Michael Francies

Clients value the support, guidance, and leadership that Phillip Taylor brings to a situation and his technical and commercial approach to delivering innovative solutions to the most complex issues involving international restructuring, special situations, and insolvency. He represents companies, creditors, and investors in all parts of the capital structure, as well as corporate trustees, agents, directors, and insolvency practitioners. Phillip routinely handles both contentious and non-cont...

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.

Rob Day is a partner in Proskauer’s Corporate Department and a member of our Private Equity Transactions, Mergers & Acquisitions and Sports Groups. Rob’s practice focuses on public and private M&A, leveraged buyouts and joint ventures, private equity and portfolio company transactions. His clients include global corporations, asset managers and private equity houses, advising on their strategically important transactions across financial services, consumer, sports, media a...

Mark Sperotto is a partner in the London office of Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher and a member of the Corporate Transactional practice group. Mr. Sperotto has broad experience in both the UK and Italian markets, covering all aspects of corporate, private equity and investment banking with a focus on cross-border M&A, leveraged buy-outs, fund establishment and international corporate finance and equity capital markets transactions. Mr. Sperotto’s experience extends to advising private equ...

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...

Michael Kazakevich is a partner in Ropes & Gray’s finance group in London, co-head of the firm’s global practice, and co-chair of the firm’s investment banking industry group. Michael’s practice focuses on corporate finance transactions. He has advised issuers and underwriters in connection with high yield debt issues, secured leveraged loans, initial and follow-on public equity offerings, tender offers and acquisition financing commitments.

Franz Schwarz focuses on complex multi-jurisdictional disputes. He has extensive experience with arbitral practice, procedure and advocacy both in civil and common law systems. Mr. Schwarz has been involved in more than 250 arbitrations as counsel and arbitrator, both ad-hoc and before all major arbitral institutions (including ICC, LCIA, Vienna and Stockholm), at multiple seats and governed by a broad variety of substantive and procedural laws. He has a particular focus on joint venture, M&a...

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...

Robert Spano is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Human Rights Law and Public International Law. Robert, 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 Robert 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 ...