Global ABS

Olivier Bernard Partner

Paris

Olivier Bernard, partner in Orrick’s Paris office, is a member of the Structured Finance group.

Olivier advises French and international financial institutions, insurers, funds and other alternative capital providers, as well as borrowers, on structured finance, debt capital markets and securitization transactions, in relation to a variety of assets, including real estate, transportation fleets and infrastructure.

He has been involved on a number of groundbreaking multi-jurisdictional transactions, privately or publicly placed.

Before joining Orrick in 2016 as a partner, Olivier was counsel in the finance department of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

Annalisa Dentoni-Litta Partner

Rome; Milan

Annalisa Dentoni-Litta is a dual qualified attorney (Italy and New York) and a partner with the Finance team. 

She has wide experience on structured finance, securitisations, and covered bond transactions, also with a focus on public finance and Italian local public entities.

Her structured finance experience includes advice to arrangers, issuers and originators in relation to a number of public and private securitisations, both domestic and cross-border, as well as receivables purchase transactions, involving various types of receivables, including NPE (UTP, NPLs) RMBS, consumer loans, healthcare receivables, tax and trade receivables.

She has an extensive experience on capital markets transactions, and she advises issuers, originators and arrangers in Italy and other countries (including Greece) on securitisations and covered bonds.

Annalisa advises on various transactions in Greece, such as National Bank of Greece on their covered bond programmes and acted on both the Phoenix and Vega transactions, as well as other NPL and HAPS compliant transactions.

Annalisa Dentoni-Litta graduated from the University of Rome "La Sapienza" magna cum laude in 1995. She has an LL.M. Degree from New York University School of Law.

She also has extensive experience in public finance transactions, in particular structured transactions on loans to the public administration.

She is an authority on regulatory matters in banking and finance.

In 2020, she won the TopLegal Award as "Lawyer of the Year in Principal Finance".

She is ranked in BAND 3 by Chambers and Partners in Debt Capital Markets and Securitisation and included by The Legal 500 among the "Next Generation Partners" in Capital Markets: Debt.

She is a lecturer in the "Master Diritto e Impresa - Il Sole 24 Ore Business School" with reference to Securitisation and Covered Bonds transactions.

She is member of the Scientific Committee of Assobenefit.

Patrizio Messina Partner

Rome; Milan

Patrizio Messina is a lawyer experienced in securitisations, structured finance transactions and M&A transactions of banks and financial institutions. He is a Senior Partner at Orrick where he serves as Managing Partner for Europe and member of the global Management Committee.

Since 2001 Patrizio has been named among the best Italian securitisation and structured finance lawyers by the most renowned and accredited directories (including Chambers & Partners, Legal 500, Top Legal, Legal community) winning over the years awards as best Italian lawyer in finance, securitisation, NPLS & UTP. The Legal 500 includes him in the Hall of Fame for Capital Markets.

Patrizio has been a pioneer since the introduction of the Italian securitisation law in 1999. In 1998, he assisted in the first RMBS securitisation in Italy (structured with a dual regulatory law). In 1999, he participated in the drafting and study committee of the securitisation law and was advisor in one of the first RMBS securitisations in Italy under the newly introduced law.

In his career, from 1999 to the present, he has advised on securitisations of various types of assets, such as RMBS, SMEs, leasing, consumer loans, SME financing, and healthcare receivables. In the last 10 years he has focused on securitisations of non-performing loans such as NPLs and UTPs, with ordinary and synthetic securitisation structures and competitive portfolios sales, assisting most Italian systemic banks to divest their non-performing loans.

In the Non-Performing Exposure sector, in 2016 he was advisor to the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance for the drafting of the decree that introduced the GACS (state guarantee on the securitisation of non-performing loans), by Decree-Law No 18 of 14 February 2016.

Patrizio has also been involved in securitisations of NPEs in Greece and Southern Europe, having assisted major Greek systemic banks in securitisations of performing assets also using HAPS (the Greek guarantee corresponding to the Italian GACS).

Patrizio has a solid experience in Debt Capital Market and is considered a pioneer in the field of so-called Minibonds, having assisted Confindustria in relation to the legislation introducing these instruments and Borsa Italiana in the creation of the Extra-MOT PRO segment for the listing of Minibonds. To date, the Finance team coordinated by Patrizio assists the majority of Minibond issuers in the Italian market.

Patrizio has also been involved (together with Orrick's M&A team) in major Italian bank rescue and relaunch transactions, having assisted Fondo Interbancario di Tutela dei Depositi - FITD, as shareholder, in the recapitalisation and sale to Crédit Agricole Cariparma of 95.3% of the capital of Cassa di Risparmio di Cesena, Cassa di Risparmio di Rimini and Cassa di Risparmio di San Miniato; Banca Carige and Banca Popolare di Bari for which he was coordinator of the team that assisted the Extraordinary Commissioners appointed by Bankitalia. In addition, in 2021 Patrizio was coordinator of the team that assisted the MEF as shareholder in the privatisation of the Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena group.

Patrizio is Associate Professor of Structured Finance Law at San Raffaele University in Rome. He is Visiting Professor in Alternative Finance for SME, European regulation and practice at King's College Business School, and Fellow of The Dickson Poon School of Law at King's College (London, UK). Patrizio is Chairman of CELF - Center Of European Law and Finance, a study centre specialised in the updating and study of European financial law and regulation, where he established an Academy for the talents of the main banks, financial institutions and Large Corporations active in Italy.

After graduating in law from the University of Catania, he worked in the legal department of an international merchant bank in London, and later became an associate of an international law firm. In 2003, he became a Partner of Orrick in Italy, setting up the Rome office.

In 2017, he gained an executive MBA in global leadership with the TRIUM programme (NYU, LSE, HEC).

Patrizio is Avvocato in Italy (admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Cassation) and Solicitor in England and Wales.

Finally, Patrizio has published numerous articles on business law in leading domestic and international law reviews and is the author of monographs such as:

• Minibond e Capital Markets Union Disciplina vigente ed evoluzione normativa. STRUMENTI E MODELLI DI DIRITTO DELL'ECONOMIA, vol. 34, (2021)
• Finance for SMEs European Regulation and Capital Markets Union Focus on Securitization and Alternative Finance Tools (2019)
• I contratti bancari e finanziari Giurisprudenza, dottrina e modelli contrattuali (2013).
• Le operazioni finanziarie nel diritto dell'economia Finanza pubblica e d'impresa (2011)

Sushila Nayak Partner

London; New York

Sushila Nayak is co-head of the firm’s Structured Finance Group. Dual-qualified in New York and England and Wales, Sushila works with financial institutions, public and privately owned companies, asset managers and alternative lenders on complex, multidisciplinary financings.

She has a broad range of experience in debt financing transactions, including structured credit and corporate finance. She represents issuers, arrangers and collateral managers in connection with the issuance and restructuring of various structured finance products, derivatives transactions and debt issuances in Europe and the United States.

Sushila also provides counsel to technology and other companies on trade finance matters, including receivables financing arrangements, vendor financing, and supply chain financing.

Active in pro bono work, she leads the London office’s pro bono efforts.

Engagements:

Sushila's experience includes advising:

• Arrangers on European CLOs
• Issuers, arrangers and investors in connection with the warehousing and securitisation of various assets, including receivables, tax credits and loans
• Issuers, arrangers and investors on compliance with European risk retention requirements
• Borrowers and lenders on corporate bonds and private debt and bank lending transactions
• Corporates and lenders on supply chain, customer finance and receivables financing arrangements

Sushila's recent engagements include:

• Representing Morgan Stanley as arranger of the North Westerly V European CLO transaction
• Representing Enel Finance International N.V. and Enel S.p.A. in connection with the issuance of a $4 billion U.S. dollar sustainability linked bond
• Representing the purchaser in a cross-border private securitisation of diamond receivables
• Representing Millicom International Cellular S.A. on a $1.65 billion bridge loan
• Representing Millicom International Cellular S.A. in connection with its issuance of a $500 million bond issued under Rule 144A/Regulation S, and its $600 million tender and redemption of existing bonds

Judith Rousvoal Of Counsel

Paris

Judith Rousvoal is a structured finance lawyer in Orrick's Paris office.

Judith advises French and international banks, financial institutions on project finance, structured finance as well as on complex infrastructure projects. 

Prior to joining Orrick, Judith was an associate for two years in the Banking & Finance department of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and for five years in the Securization department of Gide Loyrette Nouel.

Al Sawyers Partner

New York

Al Sawyers is a partner in Orrick’s New York office. His practice focuses on the creation of derivative securities, structured financial products, and repackaged asset-backed, corporate, and municipal securities. He previously served as chair of Orrick’s Structured Finance Practice.

Al represents issuers and underwriters in the issuance of credit-linked notes, collateralized bond obligations, synthetic convertible bonds and synthetic money market eligible securities. He also works with clients entering into various swap agreements, such as interest rate, credit default, currency, and equity swaps, and has authored alerts on various financial industry-related topics, including the Dodd-Frank Act.

Al has been ranked by Chambers and Partners both globally and nationally in the structured products category. Legal500 has noted Al for his work in structured finance, quoting a client who stated that he has "impressive expertise in all facets of securitization in general, which is immensely helpful when we are working on complex transactions." The International Financial Law Review has also recognized Al for his work in structured finance and securitization. Euromoney notes him as an expert in Banking, Financial and Transactional Law: Structured Finance and Securitization.

Laure Seror Of Counsel

Paris

Laure Seror is a banking and finance lawyer in Orrick's Paris office.

Laure advises French and international banks and financial institutions as well as sponsors and borrowers on French and cross-border structured finance, infrastructure and real estate finance transactions.

Prior to joining Orrick in 2017, Laure was an associate for five years in the Banking & Finance department of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

Hervé Touraine Partner

Geneva; Paris

Hervé Touraine is Head of Finance Europe, based in Geneva and also with an office in Paris, where he spends a significant part of his time.

Hervé represents French and international financial institutions, corporates, sponsors, investors, insurance companies, asset managers and alternative capital providers on French and cross border transactions. He advises on banking, structured finance, securitization, and capital markets transactions.

Hervé has worked on numerous complex, strategic and/or innovative transactions (including many firsts in France and Europe) such as international securitization transactions, covered bonds, corporate structured bonds, project bonds, debt funds and the establishment of dedicated origination and refinancing platforms. He also acted on transactions for financing or refinancing purposes (including liquidity), and for off-balance sheet or regulatory capital purposes. As such, he has developed particular skills in handling multi-jurisdictions and multi-practices transactions.

He has developed a substantial experience in the energy and infrastructure sector in the context of financing and refinancing transactions, using classical bank structures as well as Euro PP, bond and project bond structures, specialized credit institutions and dedicated debt funds.

Hervé is described by his clients as a “key person” for structured finance deals, noting: “when we've got a problem, he's there. We know we can count on him”. Clients further comment: “He is dedicated and innovative, and an expert in is field. We see him as a business partner of ours, rather than a lawyer”.

Hervé is an active participant in drafting securitization and structured finance legislation and regulations in France. Hervé regularly publishes and speaks in relation to structure finance markets and related points of interest and deals.

Before joining Orrick in 2016, Hervé was a partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP where he worked for 20 years, including 18 years as a partner.