Maples Group Announces Six Appointments to its Law Firm in London

Partner promotions include Christian La-Roda Thomas of the Dispute Resolution & Insolvency team, Robert Hughes and Fearghal de Feu of the Funds & Investment Management team, and Julia Cornett of the Finance team.  In addition, Anna Cochrane of the Corporate team and Alex Way of the Trusts & Private Client team have both been promoted to Of Counsel.

Speaking about these appointments, London office Managing Partner, Heidi de Vries said, “I am delighted to announce the appointment of four new Partners and two new Of Counsel to our London practice.  These promotions cover five of our specialist practice areas and demonstrate the range of career-progressing opportunities available across the firm.  It also illustrates our commitment to providing the highest level of client service to our international clients from a trusted team of experienced lawyers who have deep technical, sectoral, and jurisdictional knowledge.”

She continued: “I would like to congratulate our new Partners and Of Counsel on their much-deserved appointments and I have no doubt that they will continue to excel in their new roles.”

The Maples Group has been operating in London for over 20 years and its London office continues to be a strategic location, serving as an important European hub for its international client base.  With a global footprint of 18 offices worldwide, the Group’s European offices include Dublin, Jersey, London, Luxembourg and the Netherlands and over 700 of its 2000+ team members are based in the region.  The Group’s London office offers international clients access to full service legal advice on the laws of the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Ireland and Jersey in a time zone suitable to their needs.  It also provides fiduciary, fund, regulatory and compliance, and entity formation and management services.

About the New Partners

Christian La-Roda Thomas

Christian advises clients on Cayman Islands law and has experience in a broad range of commercial disputes, with a focus on cross-border matters, as well as in advising and representing investment banks, hedge funds and other financial institutions.  He has particular expertise relating to disputes involving complex financial products and structured finance.

Fearghal de Feu

Fearghal advises clients on Irish law and works with many of the world’s leading financial institutions, asset management corporations, UCITS management companies, AIF managers, fund administrators, and depositaries.  Based in London, he has extensive experience in the structuring, establishment, regulation and marketing of UCITS and AIFs, with particular expertise in private equity, hedge funds, fund of funds, alternative UCITS, master-feeders, LQIAIFs, managed account platforms and real asset structures.  Fearghal also advises asset managers looking to establish Irish authorised AIFMs and UCITS management companies.

Julia Cornett

Julia advises clients on Cayman Islands law and has extensive experience in corporate finance and structured finance transactions and advises on all aspects of banking, securitisation, repackagings, fund, and other finance matters.  She represents both borrowers and large bank syndicates, as well as hedge funds and private equity funds, on lending and financing transactions.  Julia advises on a wide range of corporate and commercial deals, including restructurings, joint ventures, and M&A transactions as well as on all aspects of establishing and maintaining corporate entities, limited partnerships and segregated portfolio companies.  She also has significant experience in debt listings on the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange.

Robert Hughes

Robert advises clients on Cayman Islands law and has broad experience advising in the area of investment funds, in particular the establishment and maintenance of hedge funds, mutual funds and private funds in the Cayman Islands.  He also advises on the restructuring and regulatory aspects of different types of Cayman Islands investment vehicles.

About the New Of Counsel

Alex Way

Alex advises clients on the laws of the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands.  He works with institutional trustees and private individuals on all areas of trust law and related private wealth issues.  He acts for trustees and settlors on the establishment and administration of private and charitable trusts and the establishment of private trust companies.  He also acts in respect of estate planning.

Anna Cochrane

Anna has experience of a wide range of corporate transactions and also regularly advises on financings (both lender and borrower side) and debt listings on The International Stock Exchange (“TISE”).  Anna has a particular interest in and has acted on a number of high profile corporate downstream private equity transactions.