Rising Stars: Financial Services

Rising Stars: Financial Services

Marco Boldini

Director – European regulatory counsel

ETF SECURITIES (UK)

Marco Boldini serves as European regulatory counsel at ETF Securities, an asset management house focused on exchange-traded funds (ETFs), exchange-traded commodities (commodity ETCs) and exchange-traded currencies (currency ETCs) with offices in Jersey, London, New York, Sydney and Hong Kong. Based in London, Boldini is responsible for overseeing all regulatory functions across Europe and analysing the impact of emerging regulations. He is also chair of ETF Securities’ MiFID II committee, a member of its worldwide risk and compliance committee and leads the company’s advocacy and lobbying efforts by engaging with various European regulators.

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Freshfields gives power to associates to pitch for fintech clients

Freshfields gives power to associates to pitch for fintech clients

While other Legal Business 100 firms such as Slaughter and May and Simmons & Simmons are giving free legal advice to win over fintech clients, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer associates have been given the opportunity to pitch and win client relationships as part of a growing bid to win new clients in this area.

Around 25 associates across Freshfields are part of the initiative, which began when a client invited associate Adam Ryan to pitch alongside another associate, Claire Harrop. The pair now lead the fintech associate initiative.

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To the hilt – Meet the US firms going all in to dominate the City’s leveraged finance scene

To the hilt – Meet the US firms going all in to dominate the City’s leveraged finance scene

Nowhere has the battle for City legal talent been more intense than in leveraged finance. Will the Americanisation of Europe’s credit markets drive on the advance of US firms or has the bubble burst?

‘It’s a shrinking universe in terms of those playing in the top tier,’ says one partner. ‘Two years ago there were about 15 firms which were completely capable and honest when they said: “We’re a leveraged finance house.” I don’t think that’s the case anymore. It’s a very, very small community and there are so many more clients concentrated with fewer firms.’

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The Companies of Tomorrow: Fintech and Alternative Finance

The Companies of Tomorrow:  Fintech and Alternative Finance

SEEDRS

Industry/sector: Venture capital

Founded: 2009

Founders: Jeff Lynn, Carlos Silva

Chief legal officer: Karen Kerrigan

Based: London

Seedrs began as an MBA project at Oxford’s Saïd Business School before launching in 2012. In May that year it raised £1.3m in funding and received authorisation to become the first regulated equity crowdfunding platform in the world. Like Crowdcube, its model is based on bringing crowd investors and entrepreneurs together to invest in start-ups. It has now funded over 350 companies and helped to invest over £130m through campaigns on its platform.

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Deal watch: Corporate activity in April 2017

Deal watch: Corporate activity in April 2017

HSF AND BLP ADVISE ON £1.1BN CHEESEGRATER SALE

Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF), Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) and Mayer Brown led as the owners of London’s tallest tower, known as the Cheesegrater, agreed to its sale for £1.1bn. HSF and Mayer Brown advised joint owners British Land and Oxford Properties Group, while BLP assisted buyer CC Land Holdings.

 

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