Walkers - The Who's Who Legal 100 2012

What is the Who's Who Legal 100?

Private funds is undoubtedly the firm’s forte, with 13 names appearing in the corresponding chapter. The Cayman Islands office fields five nominees. Heidi de Vries is a “hedge fund expert” and is considered by our sources to be “communicative, helpful and a delight to work with”. Mark Lewis is “extremely experienced and knowledgeable” having worked in this sector for more than 28 years. The “superb” Rolf Lindsay’s practice focuses primarily on private equity funds and their activities, and encompasses the structuring of fund sponsor vehicles, the formation of alternative investment funds and the consummation of transactions undertaken by them. Ingrid Pierce and Gwyneth Rees have “outstanding reputations, and deservedly so” according to one interviewee. In Hong Kong, Rod Palmer is considered “an excellent lawyer and a trusted adviser” while Denise Wong impresses peers with her “sound judgement and invaluable regional knowledge”. Two lawyers from the Jersey office are listed. Jonathan Heaney is “first-rate” for investment funds work and is also noted for his “fantastic client service”. Jonathan Tonge specialises in hedge funds, banking and general corporate transactions with global responsibility for all practice areas. He is praised for “understanding what is important to clients” and is “always willing to go the extra mile”. Anne Forbes-Harper practises from the London office and her “stellar” work has a particular emphasis on fund formation for hedge funds and private equity, largely in the emerging markets sector. In Dublin, Ian Ashman earned votes for his “fierce intelligence and brilliant strategy” while in Singapore Laura Rogers’ advice is “consistently excellent”. Ashley Gunning, also based in Singapore, is “second to none for fund formation” and “very attentive to clients” according to one commentator.

Three Walkers lawyers feature in the insolvency chapter. In the Cayman Islands, Guy Locke is considered “the go-to guy” for contentious insolvency matters while sources commend Colette Wilkins as “a fantastic litigator – very bright and always on the ball”. Sandie Corbett practises from the firm’s British Virgin Islands office and is “a tough opponent” whose “style and strategy in the courtroom set her apart from her peers”.

The firm earns four more listings in four different practice areas. Dublin-based partner Ken Rush features in the aviation chapter. He is “impressively knowledgeable” on the financing and leasing of aircraft” and “first choice” for many of those we spoke to. Garry Ferguson, also of the Dublin office, is listed for his capital markets expertise. He has acted as lead counsel, issuer counsel and trustee counsel on a wide variety of transactions including all types of CLOs, CDOs, ABS and MBS deals, CAT bonds and Commercial Paper Programmes, earning him a reputation as an “outstanding practitioner”. Diarmad Murray, who practises from the Cayman Islands office, is included in the business crime defence chapter and is described by sources as “sharp-minded and brilliant in the courtroom”. Jack Husbands appears in the commercial litigation chapter and is lauded as “phenomenally talented and vastly experienced”.