Travers Smith LLP has announced today the promotion of four lawyers to its partnership, with effect from 1 July 2019. The new partners and their principal areas of practice are:
Alexa Day - Dispute Resolution
Alexa is an experienced general commercial litigator, regularly advising on high-value and multi -jurisdictional disputes. She has acted on a broad range of contractual and non-contractual commercial matters including, amongst others, cases involving civil fraud and competition. Alexa was recently part of the award winning team who worked on the successful defence of claims brought by the Tchenguiz brothers against Kaupthing, Jóhannes Jóhannsson and others. The high-profile litigation, concerning alleged professional misconduct during the SFO’s investigation into the collapse of Kaupthing and the brothers’ 2011 arrest, was abandoned by the claimants just three days into what was set to be a 12-week trial.
Andy Lewis - Pensions
Andy is an expert adviser to businesses and pension funds on all areas of pensions law. He has particular experience assisting clients with complex pensions projects and regulatory work including scheme reorganisations, liability management, benefit changes, and difficult funding and debt settlements. With Head of Pensions Daniel Gerring, Andy recently advised the Akzo Nobel (CPS) Pension Scheme in a significant sponsor negotiation, and advised another major global corporate based in the USA on a restructuring and flexible apportionment arrangement in a key pension scheme. Additionally, Andy has expertise acting on corporate transactions and operational carve-outs in a range of sectors. Highlights include acting for Micro Focus International PLC on the global pensions aspects of the $2.5 billion sale of its SUSE Linux business and related strategy and integration advice, and advising Ancala Partners on pensions in its acquisition of Portsmouth Water.
Michael Raymond - Financial Services & Markets
Michael is a financial services regulatory lawyer who has a broad practice advising financial markets participants on all aspects of law and regulation affecting their business and their products. His clients include some of the largest global, multi-strategy alternative asset managers and he has particular expertise in advising clients on managing and implementing regulatory change (including under the second Markets in Financial Instruments Directive and the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive); market conduct issues in the credit markets; securitisation risk retention rules; and regulatory capital requirements for investment firms and alternative investment fund managers. Michael has also been involved in mergers and acquisition and equity capital market transactions in the financial services sector, involving banks, insurers, managers of both private and regulated funds and insurance and mortgage intermediaries. Michael is a regular contributor to industry trade associations, with a particular focus on issues impacting private equity and debt fund managers.
Jonathan Walters - Corporate Finance
Jonathan is a corporate lawyer, with experience advising on public and private M&A, joint ventures and equity capital markets with a particular focus on the infrastructure sector. He regularly provides advice to a full spectrum of clients including public and private companies, infrastructure funds and other financial sponsors. The majority of his work focuses on advising infrastructure funds on the acquisition and disposal of infrastructure assets. Jonathan recently represented Arjun Infrastructure Partners on the acquisition of two combined heat and power plants in the UK. He has also acted for Ancala Partners on several transactions including on the acquisitions of Portsmouth Water and an interest in the Scottish Area Gas Evacuation System (SAGE).
Travers Smith's Managing Partner David Patient commented: "The appointment of new partners is always one of the highlights of the year, and it’s great that we are, once again this year, able to promote such exceptional talent from our deep bench. Congratulations to all of them."
Senior Partner Chris Hale added: "I am delighted to welcome to the Travers Smith partnership four outstanding lawyers. I expect each of them to contribute significantly, from their different perspectives, to further strengthening both the market leading practices in which they work and the firm as a whole."