Financial Times Names Dechert Among the Most Innovative Law Firms in Europe

Dechert and its lawyers have once again been honored for creativity and fresh thinking by the Financial Times in its Innovative Lawyers Awards for Europe. The FT’s annual Innovative Lawyers: Europe report, which explores key trends and transformations in the European legal sector, recognizes firms that have made a critical contribution to transforming their clients’ businesses.

Dechert was again recognized among the Most Innovative Law Firms in Europe this year, ranking in the top three for firms headquartered outside Europe. The FT’s Law Firm Index is based on assessments of firms’ innovation, digital maturity, policies towards people, financial success, pro bono commitment and approach to ESG.

The Financial Times consistently ranks Dechert among the most innovative law firms in the world.

This year, Jennifer Rees, a partner in the firm’s London-based international capital markets team, was named among the FT’s Top Ten “Most Innovative Practitioners in Europe” for guiding sovereign and corporate issuers through multiple first-of-their-kind capital markets issuances, including the Arab Republic of Egypt’s sustainable “Panda Bond,” the first from an African sovereign issuer in China’s domestic markets.

Dechert teams were also recognized in three other categories:

• HIGHLY COMMENDED – in the “Innovation in Private Capital” category, for orchestrating a “continuation fund plus” secondary deal allowing Swedish pension fund AP7 to kickstart a private markets strategy at scale via an evergreen private equity fund established with HarbourVest. Dechert’s London-based private equity team advised AP7 on the deal.
• HIGHLY COMMENDED – in the “Innovation in Pro Bono” category, for achieving the first judicial victory and monetary award for victims of the 2020 Beirut port explosion. A Dechert pro bono team led by Camille Abousleiman helped the Beirut Bar Association secure a judgment of liability and subsequent damages award in the High Court in London against Savaro Limited, a British-registered chemicals trading company.
• COMMENDED – in the “Innovation in Unlocking Finance” category, for driving Energy Development Oman’s US$1 billion Trust Certificate issuance, a hybrid sukuk with a unique guarantee structure. Patrick Lyons and Rafe Khokhar led the Dechert team advising the ten banks acting as joint lead managers on the first Omani-issued hybrid Ijarah-Murabaha sukuk.

Lawyers and law firms recognized by the FT were honored in a ceremony held at London’s Natural History Museum on September 12.

About Dechert 

Dechert is a global law firm that advises asset managers, financial institutions and corporations on issues critical to managing their business and their capital – from high-stakes litigation to complex transactions and regulatory matters. We answer questions that seem unsolvable, develop deal structures that are new to the market and protect clients' rights in extreme situations. Our nearly 1,000 lawyers across 20 offices globally focus on the financial services, private equity, private credit, real estate, life sciences and technology sectors.