Global law firm Reed Smith is further expanding its global financial industry practice with the appointment of partner Diane Roberts to its Global Financial Industry Group in London, where she will join the restructuring and insolvency team.

Diane specialises in representing market participants in the acquisition and disposition of debt products (including bank loans and trade claims) and other financial claims in complex leveraged debt restructurings, with a focus on cross-border insolvency issues in the UK, the United States and throughout Europe. Admitted to the New York Bar and a qualified solicitor in England and Wales, Diane advises senior lenders, bondholders, corporate trustees and agents and other stakeholders in troubled companies, as well as insolvency practitioners. She also advises on portfolio transactions and debt financings and represents corporate trustees and agents on debt issuance transactions.

Diane joins Reed Smith from Ashurst, where she was a partner, and brings more than 25 years of experience.

Commenting on the appointment, Reed Smith’s global chair of the firm’s Financial Industry Group, Tamara Box, said:

“We have built significant momentum growing our distressed debt and corporate trust practices, both in Europe and the United States, most recently with the addition of partners Andrew Callahan and Robert Scheininger in New York and Michelle Ross in Washington DC. Diane’s addition brings further impetus, strengthening our London-based team, and signalling our determination to continue building a strong cross-border distressed debt and restructuring practice. We are looking forward to welcoming Diane to our team.”

Commenting on the appointment, Reed Smith commercial restructuring and bankruptcy partner, Charlotte Moller, added:

“Diane will play an important role in the ongoing development of our cross-border restructuring practice. There are exciting opportunities to work with our structured finance and DCM teams on restructuring portfolios of debt instruments.”

Reed Smith’s commercial restructuring and bankruptcy team includes almost 50 lawyers globally, nine of whom are based in London.

Diane’s arrival marks another partner hire in the strong financial industry team in London, where the firm also recently announced that it will be joined by a U.S. securities team from CMS Cameron McKenna, led by partner Daniel Winterfeldt. Daniel will also join the firm’s Financial Industry Group in London.

ENDS

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About Reed Smith

Reed Smith is a global relationship law firm, with more than 1,800 lawyers in 26 offices throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the United States.

For further information, please visit www.reedsmith.com or contact Jeyda Star (senior PR and communications manager EMEA) on +44 (0)20 3116 2571.