Webcast: Global Perspectives on the Development and Implementation of the 2021 Revised Sustainability-Linked Loan Principles and Future Trends in Sustainability-Linked Loan Markets

September 20, 2021

Join us to listen to this interactive discussion with an exceptional panel comprising some of the key people at the Loan Market Association (LMA), Asia Pacific Loan Market Association (APLMA) and Loan Syndications and Trading Association (LSTA) who were responsible for developing their 2021 Revised Sustainability-Linked Loan Principles together with three finance practitioners from Gibson Dunn’s US, U.K. and Asian finance and ESG practices.

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PANELISTS:

Ben Myers – Panelist
London, Partner, Gibson Dunn
Ben Myers is a partner in Gibson Dunn’s global finance and business restructuring teams. His practice focuses on advising funds, sponsors, corporates and financial institutions with a particular focus on leveraged finance, special situations and restructuring transactions. Mr. Myers is one of the leaders of the firm’s UK ESG practice and a member of the firm’s global ESG practice.

Patricia Tan Openshaw – Panelist
Hong Kong, Partner, Gibson Dunn
Patricia is a partner in Gibson Dunn’s energy, infrastructure and  global finance teams. Her practice focuses on project development and finance, mergers and acquisitions, and banking and finance transactions in the energy and infrastructure sector. She has substantial experience representing developers, sponsors, contractors, lenders, government agencies and offtakers in connection with the development, financing, and restructuring of power, rail, toll road, water, casinos and other infrastructure projects. She also advises on financings involving commercial banks, export credit agencies, multilateral agencies, private equity funds and Rule 144A/Regulation S offerings and private placements. She has handled transactions in Africa, Australia, China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Korea, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the United States. Ms. Openshaw is a member of the firm’s global ESG practice.

Yair Galil – Panelist
New York, Of Counsel, Gibson Dunn
Yair is of counsel in Gibson Dunn’s global finance team. His experience includes representation of sponsors, corporate issuers, financial institutions and investment funds in a variety of complex financing transactions. The business contexts for these transactions have ranged from corporate finance (including sustainability‐linked credit facilities), to leveraged acquisitions and dividend recaps, to debt buybacks and other out‐of‐court capital restructuring transactions, to debtor‐in‐ possession and bankruptcy exit financings. Mr. Galil is a member of the firm’s global ESG practice.

Hannah Vanstone – Panelist
London, Legal Associate, Loan Market Association
Hannah joined the LMA’s legal team in November 2018 and assists with the Association’s documentation projects, education and training events and regulatory and lobbying matters. Hannah leads the LMA’s real estate finance work and is also involved in all the LMA’s ESG initiatives. Prior to joining the LMA, Hannah was a banking and finance solicitor at Osborne Clarke LLP where she acted for numerous domestic and international corporate banks and UK and international borrowers on a variety of syndicated finance transactions, with a particular focus on real estate finance.

Rosamund Barker – Panelist
Hong Kong, Head of Legal, Asia Pacific Loan Market Association
Rosamund is currently Head of Legal at the Asia Pacific Loan Market Association based in Hong Kong. She has spent much of her career working in the Banking and Finance and Capital Markets teams at Linklaters in London and Hong Kong, most recently as Counsel. She was also Director of Knowledge for Asia Pacific at Baker McKenzie. She is responsible for green and sustainable lending initiatives at the APLMA and has been active in raising awareness of the Green Loan Principles, Sustainability Linked Loan Principles and Social Loan Principles to Borrowers and Lenders alike. Rosamund read law at Churchill College, Cambridge University and is a qualified solicitor both in Hong Kong and England and Wales.

Tess Virmani – Panelist
New York, Associate General Counsel, Executive Vice President, Public Policy of the Loan Syndications and Trading Association (LSTA)
Tess has a broad range of responsibilities at the LSTA. She leads the LSTA’s sustainable finance and ESG initiatives which seek to foster the development of sustainable lending as well as promote greater ESG disclosure in the loan markets. In addition, Tess engages in the LSTA’s policy initiatives, including market advocacy and spearheading industry solutions to market developments, such as the transition to replacement benchmarks. Tess focuses on maintaining and augmenting the LSTA’s extensive suite of documentation, which includes templates, market standards, and market and regulatory guidance. Finally, she is involved in the development and presentation of the LSTA’s robust education programs. Prior to joining the LSTA, Tess practiced as a finance attorney at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in New York. She received a B.S. in International Politics from the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law. She is admitted as an attorney in New York. Tess is an FSA Level II Candidate.