We Talk Banking & Finance

In our latest episode, partners Zoë Hallam & Julia Keppe interview partner Chris Hutley-Hurst and senior counsel Gemma Palmer from our Channel Islands Regulatory & Risk Advisory Group. The group discuss Guernsey and Jersey's implementations of the OECD Pillar 2 initiative, why it's important, how the differing versions in the Channel Islands offer flexibility, and more.

As the aircraft leasing industry comes off a year of relatively strong performance, despite certain new and persisting issues impacting the industry, market sentiment remains positive as we look ahead to 2025.   In this episode of the podcast, Ireland-based partner Killian McSharry speaks to executive director and founding partner at Airborne Capital, Cian Dooley, about current market dynamics and the industry outlook for 2025.  Airborne Capital is a specialist aircraft lease and asset manager and aviation advisory firm, managing a fleet of young to mid-life aircraft with around 30 lessees in 21 different countries. 

The tokenisation industry has been experiencing significant growth, increasing in value from $2.8 billion in 2023 to $3.4 billion this year. In this episode of the podcast, Sara Hall, a partner in Walkers' Regulatory and Risk Advisory group, speaks to Julian Sawyer, CEO of Zodia Custody, a well known digital asset custodian. Sara and Julian discuss why tokenisation is such a hot topic, the role of institutional custodians and where the industry might be in a year's time.

The fund finance sector has seen notable activity in recent months, including a shift away from sub-lines and the entrance of new players in the market. In this episode of the podcast, MUFG Investor Services Managing Director of Fund Finance, Alex Griffiths, joins partners Julia Keppe and Alex Wickens to discuss what he's observed in the market and what we might see over the next 12 months amid an uncertain economic and political climate.

Guernsey's aircraft registry, 2-REG, has become one of the world's leading aircraft registries, operating under a unique public-private partnership. In this episode, partner Julia Keppe is joined by Walkers partner and co-host Kim Paiva to talk to Sid Sharma, Director: Commercial & Legal at 2-REG. Sid discusses the success of 2-REG in Guernsey, aircraft registration and leasing, and what's on the horizon for 2-REG.

In this episode of We Talk Banking and Finance, partners Julia Keppe and Zoë Hallam are joined by Nick Smith, Managing Director - Private Credit from the Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA) to discuss the latest trends in the market, renewed demand for Private Credit and what we may be seeing in the industry a year from now. 

In the latest episode of We Talk Banking and Finance, host and Walkers partner Zoë Hallam is joined by Nick Charlwood, partner at Allen and Overy in their Global Restructuring practice, and Walkers partner Jon Le Rossignol to discuss cross-border restructuring and some key things we're seeing so far in 2024. Nick also talks about real estate transactions, liability management and where he thinks the market will be in 2025.

In our first episode of 2024, Tom Speller, Managing Director and Head of European Funds at KBRA, takes some time out to speak with Zoë Hallam and Julia Keppe, co-heads of the Walkers' Channel Islands fund finance practice. His insights into the increased prevalence of ratings in both Europe and the US and across the full fund finance product spectrum as well as the key drivers behind this trend are worth a listen. 

In our latest episode, Group Partner Zoë Hallam & Senior Counsel Alex Wickens interview Shakeel Adli, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Zunikh, about his career in private practice and leaving the legal profession to start his new property development business which offers investment opportunities through its diverse and expanding property portfolio.

In this episode, we look at the client relationship from all sides in the context of a transaction, and we have some very special guests. Walkers' Banking & Finance group partner Julia Keppe and Cadwalader Finance associate Carla Pilcher talk to Julia Mandich, assistant general counsel at Barings, focusing on the priorities and pressures from their different perspectives. The trio discuss the dynamic between a client, instructing counsel and local counsel, and how all sides can better understand the motivating factors and build stronger relationships.

In this episode, group partner Zoë Hallam and senior associate Alice Wight from our Guernsey and Jersey Banking & Finance teams talk to Slade Spalding, the co-founder of alternative fund finance lender NLC. Slade talks about recent events in the fund finance market, looks ahead to developments over the coming months, and the challenges facing non-bank lenders in terms of capital restrictions. 

Our latest podcast is a must for anyone interested in digital assets and cryptocurrencies. In this episode, partner Sara Hall from our London office talks to the CEO & Founder of JITA Digital Jerome Rousselot about the state of stablecoins. Sara is one of a number of Walkers partners in London who have built a leading practice specialising in digital assets from a Cayman Islands, Bermuda and BVI law perspective. Sara advises on the regulation of digital asset businesses, token issuances, NFTs, AML/KYC, and financial services more broadly. She was speaking to Jerome as a bonus episode of Walkers' regular We Talk Banking & Finance podcast, which focuses on themes and trends in offshore finance. You can listen to the episode below.

Our latest podcast is a must for anyone interested in digital assets and the digital economy. In this episode, partner Sara Hall from our London office talks to Founding Partner of Collider Ventures Adam Benayoun about Web3 and its regulation.   Sara is one of a number of Walkers partners based in London who have built a leading practice specialising in digital assets from a Cayman Islands and BVI law perspective. Sara advises on the regulation of digital asset businesses, token issuances, NFTs, AML/KYC, and financial services more broadly. She was speaking to Adam as a bonus episode of Walkers' regular We Talk Banking & Finance podcast, which focuses on themes and trends in offshore finance.  You can listen to the episode below.

With the Global Fund Finance Symposium in Miami a week away, we talk to Fund Finance Association Chair Jeff Johnston about what to expect from the year's biggest event for the Fund Finance sector. Group Partner Julia Keppe and Senior Associate Alice Wight from Walkers' Banking & Finance team look ahead to the event – now in its 12th year - and run through the key issues and trends impacting investors, fund managers, bankers and lawyers in the sector.

ESG remains a hot topic in finance – for this episode we welcome back Bradley Davidson, ESG Lead at RBS International, to explore the factors influencing sustainable financing, including regulation, reporting and investor behaviour. Bradley joined us in our first season for a similar discussion – in this episode, Group Partner Julia Keppe and Associate Alice Wight discuss how things have moved on in the last 12 months, and how the direction of travel has changed.

In our second episode of season two, Group Partner Julia Keppe and Senior Associate Alice Wight interview Luxembourg-based Legal Director Michael Mbayi who was recently recognised as one of most influential fund finance experts of 2022. In the episode Michael discusses the fund finance and capital market work he is involved in and the convergence he sees between the two practices.

In our first episode of season two, Group Partners Zoë Hallam and Julia Keppe interview Director Matthew Wright about the looming economic downturn.

After a break of three years, the European Fund Finance symposium returned last month – in this special episode recorded just after the event, Group Partner Julia Keppe and Senior Associate Alice Wight talk about the key topics – the growth of non-bank lenders, risk pinch points and the emergence of innovative new structures.

Partner Sara Hall in Walkers' London office has built a leading regulatory practice focused on digital asset/fintech matters from an offshore perspective – in this episode she speaks with Maxime de Guillebon, Chief Executive Officer at Zodia Custody Limited, on themes in the market place, regulatory movement, and innovation in the realm of fintech.

In the run-up to the Global Fund Finance Symposium in Miami, we are delighted to be joined for this We Talk Banking & Finance episode by Mike Mascia, the head of Cadwalader's Fund Finance practice. Mike is co-founder of the Funds Finance Association, founder of Fund Finance Friday and a regular Contributing Editor of the Pink Book – in this episode he looks ahead to Miami and talks about themes and trends in the market with Senior Counsel Julia Keppe and Associate Alice Wight from Walkers' Global Fund Finance Practice Group.

For the first episode of 2022, Group Partners Zoë Hallam and Tristan Maultby speak to Senior Counsel Catherine Overton about the key trends in Banking & Finance across our jurisdictions for 2022. 

For the final episode of 2021, Senior Counsel Julia Keppe and Associate Alice Wight interview Group Partner Jon Le Rossignol about trends in market behaviour, conversations and instructions that across different aspects of Banking and Finance work, and looking ahead to 2022.

Group Partner Jon Le Rossignol and Associate Alice Wight interview Andrea Harris, Director of Recovery & Reorganisation at Grant Thornton Limited, about the latest trends and themes in restructuring.

Group Partner Zoe Hallam & Senior Counsel Julia Keppe talk about diversity and innovation in financial services with Dee Dee Sklar – a hugely well-known name in fund finance, who is a former Vice Chair Subscription Finance at Wells Fargo, and a founder and Global Co-Chair of Women in Fund Finance.

Group Partner Zoë Hallam and Senior Counsel Alex Wickens interview Group Partner Tristan Maultby about trends in real estate finance, and the rise, fall, and rise of the Jersey Property Unit Trust.

Senior Counsel Julia Keppe and Associate Alice Wight interview Bradley Davidson, ESG Lead at RBS International, about trends and themes in ESG.

Group Partner Zoe Hallam & Senior Counsel Julia Keppe interview Mohith Sondhi, Senior Director - Debt Finance, at OakNorth Bank.