK, 2019) and that he is "client-focused, solution-oriented and commercial; he has many years of experience as is able to advise on any issue." (Legal 500, 2019)

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Samantha Greer is a New York-qualified senior associate in Baker McKenzie's corporate finance practice group in London. Prior to joining the Firm, she worked in the finance team at a leading US law firm in London and in the legal team at a leading multinational bank in London where she supported its investor and treasury services and capital markets business platforms. Sam has experience working on a wide range of cross-border corporate finance transactions, including Regulation S and Rule 144A high-yield debt offerings, liability management transactions and syndicated credit facilities.

Benjamin is a New York qualified senior associate in the Firm’s Corporate Finance group in London. Prior to joining the Firm in 2019, he worked in a leading US law firm in London. Benjamin has experience advising banks, private clients and borrowers on a wide range of corporate finance transactions, including high yield debt offerings, liability management transactions, syndicated credit facilities and restructuring transactions. Benjamin has also worked on secondment at a leading global investment bank its leveraged finance legal team.

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Eva-Maria is a partner in our Austrian corporate / M&A group and a member of our global sustainability practice. She acts as global lead sustainability partner for our financial institutions industry group, heads Baker McKenzie's capital markets practice in Austria and is a member of our EMEA steering committee for capital markets. Eva-Maria is a dual-qualified lawyer, admitted to practice in Austria and New York. Prior to joining Baker McKenzie's Vienna office in 2008, Eva-Maria worked in the New York, Paris and Frankfurt offices of a well-known US law firm.

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Clyde E. Rankin, III is a member of the Firm's North America Transactional Practice Group based in the New York office and is Chair of the North America Projects Practice. Mr. Rankin is fluent in French. He has been named one of the Best Lawyers in America from 2006 - 2021 and is highlighted in Legal 500 US 2010, 2011, 2015 and 2017-2021 for his work as an advisor to sponsors in project finance and renewable energy. He has also been named a New York Metro Super Lawyer from 2014-2021. Prior to joining Baker McKenzie in 2005, Mr. Rankin served as the ninth chairman of Coudert Brothers LLP.

José Antonio Morán chairs the Firm's Energy, Mining & Infrastructure Practice Group. He represents clients in numerous high-value deals, including one recognized by Thomson Project Finance International as “the largest merger and acquisition deal in Latin America.” José is ranked as a Foreign Expert for Spain in USA - Projects by Chambers USA 2017 and 2018. The Legal 500 United States also recognized him from 2011 to 2016 in the area of project finance and in prior years in the areas of corporate & finance and real estate & construction. José has been trained as a lawyer under a civil law system and a common law system. José is a lecturer at Loyola University School of Law's comparative law seminar on legal systems in the Americas, and a visiting professor at Northwestern Law School as a lecturer in the project finance class. He was the vice chair of the Banking and Financial Services committee of the International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolutions.

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James's practice focuses on debt capital markets, securitisation and portfolio sales/acquisitions of both distressed and non-distressed assets. He also has experience across a range of financing transactions and products, including sovereign advisory matters, cross-border restructurings, CLOs and has a rapidly expanding sustainable finance / green bonds practice.

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Cecilia Hong is a partner in the Transactional Practice Group in our New York office, with a primary focus on leveraged finance and complex financing transactions (distressed and non-distressed).

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Koen Vanhaerents is a partner in corporate finance in the Brussels office. Koen joined Baker McKenzie in 1987. He advises Belgian and foreign clients on a wide range of corporate finance operations (both public and private) and complex corporate law issues. He is closely involved in numerous operations and take-overs on the Belgian capital markets, private equity transactions and mergers and acquisitions. From October 2009 to October 2014, Koen was a member of the Executive Committee of Baker McKenzie and Chairman of the EMEA Region of the Firm. From October 2014 to July 2020, he was Head of Global Capital Markets. “Koen Vanhaerents is regarded by commentators as “one of the leading M&A lawyers in Belgium” (Chambers), “In negotiations, he is excellent when assessing complex situations and helping to set the strategy”, “Looking for high-level, sensitive board-level advice, Koen is on my shortlist.”

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Maxim Khrapov is an associate in Baker McKenzie London office.

Megan Schellinger is a New York qualified partner in Baker McKenzie’s Corporate Finance group in London. Prior to joining the Firm in March 2018, she worked at a multinational law firm based in London. Megan has extensive experience in US securities laws and transaction management.

Caitlin McErlane is a partner in Baker McKenzie’s Financial Services & Regulatory Group in the London office. Caitlin's practice focuses on advising a range of global financial institutions on complex and high value regulatory matters. She advises banks, major corporates, payment institutions and asset managers on navigating UK and EU financial services regulation. She has particular experience in advising clients on regulatory implementation projects, day-to-day compliance issues, and regulatory issues arising in the context of large-scale transactions. She also expertise in the areas of banking and wholesale financial markets regulation, in particular in the FX and fixed income space, alongside experience advising market infrastructure providers, including major international exchanges, trading platforms, clearing systems and payment services providers, on a variety of compliance issues. Caitlin is also a member of the Baker's ESG and sustainability taskforce, and advises a range of clients on the drafting and implementation of ESG policies and the implications of becoming a signatory to the UNPRI and the Stewardship Code. Caitlin is an authority on regulatory reforms in the sustainability space and sits on a number of trade association working groups. She has recently been interviewed by Climate Action on her work and is a frequent speaker on the subject.

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Pablo Berckholtz is the head of Estudio Echecopar's Banking & Finance practice in Lima and Chair of Latin America Capital Markets Steering Committee. He focuses on capital markets, corporate finance and derivatives, with experience in initial public offerings, high-yield debt and project bonds, representing both issuers and investment banks. He also has experience in derivatives matters, advises derivatives counterparties on regulatory and other Peruvian law matters.

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James Huang is Managing Partner in Singapore. He has extensive experience practicing in London, Hong Kong as well as Singapore and has handled a multitude of financing transactions in Asia Pacific. James has been consistently recognised as a leading lawyer in the Singapore banking and finance sector by Asia Pacific Legal 500 since 2001.

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Matthew Smith is Counsel in Baker McKenzie's Transactional Practice Group based in New York and is a member of the Global Derivatives Team. Prior to joining the Baker McKenzie, Matt worked at another international law firm. He previously served on secondment at a leading global investment bank.

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Gabriel Gómez Giglio practices mainly in banking and finance law in the Firm’s Buenos Aires office. He is a correspondent of the Journal of International Banking Law and Regulation and International Company and Commercial Law Review. He is the author of more than 20 articles and book chapters on topics related to his area of practice published in the UK, Germany and Argentina. Gabriel is a law professor at the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella and member of the Buenos Aires Bar Association.

Antoine De Raeve is a banking & finance partner in the Brussels office, and heads Baker McKenzie's Belgian Banking & Finance Practice Group. He joined the Firm in 1991. Antoine has been mentioned consistently as a leading banking & finance lawyer in Belgium in publications such as Chambers Global, Chambers Europe, Legal 500 and IFLR.

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