Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) is pleased to announce that it has promoted eight lawyers to counsel. They are:
Nerina Erasmus – Corporate, London
Nerina’s practice focusses on domestic and cross-border M&A, joint ventures and private equity transactions, with particular expertise in the energy and infrastructure sectors. She is dual qualified in England & Wales and South Africa.
Valentina Keys – Environment, Health & Safety, London
Valentina’s practice focusses on a broad range of environment, health and safety and decarbonisation advice (including on impact of maritime decarbonisation laws such as CII, EEXI, MARPOL, EU ETS, and FEMREG), defending against environmental prosecutions and health and safety actions, carbon trading contracts, nature-based solutions projects and non-financial reporting. She also specialises in providing stand-alone regulatory advice to companies on management and apportionment of environmental risk in cross-border corporate and financing transactions.
Jan Mommsen – Assets & Structured Finance, Maritime, Hamburg
Jan specialises in finance, including asset financing and restructuring, primarily in the maritime space where he advises both domestic and international banks and financial institutions. He has experience in advising on sale-and-lease-back shipping transactions, restructuring loans and high-value shipping portfolio acquisitions.
Arianna Neri – Corporate, Rome
Arianna specialises in M&A, commercial contracts and dispute resolution matters, with a notable focus on the energy, biotech and emerging technology sectors, including AI. She regularly provides mentoring and support to startup programmes at leading Italian universities and business incubators, as well as working with them on various other activities.
Tram Nguyen – Projects, Energy and Infrastructure, Hanoi
With over 15 years’ experience, Tram specialises in projects and banking and finance. She regularly advises government entities, international sponsors, major multinational lenders and foreign investors in Vietnam. Tram has extensive experience in the energy sector, covering both conventional and renewable energy.
Christian Orton – Assets & Structured Finance, Aviation and Energy, Tokyo
Christian acts for clients on a wide range of complex financing matters including asset, project and corporate finance transactions and related restructurings. His asset finance practice focusses on the aviation and maritime sectors where he represents lenders, lessors, charterers, investors and operators on structured financing, leasing, chartering and purchase and sales arrangements. His project finance practice focusses on energy and power infrastructure where he represents international and Japanese clients.
Sylvia Shi – Dispute Resolution, Maritime, Hong Kong
Sylvia has extensive experience in the maritime sector where she frequently handles dispute resolution and insurance matters including P&I, FD&D claims and marine casualties, as well as representing shipowners, operators and charterers in international arbitrations. She also regularly advises leasing houses and banks on contractual and transactional risks in ship finance projects.
Charlotte Williams – Real Estate, Energy, London
Charlotte handles all aspects of commercial property, including lettings (acting for both landlords and corporate occupiers), development work and secured lending. She has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the energy sector advising developers, investors and banks on the property aspects and land agreements required for renewable energy projects such as onshore and offshore wind farms, solar parks and battery storage.
Managing Partner Lindsey Keeble commented: “I am delighted to see eight such talented lawyers promoted to counsel. Their impressive and varied expertise, alongside that of our recently promoted partners, highlights the quality and depth of legal talent at WFW across our core sectors of energy, infrastructure and transport”.
