Partner, London
White & Case
Francis Fitzherbert-Brockholes, who has qualified both as an English barrister and as a member of the New York Bar, represents banks and other private and public entities and sovereign governments in various financial transactions, with particular emphasis on their activities in the international capital markets.
Francis has also had considerable experience in acquisitions of public and private companies, in the establishment and organisation of financial institutions and investment funds, in the privatisation of state-owned enterprises and in the organisation of other multi-jurisdictional transactions.
He has advised on many equity and debt offerings, securitisations and ECP and EMTN programmes. These include both registered and unregistered debt and equity offerings in the United States, as well as many offerings outside the United States, including some of the first international offerings by issuers from Central and Eastern Europe and Asia.
Francis works for sovereign governments in such areas as international financing, external debt rescheduling and restructuring and privatisation.
One highlight of his work has been leading the team in drafting Kazakhstan's banking restructuring law, which enabled BTA and Alliance Banks to restructure in excess of US$20 billion of liabilities and which has been acknowledged as the first "bail-in" restructuring of a financial institution. These restructurings were recognised and enforced by the courts in both New York and London. This work won the 'Legal Innovation in Financial Services' award in the 2009 Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Awards. Francis has also recently been recognised as a "Super Lawyer" by Thomson Reuters in their London 2013 directory.
Francis has lectured extensively on various aspects of his practice at seminars and conferences. He has been a partner in the Firm since 1985, having joined the Firm as an associate in 1978. Prior to that, he practised at the English Bar and in New York.
Francis is also a trustee of a number of charities (including The Deutsche Bank Microcredit Development Fund, The Oratory School Association, Lancaster University and The Brampton Trust) and is President of The Garstang & District Agricultural & Horticultural Society.