The Drawdown has named Haynes Boone Partner Emma Russell to its list of "most influential” fund finance lawyers of 2022, profiling her in a new report about individuals who have shaped and had a major influence on the fund finance market. Emma is head of the firm’s Finance Practice Group in the London office.
“Emma is a well-recognised fund finance practitioner who is frequently praised for her domestic and cross-border capabilities, ”states, adding: “In 2021, she and the [Haynes Boone] team worked closely with clients through various challenges faced by the market, including liquidity shortages, extreme demand and LIBOR amendments to find innovative solutions. Russell’s impressive experience means that she is able to offer innovative novel solutions. She has also been working with alternative lenders in the private credit space and helped several start-up finance offerings to develop their product and market it in the space by hosting panels, writing articles and publications.”
Emma is an experienced loan finance lawyer with nearly two decades of global fund finance experience under her belt. She was one of the first lawyers to work on transactions through the mid-late 2000’s and early 2010’s and is seen as a founder in the European legal market for this product. She is recognised as a notable practitioner in the Banking & Finance: Lenders: Lower Mid-Market section which received the highest achievable band 1 ranking in Chambers UK, Chambers and Partners, 2021. Emma also sits on the Board of the Fund Finance Association (FFA).
Earlier this summer, Haynes Boone was named the Fund Finance Advisory Firm of 2022 at The Drawdown Awards, which celebrate excellence and innovation within private capital fund operations.
This week’s Drawdown report noted the fund finance market’s explosive growth in recent years, saying 2021 marked a watershed moment for the industry, “bringing with it new levels of sophistication, maturity, innovation.”
Many of the individuals listed in the report have been instrumental in the design and development of ESG-linked facilities. “Russell and her team have helped clients develop KPIs on ESG financings and assisted them with determining processes for reporting,” The Drawdown stated.
“In 2021, Russell was instrumental in growing the Fund Finance Association in Europe, having been named vice-chair Europe on the global board of the Fund Finance Association, as well as chair of Europe. She also co-chairs the Women in Fund Finance European committee, the Fund Finance European Advisory committee and the Fund Finance European Executive committee, highlighting her personal dedication to promoting the industry and various individuals working within it,” The Drawdown stated.
Read the full article here.