Jessica Bent

Simon Cook has experience in a wide variety of banking and finance transactions, including in particular in relation to structured trade finance, trade finance, project finance, invoice discounting facilities and borrowing-base facilities in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the CIS. His work in the structured trade area covers a range of pre-export and prepayment financings acting for both lenders and borrowers notably in oil, telecoms, soft commodities and metals sectors with particular exp...

Graham Defries is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Life Sciences Law. Graham, who practices law in London, United Kingdom, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Graham is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

David Birchall advises clients on the full range of energy transactions in the mid- and downstream fields, including types of commodity trading matters, conventional, renewables and clean-tech projects, energy and infrastructure projects, regulation and waste, including waste-to-energy schemes. Having practised as an energy corporate, regulatory and projects lawyer since 1993, he also worked from the start of the renewables and physical commodities trading legal market, in the UK, throughout ...

Pawel Szaja is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Capital Markets Law. Pawel, who practices law in London, United Kingdom, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Pawel is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Prior to joining Skadden, Mr. Gal led the strategic development of the Middle Eastern litigation practice of another major U.S. law firm. Over the course of the last 20 years, he has represented some of the world’s leading companies in sectors such as telecommunications, banking and finance, infrastructure, energy, construction and technology under a variety of different rules including ICC, ICSID, LCIA, UNCITRAL, AAA and ad hoc arbitrations. He served, until recently, as one of Austral...

?Mitri J. Najjar is a partner in the London office. He is admitted in both Washington D.C. and New York. He has 30 years of experience representing a wide variety of clients in numerous international transactions. Mr Najjar has resided and practiced law in Riyadh, New York City, Washington D.C., Dubai and London. He works extensively in the international commercial and banking areas, as well as on domestic securities matters and acquisitions. Mr. Najjar is ranked as a ‘foreign expert&rs...

Al Gourley is a Partner at the firm’s London office. He is a globally-recognised resource lawyer, having led many UK and Canadian initial public offerings, secondary and alternative finance transactions, as well as mergers and acquisitions, in the resource sector, particularly cross-border transactions involving Europe, Africa, Australia and Canada. Al is also the Chairman of the World Initiative of Mining Lawyers based in Europe. Al is known for his knowledge of “pure” mini...

Wim De Vlieger is a partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Mr. De Vlieger is Co-Head of Private Equity in Europe and a member of the Mergers and Acquisitions and Capital Markets practice groups. Mr. De Vlieger advises private equity investors and their portfolio companies on a wide range of corporate transactions, including growth equity and control investments and co-investments, structured transactions, buy-out transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and exits. He also...

Hannah Blom-Cooper is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Fraud. Hannah, who practices law in London, United Kingdom, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Hannah is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Eve Ellis is a partner in Ropes & Gray’s asset management group specializing in financial services regulation. Eve provides advice across a broad range of regulatory matters with a particular focus on fund regulation and has done so for over 15 years. In the latest edition of The Legal 500, clients describe Eve as “excellent,” “personable, accessible, very knowledgeable and commercially-focused.” Peers comment they are “impressed by her knowledge and co...